An affordable housing project in the South Bronx is looking to wind turbines to make living there even more affordable. Blue Sea Development Company is installing 10, one-kilowatt turbines on the roof of their newest apartment building, which will lead to significant savings in energy costs.

The turbines, from AeroVironment, will power the five-story building’s hallways, elevators and common spaces. Best of all, the development company claims the turbines will cut the building’s common electricity costs in half, from ,000 annually to ,000 annually.

The building’s residents will still power their apartments the old-fashioned way, through Con Edison, but the savings in energy costs are allowing the building owners to set the rent at below-market prices. A nice incentive for renters in this economy.

This project could go a long way in proving the potential of wind power in an urban setting. So far, wind turbines and cities have seemed mutually exclusive (there are definite drawbacks), but with such a promising return in energy savings, it’s time to reconsider the possibilities.

via Treehugger

Image via AeroVironment

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