Comments: solar gallery

That's one interesting looking building. Based on the style of the houses either side, I cannot imagine this would have much change of getting through the planning system here in the UK.

Posted by Simon C at January 4, 2005 06:59 AM

I wouldn't say powered.. The electricity generated by those panels is most probably sent back into the grid, through his electric meter.

This contribution to the grid lowers your electricity bill. The units you contribute, is deducted from the total number of units you use.

Nice photo :)

Posted by riff at January 4, 2005 08:04 AM

That is a fair slab of photovoltaics on the roof, so I would entirely suspect the house has a grid connected hybrid power system. This allows the owner to pour excess power back into the grid when the battery bank is charged and wind/sun energy is surplus to requirements, and allows the house to use power from the mains grid when batteries have been depleted and there is inadequate wind/sun to meet household needs.

The more houses that take this approach, the more resistant to power outtage calamities, and the less CO2 greenhouse gas production there will be. Sadly at this point in time, the return on investment is not really there, at the moment. Here in Australia, you pay about 3-4 times more for power generated this way, over the life of the system (approx 25 years) compared to grid power.

But the balance is shifting.

Posted by Straynjer at January 4, 2005 08:35 AM

Ah, that's Prof Steve Mann's house. He's the wearable computer guy at University of Toronto. More info about him: http://eyetap.org/

I had a hand in building that turbine. For more details, please see http://www.eyetap.org/~scruss/

It's not grid connected. Steve has a separate battery circuit in his house.

Posted by scruss at January 4, 2005 09:47 AM

It looks like you've just found Steve Mann's home - http://scruss.com/gallery/mann_windmill

Posted by Mathieu Fenniak at January 4, 2005 10:02 AM

I do believe that's Steve Mann's building, a University of Toronto professor who claims he's a cyborg because he always wears glasses that have video screens on them, or something of that sort. In other words, he's a nutcase ;).

Posted by Khuffie at January 4, 2005 10:16 AM

isn't there trouble brewing with the AGO reconstruction and the possibility of light being blocked? (sorry for the horrible sentance, it's too damn early and I've not had my Tims yet). or is that another house in T.O.? i recall something about a house south of King near Spadina being solar powered as well.

-d

Posted by dave at January 4, 2005 10:40 AM

Solar power aside, it reminds me of the horrbile new building style you see in Tehran these days, that don't fit their environment. Simply horrible. From this nicely shot photograph, I don't see anything of interest about this building.

Posted by Mitra at January 4, 2005 12:43 PM

Does Professor Mann have a mannikin in his front window?

Posted by Wat at January 4, 2005 12:59 PM

On a constructive note about the photo.. I wish the top was a bit more in focus since that is what you chose to point out in your description :)

Posted by miklos at January 4, 2005 01:26 PM

photographic comments aside, here is a very interesting introduction to Steve Mann and his work.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/14/internet.cyborb.ap/

Posted by behrouz at January 4, 2005 05:45 PM

I'm really suprised no one has said much about the mannequins in the window except simply noting it's there. My eye was immediately drawn to it once I scrolled down. It's such a great point in the photo! It's so crisp that it just jumps out at you.

Thanks!

Posted by Lauren at January 4, 2005 07:35 PM

If he wants solar energy, then why on earth would he use tinted glass for all windows?

Posted by b&w at January 4, 2005 10:05 PM

wao! Thanks guys, for all these interesting facts on energy, Steve Mann, and his eyetap.

Thanks Sam, for the interesting pic.

Posted by zhen at January 5, 2005 12:29 AM

My screen is too small for the entire image, so I saw the top first, was briefly confused--by the wires in the foreground, perhaps--then took it all in and smiled. What an evocative shot!

Posted by jme at January 5, 2005 12:43 PM

The mannequin is not really 'in' the window, it is actually in front of the window, i.e. outside. My impression (on seeing it in person from the sidewalk) is that it is intended to look like it is wearing some of Dr. Mann's wearable computing gear slung over the shoulder - but I could be wrong :-)

Posted by anastasia at January 5, 2005 03:29 PM

nice photo.

What in the world is with the manikin in the window... I think this person must be trapped in the 1980's when people thought those were cool things and even felt like we had to make a ton of movies featuring them... (Im I the only one that saw the one with kiefer sutherland in montreal[whatever it was called] when he was a teenager... and constantly carrying around that stupid manikin... let alone that other terrible movie actually named "manikin".... anyways enough on the subject....)

Posted by scott at January 6, 2005 07:11 PM

Okay I stand corrected. Its not the case that hes just stuck in the 80s because he thinks "mannequins" are cool like all those lame movies. He is also stuck in the 1980's because he thinks cyborgs are cool too just like all those lame 1980's cyborg movies (jean claude van dame in mind.. and the entire robocop series). Dont get me started on the house either and where that design stems from certain films as well. However taking the Doctors ecentric tendencies (kind way of saying loonie toons state of mind)it is more than forgivable.

I saw him on TV once talking about his cyborg suit. I didnt understand how he figures that constitutes a cyborg since its not wired into his body in anyway. I think pacemaker patients better fit the discription than him. I do find his ideas on Supervalance and using a camera to level the playing field against a world that is constantly spying on us interesting. its worth thinking about. If he has written papers on supervalance and his expereinces in stores trying to apply it. I recommend reading about it

too long i know.

Posted by scott at January 6, 2005 10:19 PM

It's all about perspective:

Mann's ideas about wiring computers into every day life to function are the same as what pharmaceutical companies do with their own products. He is dependent on his computers to function, whereas most of the rest of society relies on antidepressants.

Both control life and psychosis, yet so many have shunned the computer and embraced teg pill.

Posted by ^!^ at January 7, 2005 12:20 AM

My brother rented the second floor of that building for about a year with his friends while doing a degree at OCAD. Interesting building...

Posted by Nathan at January 16, 2006 06:16 PM

that's my house -_-

Posted by mysterious at April 30, 2007 03:02 PM
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