NYC’s Empire State Bldg Is An Energy Star–and a 100% Wind Energy User
The Empire State Building retrofitted 6,514 windows and is 100% powered by wind.
The world’s most famous office building, the Empire State Building in New York City amazed people in 2009 when it set out to retrofit its 6,514 windows taking them from antique to modern day performance standards. If this 1,454 foot building can do it, any building can!
For doing so, and for applying other key green building characteristics, the EPA awarded the building with ENERGY STAR certification for the second consecutive year – equivalent to achieving LEED-Gold status under US Green Building Council certification standards.
In April 2009, President Bill Clinton and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a groundbreaking $20 million sustainability retrofit for the Empire State Building. The total renovation program is costing $550 million.
The retrofit will lessen energy use by more than 38% and save the building over $4.4 million a year.
The Empire State Building further strengthened its sustainability efforts in 2011 by announcing the use of 100 percent wind power, becoming New York’s largest commercial purchaser of renewable energy. Most recently, ESB shared details of a multi-year contract with Otis to fully refurbish and modernize the building’s 68 elevators. As a result of this upgrade–in addition to being much more energy-efficient, they’ll be able to send regenerated energy back into the building grid, reducing elevator energy use 30%.
Besides replacing all the building’s windows, building management has added insulation behind radiators to reduce heat loss, replaced the chiller system, and introduced energy management systems on every floor so that tenants can effectively manage and control their energy use.
EPA’s ENERGY STAR program provides tools which help organizations evaluate and reduce their building’s energy use and carbon footprint. To obtain a certificate, a number of structural and energy output goals must be met and verified by a licensed engineer. Only buildings with a rating of 75 points or above (out of 100), are eligible for certification.
For the whole story check out: http://www.esbnyc.com/sustainability_energy_efficiency.asp
About the Empire State Building
Soaring 1,454 feet (from base to antenna) above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the “World’s Most Famous Office Building.” With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions and is the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit:
www.esbnyc.com, www.facebook.com/EmpireStateBuilding, or @ESBObservatory.
