Aluminium Panel as a power generators

[Lukas Dw]

Hi everyone,
My name is Łukasz , I am an Architecture and Urban Planning student from Poland. This is my last year before graduation and I am currently making a research in order to find the topic/subject of my thesis project. While looking for projects to draw inspiration from, I found Brisbane Airport Installation which caught my attention. I fell in love with the wind structure and I would like to ask for some further information, because I would like to use a similar one in my project. First of all, I would like to know if a similar structure could work on a smaller façade surface, as my building site offers a surface of 70 square meters. I am also curious if it could be used both in an aesthetic and functional way, because I was thinking to use it as a windpower generator in order to produce energy.Also I would like to ask You*about some construction details if it is possible. I apologize for hassling but those information would be very useful for my final project. Thank You and I am looking forward for yours reply.

[Peter Williams]

This is an interesting project. Please keep us updated Lukas.

[Dave Schwartz]

So I found an original source on this: http://www.uapcompany.com/studio/brisbane-airport and its called a 'kinetic facade'. I don't think it has much potential for generating power because its designed to have the panels flutter due to turbulent winds. These types of winds do not carry much energy in the first place. If you had strong constant winds, yes they would push the panels once but then how do you get them back down so they can be blown up again (disregarding the big building behind which would largely block the flow anyway and that its not steerable either)? Something like a large number of chromed anemometer arms (the three arms with cups or some other type of vane at the ends - wait, did I just describe a VAWT?) would do it but you have a problem with how to capture energy with micro-generators or some complex linkage.

Still going to be more kinetic art than energy producer, like almost all small wind capture schemes.