Thermal network to support decarbonization of affordable housing
This case study was chosen as part of the Empire Building Challenge competition. Click here to learn more about the Empire Building Challenge competition.
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Noll Apartments, located at 43 Central Avenue, and Melrose Apartments, located at 63 Central Avenue, are neighboring buildings in Brooklyn, New York. The buildings are 6 stories and total 131,865 square feet with 98 affordable apartment units. The decarbonization retrofit planned for these buildings includes a package of measures that will:
- Combine all mechanical equipment into a single central plant serving both buildings which will facilitate thermal energy recovery, allow for the integration of future decarbonized thermal energy sources, and reduce first- and ongoing maintenance costs.
- Electrify, and recover energy for, loads currently served by fossil fuels (heating and domestic hot water).
- Improve the energy efficiency of the buildings by reducing thermal loads through ventilation energy recovery and envelope improvements
- Reduce construction costs by avoiding the staggering of measure implementation where possible.
Creating resilient and sustainable communities are key components of RiseBoro’s mission. The principles of energy efficiency, improved health outcomes, reduced consumption, and responsible use of natural resources are core beliefs of the organization.
Project Highlights
Step 1
Step 1: Examine Current Conditions
A baseline assessment is key to understanding current systems and performance, then identifying conditions, requirements or events that will trigger a decarbonization effort. The assessment looks across technical systems, asset strategy and sectoral factors.
Building System Conditions
- Equipment nearing end-of-life
- New heat source potential
- Comfort improvements
- Indoor air quality improvements
- Facade maintenance
- Efficiency improvements
Asset Conditions
- Capital event cycles
- Owner sustainability goals
Market Conditions
- Technology improves
- Market supply changes
Noll Apartments and Melrose Apartment contain the original HVAC equipment from their construction in the early- and mid-2000s that is nearing the end of its useful life. This aging equipment, considered alongside a recent recapitalization event, presents an opportunity to focus on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Additionally, these buildings are part of a tranche of buildings in the RiseBoro portfolio constructed prior to the adoption of more aggressive energy efficiency approaches. Implementation of the decarbonization retrofits will not only lower the buildings’ emissions, but will also bring energy performance up to, or higher than, other buildings in the portfolio. The Empire Building Challenge program provided a unique opportunity at a convenient time to create a holistic roadmap and retrofit plan.
Step 2
Step 2: Design Resource Efficient Solutions
Effective engineering integrates measures for reducing energy load, recovering wasted heat, and moving towards partial or full electrification. This increases operational efficiencies, optimizes energy peaks, and avoids oversized heating systems, thus alleviating space constraints and minimizing the cost of retrofits to decarbonize the building over time.
Existing Conditions
This diagram illustrates the building prior to the initiation of Strategic Decarbonization planning by the owners and their teams.
Click through the measures under “Building After” to understand the components of the building’s energy transition.
Sequence of Measures
2027
Building System Affected
- heating
- cooling
- ventilation
Step 3
Step 3: Build the Business Case
Making a business case for strategic decarbonization requires thinking beyond a traditional energy audit approach or simple payback analysis. It assesses business-as-usual costs and risks against the costs and added value of phased decarbonization investments in the long-term.
Decarbonization Costs
$19.4M
Business-as-Usual Costs
$755,000 + $74,000 / YR
Energy cost savings: 74k / YR.
Repairs and maintenance savings: Minimal
BAU cost of system replacement/upgrades: 755k.
Business-as-Usual Risks
$0
Decarbonization Value
$7M
Incentives: ~7M (estimated).
Net Present Value
-$11.5M
Strategic Decarbonization Action Plan
An emissions decarbonization roadmap helps building owners visualize their future emissions reductions by outlining the CO2 reductions from selected energy conservation measures. This roadmap is designed with a phased approach, considering a 20- or 30-year timeline, and incorporates the evolving benefits of grid decarbonization, ensuring a comprehensive view of long-term environmental impact.
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