Greetings from your E$C Coordinators, Diana Pangestu & Max Joel:
Here at Solar One, Earth Month was a whirlwind, with enough eco-oriented talks and events to satisfy the greenest among us. This month things slow down a bit, and we hope you will take the opportunity to make some energy efficiency improvements in your own home or business!
In the meantime, save the date for our very first Energy Connections networking event, New York City the Future Metropolis, featuring an illustrious line-up of speakers. This not-to-be missed event brings together the players in the NYC built environment industry: architects, engineers, developers, planners, government, non-profits, academia, students and other intersted parties as we uncover the NYC of tomorrow.
Also in this article, we provide an update on the ongoing energy efficiency project at the 14th Street Y, and announce our final Green from the Inside Out event of the Spring. And procrastinators have one last chance to take advantage of the New York Great Appliance Swap Out, which has been extended to May 31st!
And lastly, don't miss Solar One's annual gala, Revelry by the River.
The
Energy $mart Communities eNewsletter disseminates information on NYSERDA
programs and incentives, energy efficiency projects, contractor and
building owner trainings, and partner news and events. |
New York City the Future Metropolis (June 10, 6-9pm) Provides Us A Glimpse Into NYC's Future Built Environment
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What will New York City look like in 20 years? Join us for an exquisite evening event, "New York City the Future
Metropolis," as we bring to you a consortium of distinguished panelists speaking
on an array of new technologies, development projects, and building systems that promise to enhance our future built environment.
Nanotech, energy monitoring, solar facades, waterfront developments, building integrated gardens, tide
turbine projects - these concepts and technologies are currently underway and their future growth can dramatically affect the way we live and work. The format of this event will be PechaKucha. PechaKucha is
a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20
seconds. We've designed this event to keep the audience engaged, inspired, and excited about the future.
"New York City the Future Metropolis" will be held at our Solar One Education Center, outdoors under a large tent space alongside the
East River, which lends itself to networking and enjoying a casual
atmosphere. We are looking to bring together the NYC community, as well
as the building and building consulting industry, to inspire and excite New Yorkers for how
their future may be shaped.
New York City the Future Metropolis
Thursday, June 10, 6:00-9:00pm, plus networking
Solar One Education Center
2420 FDR Drive, Service Road East, New York, NY
(at 23rd Street and the East River)
SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Nanotechnology: - Edward M. Cupoli, Ph.D., Professor and Head, NanoEconomics Constellation, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany
- Peter Yeadon, Founding Partner of David Yeadon Architects
Biomimicry: - Mark Dorfman, Green Chemistry Naturalist at the Biomimicry Guild
Passive Solar Design: - Jean-Loup Msika, Founder of Sustainable City Project
- Ken Levenson, Partner at Levenson McDavid Architects
Waterfront Development: - A Representative of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
- Stephen Cassell, Principal at the Architecture Research Office
Cleantech: - Ronald Smith, Chairman and CEO of Verdant Power to speak on the East River tide turbine project (RITE Project)
- John Lembo, Vice President of Noveda Technologies to speak on Energy Monitoring systems
- David Benjamin, Director of Living Architecture Lab at Columbia GSAPP, Principal at The Living
Urban Farming: - Benjamin Linsey, Managing Director at Bright Farms Systems
Energy Centers: - Christopher Collins, Executive Director of Solar One to speak on Solar Two, NYC's first carbon neutral net-zero building
- Richard Yancey, Project Director for Green Light NY
Registration:
To Register for this event, please go to www.solar1.org/nycfuturemetropolis
Event Cost: $10 - general admission, $15 - at the door.
Sponsors, Volunteers, and Supporting Organizations!
To sponsor this event, or to volunteer for this event, please contact Diana Pangestu at diana@solar1.org, or 212-785-0734. We are also looking for supporting organization partners to help spread the word. If you have access to a mailing list with the appropriate constituency, we will list you as a supporting organization for sending notice of this event out to your list. Please contact Diana Pangestu at the email or phone number above.
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The 14th Street Y Begins Flextech Energy Audit - Month Two
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In last
month's newsletter, we introduced you to the 14th Street Y, an acclaimed
non-profit community organization that serves more than 10,000 New Yorkers annually
and is undertaking an energy efficiency retrofit of their space on the East
Side of Manhattan. This month, we wanted
to update our readers about the progress of this exciting project.
The Flextech Energy Audit
Scoping Meeting
To
begin the process of understanding how he 14th Street Y could
maximize their energy savings while exploring design options, the 14th
Street Y initiated a scoping meeting through the NYSERDA Flextech Energy Audit
Program. The NYSERDA Flextech Program
cost-shares 50% of the consultant's fees and provides New York State
commercial, industrial, institutional, government, and not-for-profit sectors
with objective and customized information to help customers make informed
energy decisions.
After
filling out an application, NYSERDA connected the 14th Street Y with
Goldman Copeland Associates, one of NYSERDA's Flextech Partners who also worked
on the Y's previous lobby renovation. The
two teams met at a scoping meeting held at the 14th Street Y on
April 21st. This meeting was
used to introduce the energy audit team to the project, and the goals and
expectations of the Y. With the
firm's representatives, YMHA conducted a walk-through tour of the building to
see what features could be improved.
