I wonder if the generator is audible, one of the biggest concerns for small roof generators. If not: perfect, I love it!

It's an Invap IVS-4500. Limited specs available here.

I definitely have to give credit for integrating wind power into the initial building design, but the line that says it all is here:

"produce 4,5 kilowatts: more than enough for the building's common-spaces requirements"

The "common spaces" are probably the small entry areas, *maybe* an elevator, and, what else?

These are all residential units and in total they will require way more than what a 4.5kW turbine can provide. This building appears to have something like 32 units (assuming 4 units per floor based on the photo).

For comparison, here in California, a 4.5kW PV install is about what you'd expect for a single family home (which may are may not meet all the electricity needs of the home). So, they are installing 4.5kW for an eight story building and we are jumping up and down with praise.

I am not complaining or pointing fingers - I just aim to keep things in perspective a bit.

Hey JA, I totally hear you, but you do have to keep in mind that this is Argentina we're talking about.

You have no idea how behind the green movement is here, so the fact that someone is doing Aeolian in an urban building is really news.

I try to give a glimpse on how the green movement is evolving in Argentina and in Latin America, and I understand sometimes our small steps seem silly for Americans, which are used to seeing more.

However, I think it's important to have perspective on the different stages green is going through in the world.

With so many sites and information about this developing so fast in some cities, you might forget that the percentage of people who are going green is still really very small not only in the world, but also in your own country...

We still have a very long road ahead to make green mainstream, so I believe even small steps (specially with clean energy) have to be highlighted, specially in developing nations.

Thanks for commenting!

"...our small steps seem silly for Americans, which are used to seeing more. "

Paula, I don't think these small steps seem silly. As you might remeber the most polluting country in the world per capita is the US. I have yet to see a residential building here with its own wind powered generator.

I think that however small the effort, the idea of doing this is far greater than not doing anithing at all. So even if the wind turbine is not enough for the whole building to be powered, at least PART of it is powered by a renewable source. So instead of keeping it in perspective, whe should be cheering and supporting entrepreneurs like this in Argentina or anywhere else to do more. Because without them, the alternative is to do nothing and have the entire building powered by non-renewable sources.

I like the project and congratulate those behind it.

I find that in my new ways of living green, I am returning to my ways of live back in Argentina in the 60s and 70s. The rest of the world does not waste energy like the US. Still, this is great news. And again, even developing countries are going ahead without us. Can't wait for January 2009!!!

The astonishing thing is that there are signs here that individuals from Argentina AND America have bought into the non science propaganda and lies of Al Gore and the unsound unscientific drivel being promoted by a tiny minority as a means of kontrol & taxation.

There is no sound, peer reviewed, rigor to the clap trap of global warming being man made - it is a pack of lies as proven by scientist after scientist especially those who are not seeking grant aid!!!

At 4.5Kw howmany years will it take to pay back the energy used to make this eye sore on top of the building, let alone dispose of it when it fails, maintain it and integrate it into the building - nothing more than a foolish edifice as a monument to the stupidity of the builders!

No where on the planet is wind power economicly viable and it is only of practical use in limited use in isolated communities off of a grid!

If only people would investigate FACTS not be sold emotional garbage by corrupt politicians!

Greg L-W.

I agree that any steps in the right direction are desirable, and here in the UK there are just a few wind turbines on roofs, despite the UK having the biggest wind resource in Europe.

However, it is not windy all the time. So when still, all wind turbines stop generating. This Argentinian example included.

So this fact makes reducing energy consumption all the more important, plus diversifying the generation into solar pv, biomass, hydro (including tides and wave power) and geothermal. A good mix of these plus using less would reduce our need for fossil fuels and might possibly mean we didn't have to resort to nuclear.

But this is a good start.

John Cossham, York, UK

Wind power generators are a failed concept as output does not match either cost of making or the energy costs of dismantling - the entire faux science is a con, proving very very profitable for those who exploit the scam.

Wind is NOT a reliable energy source and storage of power is not a viable concept.

Solar energy is VERY costly to instal and output is limited considering the costs.

Wave power is dangerous as it puts obstacles in sea ways and risks pollution and also disrupts the tides that are essential to wash our beaches and coastline twice daily.

The IPCC report is NOT a scientific document and makes deductions that have no link to the scientific Facts based on the completely discreditted Hockey Stick model of handling statistics and making the classic dishonest method of selecting a period to project the required outcome on a profit/control need.

Solar power can be mass used in such places as sun/hot deserts but unfortunately due to the nature of electricity leakage it is all but impossible to deliver it to the point where it is needed and the weight of cable is non viable over such distances.

In defauly of Hydrogen Fussion, which is many years away - we have two viable answers either oil fired power stations, since there is not nor will there be, shortage of oil during at least the next 200 years on present usage - peak oil is another scam! - Consider the resource at Gull Island of North Slope Alaska which in unexploited reserve outstrips the Midlle East!

Alternatively, and in green terms relative to pollution, the best solution available to us is indubitably Nuclear Power.

I will concede that the windmill on this buiding is without doubt quaint - as a monument to the stupidity and gullibility of man!

Do try to deal in facts NOT politically correct and profitably expedient dishonesty!

Regards,
Greg L-W.

For Greg L-W, if you want to be a global warming skeptic, that is fine, but global warming is NOT the only reason why we should invest in renewable energies. There are many other important factors, such as the near end of fossil fuels (25 years top, even when estimated by Shell), the pollution to the environment of toxic emissions, some of which are toxic to humans. Did you know that there's 225 carcinogenic compounds in gasoline and the particulate matter and sulphur and nitrogen oxides in coal power plants are the highest cause of death due to lung failure among people living close to a coal power plant? Did you know that the US only spends over 50 billion dollars a year in external costs related to fossil fuels (coal subsidies, health care costs, etc), not even mentioning the amount of money spent in national security to ensure protection of fossil fuel sources abroad?

For some people who say that the wind turbine of the building won't contribute to saving much energy, there's something you didn't take into account. The main real asset of the building is that is all built as energy efficient. The location of the building, including windows, doors etc is made to optimize the use of natural light and sun's warmth. All components of HVAC are electronically controlled for conserving light and heat, the glasses are built for lower heat loss, the walls are insulated, all appliances are "energy star", is you are familiar with US rating of appliances, and the list keeps going. If, to that, you add the energy provided by the wind turbine, this building is probably a LOT more efficient than a regular building. For those who doubt the intensities of wind in Mar del Plata, my home town, I just gotta say you've never been there. Besides, I agree with Eduardo, even if a big deal of the building's energy comes from regular sources, doing SOMETHING is much better than doing NOTHING, specially for a country that contributes to less than 0.5% of the worldwide CO2 emissions. I really wish success for these guys and I hope that they're really copied by many others.

I love Mar del Plata, it is a beautiful city, and I saw the building in person !