Concord Village Energy Audit Leads to Major Savings
Project Background & Services:
Concord Village is a 1,023-unit cooperative located in a 7-building complex in downtown Brooklyn. Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) conducted a Level II energy audit as part of the building’s participation in NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program (MPP), which led to a customized list of energy conservation measures targeted to the building’s systems and performance.
Energy Conservation Features:
The measures that were implemented included installing orifice plates and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on the two-pipe steam distribution, adding wireless apartment sensors for improved heating plant control, radiant barrier installation, air sealing, and some lighting and clothes washer upgrades. Although the audit also recommended sealing and balancing the ventilation system and installing new roof fans, further investigation during the design phase revealed this was unfeasible in the time allocated by NYSERDA.
The upgrades provided operational benefits in addition to energy savings. The TRVs gave the residents the ability to control the temperature in every room instead of opening their windows to avoid overheating, and the orifice plates significantly reduce steam trap maintenance. The new LED exterior lights will last longer than the previous high intensity discharge ones, reducing labor costs for lamp replacement.
Since the end of the retrofit period in May 2013, Concord Village has saved 29% of its annual heating bill (22% of the total fuel consumption) and has reduced its whole– building electricity usage by 9%. These results have surpassed the projected savings targets of 13% fuel and 0.5% electricity, respectively. However, it should be noted that the complex also installed electric sub-metering in half of the units at the same as the rest of the retrofit, and that is likely also driving the increased electricity savings.