Empire State Building Goes Green

NEW YORK—In a few years, people will be looking up to the city's tallest building for reasons other than its height. The 78-year-old Empire State Building will be undergoing major retrofits that will propel it to the top 10 percent of the greenest buildings in America.

Former President Bill Clinton, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Tony Malkin of the Empire State Building Company, and the energy and construction partners involved in the retrofits gathered at the Empire State Building to announce the initiative on Monday. The project is part of Clinton's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and is in line with Bloomberg's plan to make the city sustainable by 2030.

A package of eight recommended projects will together reduce the office tower's energy use by 38 percent, lower its annual energy cost by $4.4 million, and decrease its carbon emissions by 105 metric tons. The installations will include insulation and lighting, triple-glazing all of the building's 6,500 windows so that they block heat-inducing sunlight, and putting in place a Web-based monitoring system that allows tenants to take tally of their own energy consumption. The management system will allow tenants and the building superintendent to make informed decisions about how to space their space.

The non-profit Rocky Mountain Institute is providing the environmental consulting for the project; Johnson Controls Inc. the energy controls, and Jones Lang LaSalle the property management.

Globally, cities produce 70 percent of all greenhouse gases but take up 2 to 3 percent of the earth's landmass. In turn, the built environment accounts for 70 percent of the greenhouse gases cities produce.

Bloomberg said the City has a 10-year plan to decrease city agencies' energy spending. While the government is doing its part, the question is how to inspire private building owners to follow suit and take steps of their own toward energy efficiency. That's where the Empire State Building comes in; to show by example that lower energy consumption does not only save the planet but also saves money.

“We'll never conquer climate change until we prove it is good business to do so,” said Clinton. In all examples, the initial cost of a retrofit will be paid back within 8 years, said Bloomberg. Half of the $4.4 million the building is expected to save will be reaped within 18 months of installation.

Retrofits are one of the more accessible ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce a carbon footprint. Clinton called retrofits “low-hanging fruit” in the range of energy-use reduction technology. While people look to advanced technology such as hydrogen fuel-cell cars, retrofits present opportunities for current job creation, Clinton said.

All of the retrofit costs, which total over $500 million, came out of the building's own capital. (“We don't need financing because we have a lot of cash,” said Malkin.) Additionally, the retrofits are not incentivized by the stimulus package; the Empire State Building Company is in it for the savings.

For building owners that are not blessed with bales of cash as the Empire State Building Company is, legislators are looking into alternative funding options. Clinton said CCI has a handful of banks on board who have committed to fund retrofit projects. Retrofitters can also agree to be paid back with the money their client saves due to the retrofit, and if that is not enough to cover the cost, then a guarantee of energy savings might be built into the contract.

The Empire State Building's crown was lit up in green Monday night to mark its pending transformation.

Specifics

Some of the energy saving upgrades to the Empire State Building will include:

• 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.