NYCHA Reduces Energy Demand Increases Efficiency Through Collaboration With Con Edison 20160425 - NYCHA

NYC Housing Authority


Press Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2016, 2:15 p.m.
CONTACT: Con Ed Media Relations, (212) 460-4111
Isaac McGinn, (212) 306-3322, Isaac.mcginn@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA REDUCES ENERGY DEMAND, INCREASES EFFICIENCY THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH CON EDISON

New Energy-Efficient Valves Reduce Energy Usage, Enhance Comfort
by Increasing Resident Control of Temperature

NEW YORK–– The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has taken advantage of a Con Edison energy-efficiency program to install equipment for managing the temperature in 4,873 apartments – upgrades that help provide comfortable, reliable heat, and reduce demand for energy.

Con Edison’s energy efficiency team installed 16,828 thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) at a cost of $2.17 million. TRVs allow the temperature at each radiator to be adjusted by the resident. Residents often resort to opening windows when their apartments are overheated, which wastes energy and, paradoxically, causes other apartments to experience cold drafts. Now, radiator-by-radiator temperature controls enhance apartment comfort and encourage residents to keep windows closed.

Achieving greater sustainability is one of the main goals of NYCHA’s strategic NextGeneration plan. On Thursday, April 21, the New York City Housing Authority unveiled its Sustainability Agenda, a ten-year roadmap for creating healthy and comfortable housing that will withstand the challenge of climate change – the first time in NYCHA’s history the Authority has developed an integrated plan focused on health, green building and operations, and climate change adaptation and resiliency. This collaborative work with Con Edison is part of NYCHA’s commitment to making energy-efficiency upgrades throughout the portfolio.

“Sustainability is critical to protecting and preserving public housing for future generations,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “These upgrades will improve quality of life for residents, while making NYCHA more energy-efficient. Shrinking our carbon footprint will help NYCHA and New York City combat the impacts of climate change on our residents.”

In 2015, working with the Mayor’s Office and federal partners at HUD, NYCHA launched a series of large-scale Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs). It is estimated that at least $300 million in work to upgrade and retrofit thousands of buildings will take place through these EPCs by 2025, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and demand for electricity. These upgrades will also address much-needed capital improvements and reduce NYCHA’s carbon footprint, contributing to Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to reduce New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050.

“NYCHA has a history of using our incentives to save energy and make the apartments more comfortable for tenants,” said Phil Madnick, Program Manager for Multifamily Energy-Efficiency Programs at Con Edison. “We have a wide variety of energy efficiency programs to help customers make investments that will lower their energy bills for years to come and help keep New York’s air clean.”

The valves at the NYCHA developments are projected to save 303,257 therms of gas each year, preventing the emission of 1,772 tons of greenhouse gases – the equivalent of taking 338 cars off the road.

The valves have been installed at the following NYCHA developments:

335 East 111th St.

Grampion Houses

First Houses

Smith Houses

St. Nicholas Houses

Carver Houses

Con Edison has an energy efficiency program for almost everyone. For information, visit http://www.coned.com/energyefficiency/, or call the Con Edison energy efficiency team at 1-877-870-6118.

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About New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA): The New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. To that end, NYCHA administers a Conventional Public Housing Program as well as a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments, together serving more than 600,000 New Yorkers. Learn more at www.nyc.gov/nycha and on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, @NYCHA.

About Con Edison
Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $46 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us at www.conEd.com and on Twitter and Facebook.