Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.30
Liaison Dianne Anderson
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

New York University
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.22 / 6.00 Nicholas Liu-Sontag
Manager
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 382,913 MMBtu 491,145 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site renewables 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) 87,385 MMBtu 98,874 MMBtu
Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) 1,844,177 MMBtu 1,875,674 MMBtu
Total 2,314,475 MMBtu 2,465,693 MMBtu

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2018 Dec. 31, 2018
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2006 Dec. 31, 2006

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):

In 2007, NYU joined the NYC Carbon Challenge (formerly Mayor's Carbon Challenge) and also became a Charter signatory and Leadership Circle member of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), now known as Second Nature's Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments. In doing so, the University agreed to create a Climate Action Plan and set a target date for reaching carbon neutrality, the baseline chosen for the Carbon Action Plan was the previous year, 2006.


Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area of building space 14,170,001 Gross square feet 13,349,966 Gross square feet

Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
3.14

Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Site energy 0.16 MMBtu per square foot 0.18 MMBtu per square foot
Source energy 0.22 MMBtu per square foot 0.26 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
16.05

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 4,511 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 1,688 Degree-Days (°F)

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 1,289,671 Square feet
Healthcare space 513,184 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
17,801,883 Gross square feet

Building energy consumption (site energy) per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
20.97 Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)

Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):

All new University Faculty and Staff received information on Sustainability at NYU during the onboarding process. This material includes information on behaviors that can assist in reducing energy use (among other things) including practices such as turning off electronics or devices when not in use, activating hibernation mode on their computers, and installing LED bulbs for screw-in fixtures.


A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):

For building control, the University has a centrally monitored building management systems that are staffed 24/7 and covers 95%+ of the campus area.

All of NYU's residence halls that have in-unit temperature control are outfitted with smart thermostats that are connected to occupancy sensors in the space and can be programmed via a remote interface. When the room is unoccupied (as detected by the sensor), the thermostat institutes a temperatures setback which, generally, leaves the heating/cooling off for the entire unoccupied time. The sensor also turns off all hardwired light fixtures in the space. The tie-in of the thermostats with the central BMS also allows building operations to institute setpoint changes and setbacks if required for any reason.

In renovations and new construction, NYU utilizes both occupancy and vacancy sensors in spaces such as student apartments, conference rooms, individual offices, bathrooms, pantries, and storage closets. The University will soon begin incorporating occupancy-based receptacles in applicable spaces (consistent with the latest NYC Energy Code).


A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:

LEDs are the standard lighting technology for NYU and the University has been gradually upgrading spaces with LEDs for years. In the last four years, the University has retrofitted 3.8 million square feet of spaces utilizing fluorescent technology with LEDs.

During renovations, NYU also utilizes daylighting sensors in spaces where it is either deemed applicable or require by NYC's Energy Code.


A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
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A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):

In 2010, NYU expanded and upgraded is cogeneration plant (the largest capital investment in the University’s history). The plant provides heating and/or cooling to 44 NYU buildings and electricity to 26 buildings, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 20%.

By providing high-temperature hot water, the plant avoids the use of 500,000 gallons of carbon-intensive fuel oil and 280,000 therms of natural gas combustion in buildings. In addition, the plant takes pressure off the City’s strained electrical grid, reducing the chances of future brownouts, and allowing NYU to resiliently handle such large-scale blackouts as the one experienced during Hurricane Sandy.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):

NYU follows NYC's Local Law 87 of the City's Greater Greener Buildings Plan, which requires all buildings over 50,000 sqft to perform an ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit and Re-commissioning study every 10 years. NYU uses these studies to direct it's efficiency projects that focus on operational improvements. These studies frequently recommend setpoint adjustments in buildings, lighting upgrades, existing system upgrades or tuning, and appliance improvements.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The performance year grid electricity use is NYU's net electricity use after accounting for electricity that is sold back to the grid via NYU's cogeneration plant.

The building area differs from IC-2 because the figure reported in this credit is for CY2018. While IC-2 contains the most up to date area as of the submission of this STARS report.


The performance year grid electricity use is NYU's net electricity use after accounting for electricity that is sold back to the grid via NYU's cogeneration plant.

The building area differs from IC-2 because the figure reported in this credit is for CY2018. While IC-2 contains the most up to date area as of the submission of this STARS report.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.