January 20, 2010

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Funding Supports New Energy Efficient Construction at New York-Presbyterian to Reduce Hospital's Energy Costs

New York-Presbyterian On Track to Achieve LEED^® Silver Rating, Pursuing Gold

With support from The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), New York-Presbyterian Hospital today dedicated its newly constructed Milstein Heart Center featuring advanced energy efficiency technologies that will reduce the hospital’s energy consumption and significantly cut its energy cost.

NYSERDA provided $550,000 towards the $150 million construction project through its New Construction Program, which has provided millions of dollars to support energy efficient and environmentally sustainable construction in New York City and throughout the state. 

“Investments in energy efficiency are the most cost-effective measures healthcare facilities can make to control costs, reduce energy consumption, and cut greenhouse gas emissions,” said Francis J. Murray, Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA.  “I applaud the NY-Presbyterian Hospital’s leadership for their efforts to prioritize energy conservation investments, and look forward to a continued partnership as we work to achieve Governor David Paterson’s clean energy goals and realize his vision of a cleaner, healthier New York.” 

NYSERDA’s financial incentives offset the purchase and installation costs of the energy efficiency measures for 120,000 square feet of new acute care space.  The building's signature design feature is an air cavity built into the wall to reduce heat loss in winter and mitigate heat gains in summer.  In addition, the curtain wall’s cavity will be equipped with a state-of-the-art motorized solar-tracking shading system to improve the building’s heating and cooling efficiency. Other measures include:  high efficiency lighting and daylighting controls, premium efficiency motors for pumps and fans, and advanced building management system.

As a result of the NYSERDA and hospital investments, NY-Presbyterian is anticipated to cut its energy costs by more than $169,000 per year and reduce its annual energy consumption by the equivalent of the electricity consumed by 177 single family homes.  These energy savings will reduce annual emissions of CO2 by 562 tons, the equivalent of removing 112 cars from the road. In addition, the energy efficiency achievements and attention to sustainable construction practices will help NY-Presbyterian attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) Silver designation by the U.S. Green Buildings Council.  The hospital is pursuing a LEED Gold rating.

Today’s dedication of the Milstein Heart Center is the latest commitment New York- Presbyterian has made in partnership with NYSERDA to reduce energy costs and protect the environment.  In November 2009, NYSERDA and NY-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center announced a $1.1 million first of its kind co-generation demonstration system with cutting-edge circuit breaker technology.  The system allows the hospital to generate between 60 percent and 100 percent of its own electricity and in the event of a grid emergency, disconnect from the grid and continue to supply back-up power for critical hospital operations.

In 2009, nearly $4 million in NYSERDA investments supported 22 construction projects totaling $11.5 million throughout the five boroughs of New York City.  These projects encompass more than 6.7 million square feet of space and reduced electricity consumption by approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity; the equivalent of the annual electricity needs of 2,000 single family homes.  The program offers whole building, pre-qualified, and custom-installed energy efficiency incentives.  Green building incentives also are available to customers pursuing LEED certification.

For more information, visit NYSERDA.ny.gov.

Contact:
Jeffrey Gordon, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3544
jrg@nyserda.ny.gov