July 21, 2010

Toren Condos and Remains Lighting Honored by Brooklyn Chamber for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability

Projects supported by more than $1.3 million of NYSERDA Funding to Reduce Power Use and Energy Costs

Two energy-efficiency projects supported by funding by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority have been recognized by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce for environmental leadership in incorporating advanced energy efficiency, clean energy, and environmentally sustainable technologies in construction and renovation of their properties in Brooklyn.

Toren Codominiums a new Myrtle Avenue mixed use building, and Remains Lighting, a manufacturer of high-end lighting fixtures and restorer of antique lighting fixtures were recognized by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at the 10th Annual Building Brooklyn Awards dinner held at Steiner Studios Wednesday, July 14. The projects were supported by more than $1.3 million in incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Toren Condominiums received the National Grid Energy Efficiency Award for installing a state-of-the-art combined heat and power (CHP) generation system that will supply heat, hot water, air conditioning and electricity to the 300,000 sq ft mixed- use complex. The CHP units are powered by clean-burning natural gas and will offset 500kW of electric demand on the ConEdison local distribution grid that has become strained due to the neighborhood's recent development. NYSERDA provided $1 million in incentives based on the constricted grid needs and the projected environmental performance for the project.

Remains Lighting received an award in the Industrial category in part because of the energy efficient and clean energy measures funded with $267,000 in NYSERDA incentives. The funding will help the manufacturing plant to reduce its energy costs by more than 10 percent or more than $25,000 per year with new high-efficiency lighting, occupancy sensors for lighting, high- efficiency building insulation, advanced energy efficiency technologies to help reduce manufacturing equipment electricity demand, and a roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, among others. Remains Lighting also received an $83,000 incentive to help decrease its borrowing costs.

NYSERDA president and CEO Francis J. Murray Jr. said, “Brooklyn's continued dramatic growth will require greater use of energy efficiency measures to reduce demand on the grid. We commend these developers for participating in NYSERDA programs that make energy efficiency measures in all stages of development more affordable, while also making their businesses more economical and reducing their energy use.”

"The judging panel reviewed an excellent group of nominated projects and selected those representing the best of Brooklyn. This year's trends included an abundance of projects with sustainable features, many of them LEED-certified, and a high volume of interesting, local retail projects. The judges sought to honor projects that captured that indescribable element that makes Brooklyn what it is today after a decade of unprecedented growth in real estate, as well as a building boom that has redefined parts of our borough and our Downtown skyline," said Brooklyn Chamber President and CEO Carl Hum.

David Calligeros, founder and president of Remains Lighting said, “We are thrilled to be bringing traditional manufacturing in an urban environment to a sustainable future. NYSERDA opened access to a range of expertise and material support that made this project possible. U.S. manufacturers face a formidable challenge from offshore, low-regulation venues, but NYSERDA helps us make a competitive showing based on quality, long-term sustainability, and integration into our community rather than a race to lowest common denominator.”

As a result of its investment in energy efficiency technologies, Remains Lighting is anticipated to reduce its energy consumption by more than 190,000 kilowatt hours of electricity — the equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by nearly 30 single-family homes in one year. In addition to the energy efficiency measures, Remains Lighting also integrated many other sustainable features such as rainwater collection, green roofs, and natural ventilation to help reduce the natural rise in air temperature in urban areas that increases the demand on electricity.

The Toren CHP project is unique. Building management buys a block of electricity in bulk from the ConEdison grid and blends it with self-produced electricity generated by the CHP system to deliver the right amount of electricity to meet each tenant's needs. Each tenant's consumption is recorded via an individual meter that provide tenants real-time energy usage data, informing their decisions on how and when it pays to conserve. By installing an optimally-sized system and encouraging energy efficiency, developers using CHP have the potential to generate positive cash flow.

Since 2009, NYSERDA has invested more than $4.5 million to help reduce electricity consumption by approximately 14.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity in 40 construction projects throughout the five boroughs of New York City — the equivalent to the annual electricity needs of 2,000 single family homes. These projects encompass more than 7.8 million square feet of space and totaled $14 million in the incremental costs for installing ‘green’ measures.

For the last decade, NYSERDA has promoted the CHP process to help businesses and institutions generate cleaner and more efficient power and to develop trailblazing equipment, economically-important applications, and novel business models that can benefit a variety of users.Over the past 10 years, NYSERDA's investments of more than $100 million for CHP have helped industrial, commercial and institutional facilities implement innovative approaches to cut their energy costs and decrease their energy use.

Contact:

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