photo credit: biskuit

Heading to Chicago this summer?  Surely, you’ll see one of its most famous landmarks.  The Sears Tower goes green (soon to be renamed the Willis Tower).  In case, you don’t know the building, it is a key element of the skyline in the Windy City.  At 110 stories, it is the tallest office building north of the equator.  What makes it even more unique is the fact that it will soon sport wind turbines from the recessed rooftops reaching towards the sky.

The building’s owners and architects announced last week that there will soon be a $350 million retrofit of the 1970s-era building.  Wind turbines on Sears Tower is only part of the green picture.  Energy use will be reduced by 80% over the next five years through a number of upgrades: A/C, elevator systems, lighting and green power generation.

The primary reason we should care that the Sears Tower goes green is because it is such a huge building with a impressive opportunity to be a shining example for other office structures.  It boasts over 4.5 million square feet of retail and office space, 104 elevators, 16,000 windows.  Some commentators are already expecting it to be the most significant green renovation on a single site to date.   Observed Adrian Smith, an architect with the firm that designed the renovation:

“If we can take care of one building that size, it has a huge impact on society.  It is a village in and of itself.”

In addition, because buildings are a huge contributor with respect to CO2 emissions, its even more important to think about green retrofits like the one going in at the Sears Tower.  In fact, the Chicago landmark’s improvements will save the equivalent of 150,000 barrels of oil each year.

Don’t worry if you can’t memorize all these green facts.  The Sears Tower (Willis Tower) will install a public education center on the first floor to educate the public about the green retrofit.  I can’t wait to hear more about it!

Are there any buildings that are going green in your city or state?

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