Recycled Batteries

In rare instances, old structures may be able to be saved by new, sustainable interventions. The historic concrete bunkers (or “batteries”) along the Pacific Coast are an example.  Currently in the United States, wind farms are being constructed far from the point of use for the energy generated, but a small-scale approach, employing the batteries near urban centers as armatures for wind turbines would allow power to be generated closer to where it would be consumed.

The now-defunct cannon bases could serve as support for vertical wind turbine towers, and the interiors of the batteries could house the switch gear for transforming the wind-generated direct current to alternating current; this could then be used to power nearby buildings.  The turbine receives a foundation at no energy cost, and the battery itself is recharged with a new function.