Going Big
Get inspired by large-scale renovations geared toward reducing a building’s environmental impact
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
Cool Tech
How do window-unit heat pumps work?
Behind the new heat pumps that are helping to decarbonize NYCHA’s Woodside housing
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
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
Clean Energy
All-electrics aren’t all created equal
What’s right for your building — heat pumps, or electric resistance heaters?
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
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
Profile
Getting under the hood with Derek K. Jones
What drove this South Bronx cooperator to lead his building toward solar and more
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
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
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
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
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
Efficiency
Sealing in the benefits of energy efficiency
Project designers explain why air sealing is a crucial component of any energy efficiency project
Tips and Tricks
Tips from Tom Sahagian
An energy aficionado offers advice on how to make the switch to more renewable technology
Clean Energy
How this Brooklyn condo ensures its solar panels work at max efficiency
Once solar panels are installed, engineers utilize energy “clipping” to ensure peak performance, even on the cloudiest days
Financing
Making it make cents
A Q&A with Jay Merves on green financing options for different types of homeowners
Case Study
What are we going to do with this roof?
The story of how one Brooklyn condo board bonded together over solar energy — after much deliberation
Profile
From nightclubs to boiler rooms
Get to know Eric Einstein, the co-op member behind the International Tailoring Building’s HVAC revamp
Case Study
Heat pumps transform former factory lofts into a temperature-controlled oasis
The International Tailoring Building set out to make their spaces more comfortable, and met LL97 regulations along the way
Efficiency
Hybrid heating, modern solutions
Ecosystem engineers utilize both heat pumps and a gas boiler to heat Manhattan co-op
Explainer
Installing heat pumps in a fully-occupied co-op
How this Manhattan building completed a major energy upgrade without disrupting residents’ lives
Profile
Eric Bluestone talks solar strategy
Bluestone, president at the Bluestone Organization, is putting solar anywhere he can
Case Study
How a Queens multifamily rental building turned roof repairs into energy gains
When it came time for routine repairs, the Bluestone group upgraded to solar
Financing
Renewable energy, sustainable financing
NYCEEC worked with the Bluestone Organization for its first loan to a multifamily rental unit for solar installation
Clean Energy