With the expectation of higher energy bills this winter, owners of multi-family buildings in New York City are signing up for Con Edison’s Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program.
By making upgrades to common area lighting, pipes, elevator drives, showerheads, and installing LED lamps, sensor controls, geothermal heat pumps, and triple pane windows, owners and developers are reducing costs, complying with local environmental laws — and earning rebates.
L+M Development Partners’ recently upgraded 348-unit Marcus Garvey Extension development in Brooklyn, which is participating in the program. The three properties in the development were designed to be heated and cooled entirely with a ground-source heat pump. Each resident in the building can control their individual apartment’s temperature, rather than the traditional building-wide, one-size-fits-all approach. Con Edison offered a rebate payment for the heat pump equipment.
“Incentivization is a key element of our clean energy commitment,” said Gregory Elcock, Con Edison Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Distributed Resources. “What we want to do is to get customers to take action now. These interventions will yield results for 50 years or more.”
Applicable for buildings with 5+ units, the program is just one manifestation of Con Edison’s commitment to clean energy. The company’s goals include, among other things, building an electric grid that delivers 100% clean energy by 2040 and transitioning away from fossil fuels to a net-zero economy by 2050.
For building owners, the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program can ensure their property stays in compliance with local laws, like the Climate Mobilization Act, which requires cutting carbon emissions at least 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
Now more than ever, it behooves owners to replace aging equipment with efficient eco-friendly alternatives — replacing natural gas with true renewable alternatives like geothermal heating, for example. A geothermal pump transfers heat stored in the earth into its building during the winter, and transfers it out and back into the ground during the summer to keep spaces cool. Additionally, there are separate heat pumps that produce the building’s hot water.
Owners who adopt the Con Edison program not only save money on efficient equipment, but eligible building residents can get free LEDs and low-flow devices — a great way for owners to attract environmentally minded tenants and ensure their building stays in compliance with local laws.
Additionally, owners get peace of mind knowing that these upgrades help deliver cleaner energy solutions with the goal of improving the lives of their residents and building toward a clean energy future.
Here’s how to apply:
- Submit an interest form to be contacted by our authorized contractor, Willdan Energy Solutions. Willdan will provide you with information about incentives you qualify for and how you can apply for them.
- Complete the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program Application (PDF) and include any required paperwork. You can either email us your application package or fax it to 1-212-785-2343.
- Review and choose from the list of participating contractors who are eligible to install your upgrades. Find a participating contractor.
For more information go to the website here.
