One of the nation’s most iconic structures recently got a facelift. As part of an ongoing energy efficiency and retrofit plan for the Empire State Building, 400 of the building’s existing standard lamps will be replaced by 1200 LED fixtures. The owners of the building have been working for some time on improving the structure’s energy efficiency with everything from high-tech windows to state-of-the-art HVAC systems.
By upgrading the Empire State Building’s exterior lighting, the owners expect to save up to 75% a year in annual energy costs, according a recent article in the New York Times. In fact, the lighting retrofit will generate enough energy savings to repay the multi-million-dollar project within six years.
These new fixtures are also expected to last up from three to six times longer than their incandescent counterparts. And the building will experience an aesthetic improvement as well: the new LED lamps will allow for a deeper color palette and the ability to change colors immediately, rather waiting for a crew of workers to manually install colored gel covers over the existing lamps. Right now the plan is to install the LED fixtures on the 72nd and 81st floors, along with the building’s mast (which is currently lit by fluorescent tubes).
Malkin Holdings, which owns the building, initially committed to improving the energy efficiency of the building back in 2006. Since that time, the owners have worked with the Rocky Mountain Institute to instigate a wide-scale energy efficiency retrofit at the facility.
“The building was state of the art when it was built,” Anthony E. Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings, told the New York Times, “and when we’re done with our retrofit, there will be no more technically advanced building.”
Here’s a rundown of our own coverage of the Empire State Building energy efficiency retrofit:
http://www.distributedenergy.com/DE/Articles/12719.aspx
http://www.distributedenergy.com/DE/Articles/9113.aspx
http://www.distributedenergy.com/DE/Articles/15565.aspx
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Upcoming Forester University Webinars
May 9th, 2012
Making Erosion Control BMPs Work on Construction Sites
Your erosion control BMPs meet regulation, but are they practical? Join Jerald S. Fifield, Ph.D., PH, CISEC, CPESC andTina R. Evans, PE, CISEC for the fourth installment of our advanced ediment and Erosion Control Master Class Series, Making Erosion Control BMPs Work on Construction Sites, exploring the available erosion control methods and diversion structures, as well as how to develop seed mixtures, calculate fertilizer rates, and evaluate TRMs in drainage channels.
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May 17th, 2012
Effective LID Stormwater Reduction
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May 31st, 2012
How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Water Audit Reports
Maximize your payback! Join Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Audit Reports on Thurs., May 31st addressing the most essential skill in water auditing: how to calculate payback period and incorporate it effectively in your water audit report. Within this discussion, Aichele will explore how to calculate water audit improvement periods using a custom-built payback spreadsheet calculator; how to calculate use rates; how to incorporate savings, rebates and utility increases into your payback calculations; and how to write a water audit report letter incorporating water audit results and payback periods.
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April 18th, - May 25th, 2012
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Join industry expert and bestselling author Jerald S. Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC, CPESC and Tina R. Evans, PE, CISEC for a comprehensive 6-part online master class and workshop series (0.9 CEUs / 9 PDHs) exploring the ins and outs of effective sediment and erosion control plan design and review based on Fifield’s recently released 3rd edition of the bestselling manual Designing and Reviewing Effective Sediment and Erosion Control Plans (included in your Master Class Series package).
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Water Auditing Master Series
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Learn the ins-and-outs of water auditing! Join 2010’s Speaker of the Year, Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for the Water Auditing Master Series, a 3-part webinar/webcast series focusing on getting you up-to-speed on the key attributes, uses, and opportunities in water auditing, as demonstrating step-by-step how to conduct a water audit, avoid the pitfalls, calculate payback periods, and incorporate these into your reports.
Series includes:
* Water Auditing 101: Introduction to Water Auditing
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