New York state of mind to increase building energy efficiency by 20percent

In one of the most ambitious green initiatives in the United States, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an Executive Order directing state agencies to increase energy efficiency in state buildings by 20 percent in seven years. He also announced Build Smart NY, a plan to  strategically implement the Executive Order by accelerating priority improvements in energy performance. The largest and most inefficient buildings will be addressed first and undergo comprehensive whole-building improvements, including new lighting fixtures and controls, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and automated energy management systems.

“Improving energy efficiency in our buildings is a smart investment in our present and future,” Governor Cuomo said. “Through Build Smart NY, state government can produce significant savings for New York taxpayers and generate thousands of jobs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than eight million metric tons – which is the same as taking one million cars off the road for one year. Furthermore, most of the projects will pay for themselves as their energy savings will cover their costs, making this initiative a financial and environmental win-win for New Yorkers.”

Build Smart NY will accelerate projects that produce the greatest savings and coordinate all spending. The program will also ensure that cost-effective improvements for energy savings are considered in all of the state’s capital project planning. Data has been collected on over 180 million square feet of buildings and campuses – about 95 percent of the State’s building stock, and work has started on 30 million square feet of real estate.

New York State is also pioneering the use of big data and social networking technologies with a new web platform that posts progress reports, case studies, energy savings, project costs, and other information to the public.

Tony Malkin, President of Malkin Holdings, Supervisor of the Empire State Building, said, “New York State is using the best lessons from private practice and creating a large scale public policy initiative based on real data to determine investment and return. The programme will prioritise projects and apply resources to the buildings that can deliver the biggest bang for taxpayer dollars, while making sure to share case studies and buiding information with the public.”