Reducing initial construction costs

A solar updraft tower has been proven with some experimental versions in Spain, however I feel that the cost to construct the whole chimney is too high to be feasible.

Why wouldn't it be better to construct on a hillside facing a plain or valley in the south. With pipes being able to lay on the surface layer of the hill, at any angle, it would be cheaper and simpler task to build, with less amount of materials. a turbine could be made with sturdy framework attached to the mountainside. Would probably increase longevity, possibility to repair/upgrade/remove (once someone else buys up the property rights to develop something)

what do you think?

It could even become possible to drill/dig holes just below the surface for tubes that "suck" down the air as it passed the turbine, down inside insulated layers, to reach the cold rock of the bottom of the valley, to be then reheated on ground level from the sun.

would this be feasible? would it improve efficiency with a closed or semi-closed loop? granted that a updraft tower works thanks to difference in pressure, temperature and speed of flowing air on different altitudes.

possibility to harvest moisture out of the air within this concept? to make it more valuable to construct by being able to taking out more valuable assets from the process?

i would appreciate a discussion around these angles on the updraft-technology --Yeahvle 06:36, 28 June 2011 (PDT)

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