Retro-Greening on a Grand Scale: Big News for the Empire State Building

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 | Building Maintenance Industry News, HVAC Jobs / Career Advice, LEED

If this isn’t big news – both literally and figuratively – for the energy efficiency and green building movement, then we don’t know what is.

Monday, April 6 marked the launch of a major $20 million green retrofit project for the Empire State Building in New York City, as part of a wider renovation project with a price tag of $500 million.

The organizations involved in the project sound like a Who’s Who of major players: Johnson Controls (which is performing the retrofit for the Empire State Building Company), Jones Lang LaSalle, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). And yes, that’s “Clinton” as in Bill, the former U.S. President.

CUTTING COSTS BY $4.4 MILLION AND ENERGY USAGE BY 40%

The project, which is titled “Empire State Building: Leadership in American Progress and Sustainability” and grew out of a meeting hosted by CCI last year, was formally announced yesterday in a ceremony held on the 80th floor of the Empire State Building. Clinton, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and other high-profile individuals were in attendance to explain the plan and describe its features and goals (see “Empire State Building: New energy role model,” CNN, April 6).

Bottom line: The renovations are expected to reduce the building’s energy usage by a full 40 percent, drastically cutting its carbon emissions and ringing up an annual savings of roughly $4.4 million on the energy bill. The expected completion date is 2011. Work completed in the first 18 months will account for more than 50 percent of the projected energy savings.

In a press release (“Team of experts announces groundbreaking energy efficiency retrofit project at Empire State Building,” April 6), Johnson Controls described “eight key initiatives” of the plan that will help to achieve these goals:

Window Light Retrofit: Refurbishment of approximately 6,500 thermopane glass windows, using existing glass and sashes to create triple-glazed insulated panels with new components that dramatically reduce both summer heat load and winter heat loss.

Radiator Insulation Retrofit: Added insulation behind radiators to reduce heat loss and more efficiently heat the building perimeter.

Tenant Lighting, Daylighting and Plug Upgrades: Introduction of improved lighting designs, daylighting controls, and plug load occupancy sensors in common areas and tenant spaces to reduce electricity costs and cooling loads.

Air Handler Replacements: Replacement of air handling units with variable frequency drive fans to allow increased energy efficiency in operation while improving comfort for individual tenants.

Chiller Plant Retrofit: Reuse of existing chiller shells while removing and replacing “guts” to improve chiller efficiency and controllability, including the introduction of variable frequency drives.

Whole-Building Control System Upgrade: Upgrade of existing building control system to optimize HVAC operation as well as provide more detailed sub-metering information.

Ventilation Control Upgrade: Introduction of demand control ventilation in occupied spaces to improve air quality and reduce energy required to condition outside air.

Tenant Energy Management Systems: Introduction of individualized, web-based power usage systems for each tenant to allow more efficient management of power usage.

A REPLICABLE MODEL

The same press release also quoted Amory B. Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute, who explained that the plan is meant not only for the Empire State Building but as an example to be followed by buildings around the globe:

To make cities cleaner and more energy efficient, we urgently need a replicable model for retrofitting existing major buildings. This visionary example will help inform and inspire initiatives that can cut carbon emissions, save energy, save money, make jobs, and provide better workplaces in buildings all over the world.

This was echoed by all of the other spokespeople for the project. “It will be good for the world, because our template. . . . can be used over and over again to lower the energy usage and environmental impact of commercial buildings around the globe,” said Iain A. Campbell of Johnson Controls (“The Greening of the Empire State Building,” GreenBiz.com, April 6).

“This need not be a rare accomplishment at all,” said Jones lang LaSalle’s Raymond Quartararo. “If it can be done at the Empire State Building, it can be done in thousands of buildings around the globe” (CNN).

“I can’t tell you how important this day is. In order for the world to meet [the greenhouse gas reductions] most scientists say we should, we have to prove it’s good economics,” said Clinton (CNN).

Additional reading:

• Battling the Beast of Climate Change at the Empire State Building -– GreenerBuildings, April 6
• Empire State Building to go “green” — Reuters, April 7
• Empire State Building gets green retrofit — New Scientist, April 7, 2009
• Empire State Building going green — The Associated Press, April 6
• Empire State Building will be retrofitted into a green giant — Green Right Now, April 7, 2009

Also check out this excellent video presentation that includes a history of the Empire State Building and features interviews with important figures in the current retrofitting project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17i7Q5Dr3PA&feature=player_embedded

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: Empire State Building, energy efficiency, environmental footprint, Green Buildings & Green Technology, retrofitting

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