The first all-electric skyscraper in New York City is almost ready for residents. Anticipated to be completed sometime in 2024, 505 State Street will feature 440 apartments completely powered by electricity — and the developers behind it hope that it will be the first of many.
"Our perspective, certainly, is that we have an obligation as architects and developers to instigate change … and to show what's possible. And the technology is now with us such that we can make this change," said Jared Della Valle, CEO of Alloy, the company building the 44-story skyscraper, per Yale Climate Connections (YCC).
Alloy bills 505 State Street, located in downtown Brooklyn, as "Carbon Neutral Living, Without Compromise." To deliver on that promise, it features electric induction stovetops, electric heat pump dryers, and all-electric heat throughout the building. The building is also designed to minimize its own energy demand with heavily insulated walls and triple-pane windows, YCC reported.
The building's website also claims that all of this will be "powered by locally renewable energy sources, [ensuring] carbon neutral operations all year long."
There will also be 200 bicycle parking spots, encouraging residents to make use of one of the most planet-friendly methods of getting around.
Living in the Big Apple's first all-electric skyscraper, located in one of its pricier neighborhoods, will not come cheap. Available units listed online ranged from $3,475 per month for a studio to $11,200 for a three-bedroom, as of the writing of this article.
However, Alloy hopes that the more other developers learn about the planet-friendly benefits of clean, renewable energy, the more all-electric buildings will begin to rise.
"We're hoping that by leading by example, our industry peers will come along with us," Della Valle said.
As more developers try to take stock of their own environmental footprint, large structures like skyscrapers have been among the most difficult to make eco-friendly. However, more builders and architects are starting to take creative approaches to these types of towers. These include wooden skyscrapers, which are starting to pop up worldwide, and an "upcycled skyscraper" in Sydney.
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