A new project proposed for Rotterdam will harness wind to create energy. The Dutch Windwheel will be a wind energy converter that also houses apartments, a hotel, and a roller coaster. According to Gizmag, the windmill was designed to serve not only as an energy icon, but also as a tourist attraction and residential building.
The Dutch Windwheel is a 571-foot structure has two wings. The larger outer ring will house 40 pods on rails that move around the ring and provide views of the city and surrounding port. The inner ring will house 72 apartments, a 160-room hotel on seven floors, a panoramic restaurant, and a viewing gallery.
Using a technology developed at Delft Technical University, the windmill generates energy by harnessing the movement of charged water droplets in the wind. Since there are no parts of the attraction that move, it's essentially silent and easier to maintain than traditional wind turbines. Additionally, the Dutch Windwheel uses photovoltaic thermal hybrid panels to contribute to the generation of electricity.
The project is being planned and developed by the Dutch Windwheel Corporation, a consortium of Rotterdam-based companies: BLOC , DoepelStrijkers, and Meysters. The group says the windwheel could draw around 1.5 million visitors per year.
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