The innovative energy efficiency program at the Empire State Building has exceeded guaranteed energy savings for two years in a row, saving $2.3 million and providing a new model for building retrofits nationwide.
In 2009, the Empire State Building, President Bill Clinton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a retrofit to reduce costs, increase real estate value and protect the environment. Led by an energy-efficiency and sustainability-focused coalition including the Empire State Building; Johnson Controls; Jones Lang LaSalle; and Rocky Mountain Institute, it beat its year-one energy-efficiency guarantee by 5% in 2011, saving $2.4 million. In year two, it surpassed its guarantee by nearly 4%.
Over the past two years, the energy retrofit model has been replicated at 44 commercial buildings in the U.S., including One Worldwide Plaza in New York, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and The Port of San Francisco’s Pier 1, the corporate headquarters of Prologis Inc.
The success from the Empire State Building retrofit project demonstrates that thoughtfully applied energy efficiency investments can deliver unparalleled returns through a combination of lower energy, lower operating costs, and increased building valuation, said Iain Campbell, vice president, Global Energy and WorkPlace Solutions, Johnson Controls Building Efficiency. When implemented under a performance contract, the energy savings are guaranteed, ensuring a no-risk investment and a smart business decision.
Improvement measures performed by Johnson Controls and Jones Lang LaSalle included refurbishing all 6,514 windows, insulation installation behind radiators, a chiller plant retrofit, new building management systems controls, new revenue-grade meters serving the entire building, and a web-based tenant energy management system.
Johnson Controls
www.johnsoncontrols.com
Filed Under: Design World articles, Renewable energy, Green engineering
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