All Posts Tagged With: "Alternative Energy"
First Avenue District School in Newark, New Jersey Earns Green Award of Merit
The First Avenue District School in Newark, New Jersey recently earned an Award of Merit from New York Construction magazine in connection with its “Best of ‘08″ awards program. The elementary and middle school was designed by Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor (”PS&S”) and includes green design features that would qualify it for 31 different LEED credits, though Newark chose not to pursue formal certification (citing cost considerations). Some of those green features include daylight and occupancy sensors, passive solar design, and efficient, full spectrum lighting. Locally sourced and recycled-content materials were used during construction, while other LEED-standard features include light pollution reduction, water-efficient landscaping, low-VOC paints and sealants, and a construction waste management program. The school’s common areas- including the theater, gym, and cafeteria- are heated and cooled by a 480-foot-deep geothermal system.
Popularity: 5% [?]
10Oct2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Ardour Capital: Revenues Swell at Green Investment Bank
Profiled in last week’s small business report in Crain’s, Ardour Capital is a five-year-old investment bank that focuses exclusively on renewable energy and sustainable technology. Notwithstanding the persisting gloom on Wall Street (more on that in the context of green later this week), the firm expects revenues this year to top $10 million and double by 2009, up from $3.9 million in 2006. According to managing partner and co-founder Brian Greenstein, “[t]here’s a recognition that this sector is going to be one of the ones that grow.” Ardour’s 25 staffers review companies across the green power sector and then distill the technologies down for potential investors. Since opening its doors, Ardour has helped raised over $1 billion for 30 companies; earlier this year, it worked with California-based eco-friendly printer Colorep, Inc. in securing a $24 million private investment.
Popularity: 13% [?]
15Sep2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 1 comment | Continued
Marquiss Wind Power to NYC: Test Drive a Free Wind Turbine
Apparently unfazed by recent skepticism from local engineers and architects aimed at Mayor Bloomberg’s plans to install wind turbines on Gotham’s skyscrapers and bridges, California-based Marquiss Wind Power has offered to donate one of its turbine systems to the city in order to demonstrate that the Mayor’s idea is in fact viable. The company’s patented roof-top wind turbine is approximately 19 feet high and weighs less than a typical rooftop air conditioning unit. Its T500 model is optimized for low, variable wind, is rated at 5 kilowatts, and is priced between $30,000.00 and $60,000.00 depending on the specific configuration. According to Marquiss CEO Paul Misso, the company’s turbines should pay for themselves within four to eight years, “depending on wind speed, utility rates, and available incentives.” Last week, in the aftermath of Mr. Bloomberg’s remarks in Las Vegas, experts had questioned the efficiency of wind turbine installations on local high-rises.
Popularity: 17% [?]
26Aug2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
No Windmill For Empire State Building, After All (King Kong, Welcome Back!)
When New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg goes to Vegas, he bets big. At an alternative energy conference, perhaps bullied by T Boone Pickens, the mayor proposed installing wind turbines, among other power-generating technologies, on Manhattan’s skyscrapers and bridges. And why not: aiming to slash the city’s greenhouse emissions by a third by 2030 is rather ambitious. The mayor also proposed ocean wind farms off the coast and solar panels across the city’s rooftops. He’s dreaming big (Statue of Liberty powered by wind farms) while keeping the character of the neighborhood when it comes to the turbines (”If there is a large ape that starts climbing the Empire State Building, it might get in his way” - yes, that is our mayor speaking.
Popularity: 20% [?]
21Aug2008 | Alex Padalka | 1 comment | Continued
Green Home to be Cornerstone of Long Island Alternative Energy Park
In 2005, the 800-square-foot OPEN House was conceived and constructed by 75 students at Old Westbury, Long Island’s New York Institute of Technology. Made from wood, the house debuted at the 2005 Solar Decathlon and took home fifth place as a fully operational showcase for solar and hydrogen fuel cell technology. In 2007, it was re-entered in the Decathlon with a few upgrades, including an array of 35 solar panels and a rooftop pool for heating and cooling, which was designed to simulate the heating and cooling principles of a geothermal system. The prototype included a performance dashboard displaying the home’s energy consumption in real-time. The Town of Hempstead recently purchased the OPEN House from NYIT for $75,000.00 as the centerpiece of a new alternative energy office park on Long Beach.
Popularity: 15% [?]
18Aug2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Hoboken Sustainability Primer: From Green Buildings to Clean Power
gbNYC has noted two green projects on the Hoboken side of the Hudson previously; we pointed you to SJP Properties’ Waterfront Corporate Center III and Bijou Properties’ Dean Marchetto-designed, 180-unit condo project on 14th Street, both of which are seeking LEED ratings from USGBC. Green efforts in Hoboken aren’t limited to these projects alone, though; Bijou is also developing the Garden Street Lofts at 14th and Bloomfield Streets, which were also designed by Marchetto and are seeking a LEED Silver rating. Meanwhile, Mayor David Roberts recently announced a tax credit plan for residential owners that install solar panels and is quick to point out Hoboken’s taxi fleet that features seven hybrids.
