NYS Sustainable Corp.
With the many integrations in sustainability, such as the Green Deal, taking place throughout New York City, Long Island, and the five boroughs, it is no wonder the solutions now being deployed within the infrastructure of key producing emission building are engaging in solutions that lower risk, capital expenditures, and stronghold facility operational costs, while also reducing carbon emissions that instigate global warming conditions. These carbon reductions are becoming increasingly important due to the pending carbon cap legislation in NYC. The main goal, disclosed by the current mayor of NYC, Bill de Blasio, is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, sourcing “100% clean electricity.” Until then, mayor de Blasio says “this new plan will bring down the city’s greenhouse gas emissions 28%, which, combined with previous efforts should put the city on track to make a 40% cut by 2030.”
A key conservation measure currently integrating progressive adoption within the mid to large scale commercial real estate facility is tri-generation technology. This technology model is the production of three forms of energy, usually electricity, chiller and thermal (both heating and cooling), from a single source of fuel. The single source being either natural gas or biofuel, biofuel is a fuel produced by biodegradable waste. Such Tri-Gen systems are customized to the needs of the entire commercial building and designed to harness the excess combustion of heat to thereby reduce the need to burn natural gas or oil to produce heat. Then an absorption chiller is used to generate chilled water for air conditioning or refrigeration. The Tri-Gen system is a self-sustaining, direct on-site producer of electricity which is directly responsible for eliminating 25% or more of typical transmission losses. In addition, this self-sustainable solution, a 1MW size system - will yield carbon reductions in the range of approximately 9,000 tons per year. At this level of system carbon reductions, a Tri-Gen system will be a strong contributor to the offset of carbon-based emissions and highly scalable to large scale steel and glass commercial assets.
NYSSC supports the benefits of potentially integrating a Tri-Gen renewable resource of technology. As alongside to the immediate benefits, the systems are also considered self-sustaining with a matching system size Black-Start Capable backup generation and redundancy capability. This provides both a smooth black start transition and life-safety approved standards for office building installations. Another important point to mention is the highly engineered logistics associated with a customized design, installation, ownership, operations, and maintenance of these systems with no CapEx. NYSSC has witnessed contracts bearing 15-30% off prior utility prices for electricity, heating, and cooling. And full risk completely assumed by the Tri-Gen facilitator. This energy conservation measure (ECM) consideration is not only fundamental, but a highly recommended integrative approach to clean energy to facilities with high-density of power needs. Power rate considerations are not based on power purchase agreements (PPA) rather, the percentage discount is indexed off of monthly utility pricing, another key to a successfully structured Green-Tech integration deal.
Some significant properties at Tri-Gen consideration and contract stage include: 125 Broad St. at 1.45 million s/f (owned by the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and managed by Cushman & Wakefield), 1301 Avenue of the Americas at 1.7 million s/f and 1633 Broadway at 2.5 million s/f (class A office, owned by public REIT), 250 Park Ave., and 60 Broad St. at 1 million s/f respectively.
A no-risk solution with fundamental benefits supports business, community, and environmental considerations. NYS Sustainable Corp. is a advocate, advisor and firm for the commercial real estate community, towards the integration of green-tech renewable resources that implement change and progressive business and economic development.
Nancy Colella is a principal at NYS Sustainable Corp., Oyster Bay, N.Y.
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