Urban Green Expo – Retrofitting New York Buildings Green

“In analyzing high-rise residential buildings, the study found that there is no statistically significant difference in construction cost between LEED and non-LEED projects.” Executive Summary “Cost of Green in NYC”, US Green Building Council New York Chapter

Last weeks’ sad news of more tsunamis, earthquakes and fires quickened the urgent drumming for change heard at US Green Building Council’s Expo September 23-24. There, professionals in architecture, engineering, building, design, real estate and finance were presented a decidedly upbeat rhythm. Multiple case studies with a range of new and improved products, services and best practices for retrofitting urban buildings went on for two days. Whatever your personal change driver, the message was delivered to you -- re-cast New York green.

NYC’s Competitive Edge – Economic Growth

“Do we really want to have world gathering in a suburban office park for sustainability issues and image...”--Opening Keynote Speaker, Rohit Aggarwala, Dir NYC Long Term Planning

For the home town crowd, the city’s official transportation expert Rohit Aggarwala contrasted NYC with other US cities by virtue of our public transportation system. Problematic as MTA may be to regular straphangers, it gives NYC an edge by LEED measurements. Now that China has more carbon emissions, it’s a bigger edge and if acted upon quickly, an opportunity to seize.

As Sunday NYTimes columnist, Tom Friedman’s warned last week: “Of course, China will continue to grow with cheap, dirty coal, to arrest over-eager environmentalists and to strip African forests for wood and minerals. Have no doubt about that. But have no doubt either that, without declaring it, China is embarking on a new, parallel path of clean power deployment and innovation. It is the Sputnik of our day. We ignore it at our peril.”

Safety, Security, Protection with Passive Survivability

“We need to make buildings that are resilent to disasters anticipated from climate change – Green buildings are safe buildings” Alex Wilson, Exec. Editor Environmental Building News/Buildinggreen.com

If scary is a change motivator, the US Global Change Research Study released in June has the alarm. It was the source of much of Alex Wilson’s presentation. Though scientists continue to debate the frequency of hurricanes, their increased intensity is not a matter of debate. Manhattan’s flood zone changes and the dramatic loss of power associated with the ’98 ice storm in New England were screened and audience nerves trembled.

“Passive survivability” would include preparedness for power outtages, cyberterriorism, power plant attacks. In CA, power outtage associated with drought was also part of the emergency there. Water considerations are factored more severe than energy because the correction is harder to do. One of the suggestions for a more robust power grid is to harvest tidal energy.

“The oil party bash can’t continue, we need to be about designing buildings for the end of the petroleum age” Alex Wilson

Natural ventilation is important. At the time of Katrina, the 19thc. buildings of the French quarter were cool, unlike the air-conditioned buildings from the 20thc. This then becomes a public welfare issue. Bob Fox champions operable windows in NYC. The Empire State Building has operable windows and has both Gold and Platinum LEED certifications.

Also, community issues must be addressed - we can design but if it isn't from a community perspective, it won't matter. One of the lighter methods of roof top gardening is hydroponics as pictured in a Chicago Puerto Rican neighborhood with 30% unemployment. NYC’s bike trails are an exciting positive direction in designing for community. Wilson went on to urge the creation of models that measure resiliency in our building codes. LEED is addressing this indirectly but we could use more help with quantification.

Cost Strategies & Benefits – Landlords & Tenants

“The Empire State Building retrofit to Gold LEED standard is "increasing services to tenants while making the building more efficient." LEED certified buildings have lower vacancy rates - owners need to do their own analysis” Dana Schneider, Jones Lang LaSalle

In alignment with the market shift away from new construction, this year’s Expo theme was retrofitting existing buildings The retrofit of the iconic Empire State Building was the subject of multiple presentations and an offsite tour. Along with Steve Teitelbaum, Jones Day/BOMA, Paul Rode, Johnson Controls and Kathy Baczko, NYC City Director with Clinton Climate Initiative, Dana Schneider outlined how upgrade packages that interacted most effectively were used to maximize sustainable benefits. NYSERDA funding is using stimulus money to assist retrofits and encourage tenants to do capital improvements with energy savings in mind. R0I improvement is planned in 3 yrs - sq footage moved from $26 to $40 by just redrawing capital projects.

"Getting it paid for, without coming out of pocket is better value than not doing anything” Sean Patrick Neill, Principal Cycle-7

Now, we have a powerful argument for doing something. According to sustainability consultant, Sean Patrick Neill, the US Building Green Council measurements are key to having reliable financing going forward. With the Managed Energy Service Agreement with tenants, owners can now raise money on the private market for utility costs – it becomes an investment vehicle to get the work done. Its currently the only model out there that has 24 Retrofit where the building gets green and the investor gets paid. We currently need more structures that work in this way.

More discussion of more accurate financial models, was heard in the subsequent session. Greg Kiss, Principal with Kiss + Cathcart, Architects moderated a panel on Positive Energy where Robert Perez, Professor at SUNY detailed a new factoring that includes all costs of electricity, not just the fraction listed on the bill but the insurance, taxes, overrides from blackouts etc.

Positive Energy: Beauty & Fun

“The collaborative teaming became more so with the LEED process and the certification raised the profile of the MTA…” Thomas Abdallah Chief Environmental Engineer MTA

Abdallah described how the train stations of Europe that use daylight and are financially viable were reference points for the first LEED certified station and again at Stillwell. Then, Rotherton, NYC Dept of Design/Construction with over 20 years with the city affirmed this was a “most exciting time in the city’s building design”. Interestingly he described how the oldest structure in NYC, Wycoff House, dating to New Amsterdam, has many of today’s stipulated requirements for LEED.

Moderator Greg J. Kiss, shared his firm’s work on a study for acclaimed NYC public school, Bronx Science, to be a “true productive building” ie. gathers rain and is a positive addition to the environment, not just a 0. Greg smiled.“We are now building projects that would not have been done 5 years ago but what we've wanted to, positive.”

Historic Preservation

In the afternoon, Skanska, the global Swedish contractor, hosted a tour of their offices in the Empire State Building and shared the process of pursuing Platinum LEED certification with historic preservation stipulations. Skanska noted the importance of maximizing employee control of temperature, even with safety concerns of operable windows in a multi-storied skyscraper. They increased both LEED points and employee morale with Lutron lighting that pays for itself over its lifecycle. Raising of the floor and opening the ceiling allowed for more daylight, savings and an updated look.

Following the overview, the contractor led a tour sharing the implementation specifics to accomplish Platinum LEED certification for the Skanska offices. In one instance, installing a bike rack required the contracting firm to sign a release with the building’s management at the time. Skanska’s mission was to achieve the status for no more than a Class A office budget. They estimate ROI to be returned in 5 years.

Closing – Amory Lovins

As informative as the other events and accomplishments were throughout the two days, they paled in comparison to those presented by Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Managing to both awe and inspire, each of his slides were dense with eye-opening tangible application i.e. preference for designing right angles in piping is costing more in water use. Here the drumming refrain accelerated – “build sustainability into capital improvement budgets at no increase in cost". Even with old-style cost calculations, ignoring environmental damage, capital improvements can be made sustainable for the same cost.

For more details on the wealth of information provided at the Expo please visit: www.urbangreencouncil.org and www.urbangreenexpo.org

The US Green Building Council's Urban Green Expo was presented in partnership with the following:

AIA-NY Chapter
Building & Construction Trade Council
BOMA
BTEA
CENYC
CoreNET Global-NY Chapter
Real Estate Board of New York and
the Urban Land Institute