Popularity: 19% [?]
13Aug2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 1 comment | Continued
Chautauqua Wind Energy to Capture Green Power Upstate
Calling itself in the “small wind” business as opposed to large-scale, utility-grade wind farms, Chautauqua Wind Energy plans to move into the fledgling market for smaller scale, residential wind turbines beginning this fall. Based in Chautauqua County, New York, the green energy company will focus on installing and servicing 5 to 10 kilowatt wind turbines. The company will act as a dealer and carry turbines from different manufacturers, including Bergey, Windterra, and Helix Wind. Chautauqua will also act as a consultant to determine the optimal installation for each of its customers. Chautauqua County is apparently a prime spot for wind energy. Boasting nearly constant Class 3 winds (15 miles per hour), the area is home to some of the windiest areas in New York State, which is actually the 15th windiest state in the union.
Popularity: 19% [?]
12Aug2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
City Council’s Infrastructure Task Force Debates Solar Power Installations
During a panel discussion that was held earlier today at Hunter College, local alternative energy experts and city officials debated how Gotham might encourage increasing solar power to public and private buildings. The City Council’s infrastructure task force organized the forum, and co-chair Daniel Garodnick explained that under current regulations, a building owner is required to pay the costs of hooking a solar power system to the Con Edison grid. It’s not that simple, though; a 32-page .pdf document called “Standardized Interconnection Requirements and Application Process for New Distributed Generators 2 MW or Less Connected in Parallel with Utility Distribution Systems” sets forth the parameters. The New York Times’ City Room blog reports that one idea the task force is considering is creating various “solar empowerment” zones, where neighboring buildings that are suitable for solar installations could tie their arrays together and pay for just one connection to the Con Ed grid.
Popularity: 18% [?]
31Jul2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
New York Energy Smart Loan Fund Offers Incentives for Energy Efficiency Across Empire State
If you own real estate in New York State, you may qualify for an interest relief payment from the New York Energy Smart Loan Fund if you plan to make an investment of any kind towards improving the energy efficiency of your property. Payment comes in the form of a lump sum to the lender (not to you) when a loan for a particular renovation or installation of an energy efficient service has been blessed by an approved lender. The interest relief is then passed on to you on payments over the full period of the loan. The purpose of the program (administered by NYSERDA) is to offer interest rate reductions on any loan that aims to increase the energy efficiency of a property.
Popularity: 18% [?]
10Jul2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
New York City’s First Green Billboard Set for Times Square
Times Square is about to receive New York City’s first green-powered electronic billboard. Tokyo-based Ricoh Company, Ltd. will install a 47 by 126 foot sign on the Reuters Building (3 Times Square, at the northwestern corner of 42nd Street and 7th Avenue) that will draw power from 45 solar panels and 4 wind turbines. In what should be an interesting twist, if the photovoltaics do not receive sufficient sunlight or winds are not strong enough to drive the turbines, the sign will simply not illuminate. According to Ricoh, the installation should account for a reduction of 18 tons in carbon dioxide per year.
Popularity: 57% [?]
3Jul2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Rotating, Self-Powered, Prefab “Dynamic Tower” May Twist into Manhattan
The Dynamic Tower- a 1380-foot, rotating residential high-rise, will break ground in Dubai within a few months, according to Italian architect David Fisher, who discussed details about the project at a press conference today at the Plaza Hotel in Midtown. According to Dr. Fisher, a second Dynamic Tower will soon follow in Moscow with a third to come here in New York City. Although he did not provide specific details, Fisher noted that he is already talking to developers about bringing the concept to Gotham.
Popularity: 24% [?]
24Jun2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 2 comments | Continued
Microturbine Installation Complete at New York Marriott Downtown
The New York Marriott Downtown is the latest local property to install microturbines pursuant to New York City’s new legislation (dating from December) providing for their operation (under Title 1 of the Rules of the City of New York, Chapter 50, Distributed Energy Resource Standards). The hotel recently installed two PureComfort systems from UTC Power that will help offset 5800 megawatt hours of electricity each year and prevent 1700 tons of C02 emissions.
Popularity: 19% [?]
19Jun2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 0 comments | Continued
Students Protest Lack of LEED in Design for CT Campus Building
There’s a bit of a LEED-driven controversy that’s currently playing out at the Norwalk Community College in Connecticut. Students are alleging that the design by Upper West Side-based Mitchell-Giurgola Architects for a new $40 million, 3-story laboratory building “isn’t green enough.” Last year, architecture professor John Sneider’s Environmental Systems class critiqued the 55,000-square-foot project, with students suggesting a building smaller in scale and the installation of a geothermal system. They contacted university officials last year and say they’ve been given the runaround; the school has spent $3 million on the design to date and finalized drawings for bidding back in January. Still, students circulated a petition and met yesterday with the design team, who explained the project’s sustainable features notwithstanding its lack of LEED registration with USGBC.
Popularity: 30% [?]
30May2008 | Stephen Del Percio | 2 comments | Continued-
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