Living a carbon-neutral lifestyle sounds like a pretty great idea, right? Until you realize that might mean hoisting a bunch of solar panels up on your roof, among other complicated construction projects. And that’s all assuming you even own a house to begin with. What if you just want to rent an apartment and have it be sustainable without having to, you know, try?
Enter the Hanover Olympic apartments that have just opened at 936 S Olive Street in Downtown. Inhabitat reports on the debut of the building, which features 20 totally self-sustaining “eco apartments.” The 220 solar panels on the building actually create so much energy that they’re feeding the left-overs back to the grid.
Each unit it outfitted with Energy Star certified appliances, low-energy LED lighting, smart Nest Thermostats and home energy trackers that allow the resident to monitor power consumption and generation. Other than those high-tech touches, however, there’s not much that would tip a casual visitor off that these luxury apartments harbor secret hippie values. On the surface, everything looks as posh and polished as any other high-end development of recent years. Amenities include a rooftop pool, climate-controlled wine room and, of course, a garage with stations to charge your electric car.
Not every unit in the building is an eco apartment—and renters will pay a premium for the green ones. However, the building’s developer claims that an average renter will save about $100 off their energy bill each month, so it may more or less cancel out—though that's before you calculate the value of feeling smug about your instantly sustainable new home.