To see more pictures and read about the walk-through tour, click here. |
Green from the Inside Out at City College on May 20th
| Thursday, May 20th 6:00pm-8:30pm
City College of New York
North Academic Center (Ballroom)
Convent Avenue and 138th
Street New York, NY
Solar One, in partnership GrowNYC
presents Green from the Inside Out on Thursday May 20th from
6-8:30pm at the City College of New York in the North Academic Center
(Ballroom) located on Covenant Avenue and 138h Street. This event gives
coop and condo owners, building managers, landlords, and tenants the
tools, resources, and information they need to green their multifamily
building through presentations on recycling, energy efficiency, and
rooftop possibilities for multifamily buildings in New York City. Exhibitors
of green products and services will also be present to answer technical
questions. This event is FREE! Refreshments will be provided!Please RSVP to Celia Salgado at 212-505-6050 or celia@solar1.org. For more information, visit http://solar1.org/greenfrominsideout/. Green From the Inside Out attendee visits exhibitors on April 19th  | |
Last Chance for New York's Great Appliance Swap Out- $1.7 Million Remaining- Program Will End May 31st or Sooner!
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With $1.7 million dollars still remaining, New York consumers who purchase qualified high efficiency appliances
are still eligible to receive rebates through the Great Appliance Swap Out.
But hurry - applications are only valid while funding lasts!
Receive a cash rebate by purchasing a new ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerator, freezer or clothes washer! New
ENERGY STAR® refrigerator, freezer or clothes washer purchase must
replace an existing appliance. Plus recycling your old, existing
appliances of the same type, makes you eligible for the maximum rebate.
The
U.S. Department of Energy (D.O.E.) issued grants to U.S. States to
provide American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for
developing and implementing an Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate
Program. This rebate program is available to consumers replacing their
old, still functioning appliances with new ENERGY STAR® qualified
appliances.
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Save the Date for Solar One's Annual Gala - Revelry by the River, June 9, 2010.
|  Join us for Revelry By the River 2010! You can get tickets and sponsorships HERE.
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Upcoming Low Cost No Cost Green Events
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CLICK ON LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Thursday, May 6, 6 - 8 pm. The True Cost of Water. New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center/250 Greenwich Street, 40th floor. The focus of this panel discussion is the importance of economic
optimization of water usage in the present and in the future to
establish long-term sustainability of water resources. FREE for members, $10 for students, $20 for non-members.
Friday, May 7, 8:30 am - 4 pm. Sustainable Transit: Developing an Action Agenda. Spitzer School of Architecture (CUNY), 141 Convent Ave. Presented by the University
Transportation Research Center, this event will bring together leading
transportation, planning, and sustainability experts to help develop the critical
next step in achieving regional sustainability through greener transportation
infrastructure. FREE.
Saturday, May 8, 10 am - 4 pm. GreenHomeNYC Green Building Open House Tour. Various locations. GreenHomeNYC
presents its 9th biannual Green Building Tour! The tours give everyone a chance
to see green buildings all over New York City, to provide information about,
and facilitate the adoption of sustainable building methods and materials. $15 - $25, registration required.
Wednesday, May 12, 8:30 - 11:30 am. Reconsidering Gowanus - Opportunities for the Sustainable Transformation of an Industrial Neighborhood. Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, 2nd fl, Brooklyn. The
Gowanus Canal area of Brooklyn presents huge environmental challenges but also
strategic transportation connections, economic and social links to the greater
metropolitan area, and property that could be used for light industry,
commerce, affordable housing, cultural events, and recreational amenities. This event, organized by the Newman
Real Estate Institute at Baruch College, will bring together top-tier
representatives from the government, nonprofit groups, corporations, academia,
and organizations that are stakeholders in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn. FREE, registration required.
Thursday, May 13, 6 - 8 pm. High Performance Green Building Salon: Sustainable Towers. Knoll Showroom, 76 Ninth Avenue, 11th Floor. The presentation will introduce
the high rise building from the perspective of environmental designers of
Atelier Ten and will discuss the current global expectations for high rise
building performance by comparing design strategies and rating programs such as
LEED. $10 for Urban Green members/students,
$15 for non-members.
Saturday, May 15, 10 am - 2 pm. "It's My Park Day" at High Rock Park. 200 Nevada Avenue, Staten Island. Help make the Greenbelt even
greener by planting trees.
Sunday, May 16, 5 - 7 pm. Future of Solar Energy in Design. Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place. Join the discussion that will kick off the opening of Sunny
Memories, a new exhibition on uses of solar technology in design. The speakers include Nicolas Henchoz,
EPFL_ECAL Lab, Switzerland; Paul Thompson, Royal College of Art, London; Rick
Lewis, seven02 design and California College of the Arts; and Yves Béhar,
fuseproject. FREE.
