3 ms·
Per the original comment about 5 sq mi: Based on this random article I found from 2015 [1], the average cost per build able sq ft in Manhattan was getting to $
by numbsafari 7y ago
Per the original comment about 5 sq mi:
Based on this random article I found from 2015 [1], the average cost per build able sq ft in Manhattan was getting to $1200.
So, if you magically found 5 sq miles in NYC, it’d cost around $167.3B just for the land [2].
I’m guessing you’d want to build it outside the city and pump it in via aqueduct.
Following the article, an array of off-shore desalinated that pumped water back to the city would probably be the most economically viable solution and could probably be built with other kinds of offshore utility systems to try and share costs.
[1] https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/486631/ https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/486631/
[2] https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%241200+per+square+ft+*+5+square+miles https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%241200+per+square+ft+...
- gpm 7y agoNew york city is 468.484 sq mi in size... so we're talking about covering 1 to 2% of it in these panels... I'm pretty sure that much roof space is available. Of course it probably makes more sense economically to do it offshore or just have a giant field somewhere outside of NYC and pump the water in, but you could find the space inside the city if you really wanted to.
- shkkmo 7y agoI think you'd lose a bit of efficiency have to pump circulated seawater to the roof tops to not only provide water to desalinate, but also to flush out the accumulated brine overnight.
- thombat 7y agoThose skyscrapers teem with occupants, each with a bladder, each one a source of saline. The spare water and power we use for growing cucumbers in the hydroponic gardens. The waste brine we use for picking those gherkins, which makes the ideal beer-time snack for those occupants as they re-fill their bladders...