An apartment building that produces its own energy? This innovative idea has been developed by architects Scott Allen and Kristina Buller at design firm Perkins + Will. By integrating a trash incinerator into their apartment building design, the structure would generate enough power for itself in addition to powering 26,000 other homes. A waterfront location in Philadelphia has been sited for the building.
Allen states that the advanced air-filtration unit is what makes this waste-to-energy system possible. “The air that’s produced from the power plant is significantly cleaner than EPA standards,” he said.
But despite the energy conservation and innovation in the company’s design, questions remain about toxicity, pollution and possible smells. Let us know– would you want to live in an apartment building that is also a power plant?