Monday, May 17, 7 pm. Urban Gardening: Public Gardens in Paris and New York. Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street. Current leaders in urban landscape design come to French
Institute Alliance Francaise to discuss the latest trends
and practices in Paris and New York. Panelists will present inventive new ways
of integrating green spaces into cities currently at play on both sides of the
Atlantic, and provide a glimpse into the future of public spaces. $20 for French Institute/Alliance
Francaise members, $25 for non-members.
Tuesday, May 18, 8 am - 1 pm. Fit City 5: Promoting Physical Activity through Design. Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place. The AIA
New York Chapter in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene will host the fifth annual public conference to examine how
design interventions create opportunities for increasing physical activity.
Through case studies and analysis, conference participants will explore
recommendations for modifications in the "built environment" as a
means of facilitating physical activity and improving health. FREE with RSVP.
Tuesday, May 18, time TBD. AEE-NY Monthly Meeting: Low Tech Energy Improvements, Including Insulation. Association for Energy Engineers, New York Chapter, 1540 Broadway. For more information,
please AEE-NY website.
Wednesday, May 19, 6:30 - 8:30 pm. 2nd Annual Patty Noonan Memorial Energy Policy Forum - The Proof is on Retrofits: Quantifying Energy Savings to Satisfy Banks. NYU's Labowitz Theatre for Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place. Presented by GreenHomeNYC, this event will bring together eminent
speakers from the energy efficiency and banking industry: Ashok Gupta, DRDC; Sam
Marks, Deutsche Bank; Michael Bobker, CUNY; and Luke Falk, NYSERDA. The forum will discuss new initiatives
that seek to bridge the two worlds of energy and banking to potentially unlock
the movement of capital into energy efficiency programs. FREE, registration required.
Thursday, May 20, 6 - 8:30 pm. Green from the Inside Out! City College of New York, North Academic Center (Ballroom), Convent Ave Avenue and 138th Street New York, NY. This
event gives coop and condo owners, building managers, landlords, and
tenants the tools, resources, and information they need to green their
multifamily building. The featured presentations will touch on recycling, energy
efficiency, and rooftop options available in New
York City. Exhibitors of green products and services will also be
present to answer technical questions. FREE with RSVP.
Saturday, May 22, 11 am - 1 pm. Community Garden Compost Demo Sites Biking Tour. Meet at Union Square East and 17th St. Join the NYC Compost Project for an
easy bike tour of five community garden Compost Demo Sites in the East Village
and Lower East Side. Compost Demo Sites are locations (community gardens,
parks, schools, and institutions) with exemplary composting operations that are
committed to teaching New Yorkers about the benefits of composting. FREE!
Tuesday, May 25-27. NYC Eco Friendly Expo. 7 West 34th St. The Eco Friendly Expo is a three-day event that features Eco
innovation and sustainable design from all over the world. This trade show is a
high-end marketplace that serves as a showcase for environmentally friendly
companies, services and destinations, attracting both public and private sector
buyers in the Tri-state area. $10
per day, $15 at the door.
Wednesday, May 26, 6 - 8 pm. Co-op and Apartment Building Composting Programs. The Thomson Reuters Building, 3 Times Square, 22nd Fl. The workshop will cover how to plan out and
implement a co-op size cooperative compost program. This workshop is for
experienced home composters who are interested in expanding their individual
composting efforts to a cooperative composting project with other residents in
their buildings. $5, registration required.
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NYSERDA's Energy $mart
Communities program provides information and support to
individuals and businesses interested in energy efficiency and
alternative energy. Energy
$mart Communities encourages decision-makers and community members to adopt
energy efficiency as a means of economic and community growth.
Contact your Downstate South (Manhattan and Staten Island) E$C
Coordinators:
Diana Pangestu (Manhattan): 212-785-0734 or email at diana@solar1.org.
Max Joel (Staten Island): 646-576-5673 or email max@solar1.org.
All New York Energy $martSM Programs are funded by a System Benefits
Charge (SBC) paid by electric distribution customers of Central Hudson
Gas & Electric, Con Edison, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange &
Rockland, and Rochester Gas & Electric. NYSERDA, a public benefit
corporation established by law in 1975, administers SBC funds and
programs under an agreement with the Public Service Commission.
www.getenergysmart.org
www.nyserda.org
www.powernaturally.org
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Energy Tip!
| Stop Wasting Energy on "Phantom Load"
*Avoid leaving transformers and charging units for
appliances and battery-operated devices on (such as cell phones and
tools) when they aren't being used.
*Instead of just
turning your electronics off it is better to unplug them because even
when they're "off" they still draw electricity from the outlet -
something known as a "phantom load."
*Plug your
battery charging system or power adapter into a power strip to enable
you to shut off power with the flick of a switch. For even better
control, use a power strip with a timer or a programmable power strip.
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| Upcoming Trainings |  |
Get certified by BPI to do energy efficiency work! NYSERDA offers reimbursements for most trainings.To see a calendar of all upcoming trainings including Solar PV, Geothermal, and Energy Modeling Training, click here.
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Some of NYSERDA's Programs
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