Turning Trash Chutes & Elevators Into Clean Energy Sources for Multi-Family Buildings

Inside every building with at least one elevator or trash chute, streams of hidden energy flow unnoticed. I’m developing practical innovations to capture that energy and put it to work.

Millions of multi-family buildings waste small but valuable streams of energy every day — from trash chutes, friction, and elevator airflow. What if we could capture this hidden energy and put it to work? My practical, innovative systems recover part of this hidden energy and turn it into reusable power.

I’m Abdul Allam, an architectural designer and construction management professional holding a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch), a Master of Architecture (M.Arch), and a Master of Construction Management (M.C.M.) from the University of Miami. I’m also a USGBC Member and LEED Green Associate, with over a decade of experience designing and managing large high-rise, multi-family, and high-density buildings across the U.S. and internationally. I’ve seen firsthand how much motion, impact, and airflow is wasted inside the structures we rely on every day.

I believe the future of sustainability lies in smart micro-recovery — practical, retrofit-ready systems that reclaim overlooked energy and turn it into clean, usable power for lights, elevators, and shared loads. This helps buildings cut operating costs, earn LEED credits, move toward net-zero goals, and help cities reduce CO₂ emissions — one hidden stream at a time.

*Note: These innovations are protected by a provisional patent application currently pending approval

Two Practical Solutions

• Innovative System One: Trash Chute Energy
  Uses impact plates, friction panels, and rotating cylinders to recover energy from every bag that drops down a chute.

• Innovative System Two: Elevator Shaft Turbines
  Captures airflow pushed by elevator cars to spin hidden turbines and generate clean micro-energy.

  The elevator system alone can recover 30–40 kWh daily per building — saving money, cutting CO₂, and earning green credits with minimal construction.

(see detailed calculations on innovation page)

See The Full Details

• Explore the Innovations

• About Abdul Allam

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How It Works?

My innovative systems harness hidden energy inside multi-family buildings by capturing motion and airflow that usually goes to waste. Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Energy Capture
Trash bags falling through chutes generate impact and friction, while elevator movement creates airflow. These motions produce small amounts of kinetic energy waiting to be harvested.

2. Conversion to Electricity
Specially designed impact plates, friction panels, rotating cylinders, and airflow turbines convert that kinetic energy into clean, usable electricity.

3. Energy Storage & Use
The electricity is stored in batteries or fed directly into building systems to power lighting, elevators, or shared electrical loads.

4. Continuous Savings
By recovering this hidden energy daily, buildings reduce electricity demand from the grid, cutting costs and carbon emissions without major retrofits.

Why It Matters?

Harnessing wasted motion and airflow inside buildings creates multiple benefits for owners, tenants, and communities:

• Earn LEED & Green Building Credits
  My systems support sustainability certifications by reducing operational energy use and emissions.

• Cut Operating Costs
  Recovering micro-energy helps lower monthly electricity bills, increasing building profitability.

• Support City Net-Zero Goals
  Small energy savings in thousands of buildings add up to meaningful CO₂ reductions across cities and states.

• Easy to Retrofit
  Designed to fit existing trash chutes and elevator shafts, my solutions minimize disruption and installation time.

• Boost Tenant & Investor Appeal
  Demonstrating commitment to innovation and sustainability helps attract responsible tenants and forward-thinking investors.

• Contribute to a Cleaner Future
  By reclaiming energy others overlook, we make buildings part of the climate solution, one step at a time.

Proven, Practical, Retrofit-Friendly

These systems are designed to fit new and existing buildings with minimal changes. They help owners lower utility costs, earn LEED credits, and meet net-zero targets — all by using energy we already have, but lose every day.

Join The Mission

Whether you’re a building owner, engineer, investor, or sustainability advocate, I invite you to join me in transforming overlooked waste streams into clean, visible energy. Together, we can make our cities smarter and greener — one building at a time.

Get in Touch

I welcome collaboration and inquiries about my innovative clean energy solutions for high-rise buildings. Let's connect and explore possibilities together.

Contact

(305)927-5330

Email

abdul@aamtStudio.com