Article Categories
Our articles document what New Yorkers are accomplishing in their homes, providing insight and inspiration for your clean energy journey.
Projects
Go behind the scenes of renovation projects in homes near you
Case Study
A clean energy future for this Queens public development is… hanging out the window?
NYCHA, the city’s largest residential landlord, has set ambitious goals to reduce the carbon emissions of its buildings. Its test run of window-unit heat pumps in one Queens development offers a promising pathway
Case Study
Rent-stabilized tenants fight for an energy efficient retrofit — and win
Demands for efficiency pay off for tenants in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights in the form of brand-new heat pumps
Case Study
In the South Bronx, this co-op sets a high standard
How one working-class cooperative took an incremental approach to improving efficiency, and found savings along the way
Case Study
Pilot light: HDFC co-op pioneers a new strategy for air-source heat pumps
Inside the pilot program that helped this LMI Manhattan co-op lean less heavily on #2 heating oil
Technology
Discover new efficiency and clean energy technologies
Cool Tech
How do window-unit heat pumps work?
Behind the new heat pumps that are helping to decarbonize NYCHA’s Woodside housing
Clean Energy
All-electrics aren’t all created equal
What’s right for your building — heat pumps, or electric resistance heaters?
Efficiency
Real Time Energy Management (RTEM) tech offers real savings opportunities
Meet the NYSERDA-backed tech that saved Sherman Terrace more than $53,000 on energy in one year
Cool Tech
Controlling for comfort — and for cost
New air-source heat pumps offer residents an increased level of control, but also shift who’s paying for the heat
Methods
Learn how real people are getting real work done in their homes
Clean Energy
NYCHA makes a market: Here’s how
To develop a heat pump that didn’t yet exist, New York’s public agencies put up millions in investment, then challenged the market to develop a solution — a strategy that’s seen success before
How-To
Tenant power heats up
How one rent-stabilized building organized to demand heating upgrades
Financing
“We have to be very smart with how we are using money.”
How this South Bronx co-op maximized impact without sacrificing budget
Efficiency
Sealing in the benefits of energy efficiency
Project designers explain why air sealing is a crucial component of any energy efficiency project
People
Meet the pioneers driving New York's clean energy transition
Profile
Small heat pump, big difference
Residents Maria Lopez and Tammy Reyes on the 2023 NYCHA heat pump pilot that brought more comfort and control into their homes
Profile
Getting under the hood with Derek K. Jones
What drove this South Bronx cooperator to lead his building toward solar and more
Tips and Tricks
Tips from Tom Sahagian
An energy aficionado offers advice on how to make the switch to more renewable technology
Resources
Learn with Skylight resources geared to fit your needs
Ask an Expert
“You have to break it down so that it can be understood by a third grader”
A Q&A with Martin Robertson, a Brooklyn-based facilities manager, on how to push for progress in a big building
Ask a Cooperator
“If we could do it, anyone could”
A Q&A with two cooperators from one of New York City’s original self-managed Finnish co-ops, who coordinated efforts to tune up their ancient boiler and patch up leaks in the walls
Explainer
What is Local Law 97?
Skylight’s all-in-one explainer of New York City’s landmark building decarbonization law — and what it means for the city’s residential buildings.
Ask a Cooperator