Connecting the Green Dots: Capital Upgrades, Benchmarking & Training

The Supportive Housing Network of New YorkGreening Supportive Housing: What’s Next?

By: Valerie Neng, Sustainability Manager, WHEDcoDate: June 9, 2011

Head Start Early Childhood Discovery Center

Childcare Improvement Project

Education and Youth Development

WHEDco: Who We Are, What We Do

Family Support and Housing Services

Green, Energy Efficient Homes

Small Food Business Incubator

Urban Horizons

Urban Horizons is WHEDco’s flagship building. It is a historic building transformed from an abandoned hospital to a thriving community hub.

WHEDco opened Urban Horizons in 1997. This housing and economic development center includes:

• 132 energy-efficient and affordable apartments• The Early Childhood Discovery Center, a Head Start

program for 104 kids• Family Support social services • A commercial kitchen and incubator for local food

businesses• The Institute for Primary Health, a healthcare

center operated by a partner nonprofit

Urban Horizons

Why Build Green?

WHEDco’s decision to go green was driven by the following factors:

1. Financial sustainability

2. Community health concerns, especially in the South Bronx

3. Global climate change and the need for drastic greenhouse gas

emissions reductions

Urban HorizonsActual vs Underwritten Utility Expenses

2006-2010

$393,434 $393,895

$439,694 $427,195

$468,693

$326,237$342,548

$359,676$377,660

$396,543

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

$400,000

$450,000

$500,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

ACTUAL UNDERWRITTEN

Financial Sustainability

Asthma emergency room visit rates in the Bronx were more than double the NYS average in 2005-2007.

Average rates for NYC overall were much higher than NYS average.

New York State Asthma Surveillance Summary Report - October 2007

Community Health

Why else should we green the kitchen?GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP:

Global warming is an urgent concern. As building owners and operators, we must do our part to reduce our CO2 emissions. Buildings contribute 75% of all CO2 emissions in NYC.

Global Climate Change

Installed MeasuresUrban Horizons Retrofit Project

Measures Installed to Date Investment Cost Expected 1st Year Savings

Apartment lighting $38,325 $9,865 *

Apartment refrigerators $85,800 $9,150 *

Low flow showerheads and faucet aerators $3,300 $4,396

LED exit signs $9,775 $3,727

Bi-level stairwell lighting $20,000 $1,803

Air sealing and weatherstripping $2,500 $1,257

Efficiency motors and controls on heat circulating pump $33,400 $18,468

Commercial area lighting upgrades $2,810** $3,496

Total initial investment of $71,785 with a simple payback of 2.2 years.

We did a before-and-after analysis that showed tenants’ electricity bills went down 6.1% after the measures installed, while bills of other NYC residents went up 8.2%.

Urban Horizons Retrofit Project

Pending Measures Initial Investment 1st Year Savings Completion Date

1.6 gallons per flush toilets in all apartments $49,000 $20,228 June 2011

Commercial area lighting upgrades $27,774 $11,483 September 2011

Combined Heat and Power (cogenerator) $187,500 $39,647 December 2011

87% efficiency boilers $270,000 $28,737 December 2011

Upgrade ventilation system $76,040 $25,748 December 2011

TOTAL $610,314 $125,843

Total initial investment of $610,314First year savings are projected at $125,843Simple payback projected at less than 5 years

Retrofit Funding Sources

NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program (MPP)

NYSERDA Distributed Generation - CHP

Weatherization Assistance Program

Con Edison Gas Efficiency Program (GEPP)

Enterprise Green Communities

Borough President Capital

HPD Article 8A

Private foundation funding

What’s Next?

Benchmark and Measure Performance

Once the buildings are retrofitted, how do you verify the projected consumption and cost savings? Benchmark and measure performance!

+ WHEDco is measuring actual performance of our buildings by collecting and analyzing utility data. The benchmark for heating energy usage at Urban Horizons is 10 BTU/SF/HDD. This is better than most typical NYC multifamily buildings, but there’s room for improvement. In comparison, Energy Star certified buildings range from 3-6 BTU/SF/HDD.

+ Through a database called Wegowise (www.wegowise.com), we are automating uploads of future utility data directly from the utility or Energy Services Company.

+ The database is still in development, but will eventually enable comparisons to similar affordable housing (size, construction type, location, tenant make-up, fuel type).

What’s Next?

Training & Education

+ According to environmental psychologist Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, human behavior changes have the potential to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 9%.

+ Training and education are an essential part of any energy/water reduction effort, and makes energy/water visible.

+ Make energy saving easy and fun for your tenants or staff. Don’t be afraid to use humor and competition to motivate behavior changes.

+ It’s not enough to give people information! Tips given at trainings must be practical, simple, and relevant to the population.

Commercial Kitchen Energy/Water Training

Next Steps

Set energy reduction goal

Can we aim to reduce gas and electric use in the kitchen by 5-10% next month by using the tips we just discussed?

Reward for meeting goal

Using April’s utility bills as a baseline, if the entire kitchen utility costs are at least 5% less, we will give you a Green Discount off July’s rent!

Review and sign pledge

If you would like to participate in the Green Discount program, please review and sign the Energy and Water Savings Pledge.

Set Goals and Incentives

Sign the Energy and Water Reduction Pledge

Thank you!

Valerie Neng, Sustainability Manager

Phone: 917.346.9409

Email: vneng@whedco.org