Making the world’s most famous office building (and yours) more efficient

This week, a team of experts including the Rocky Mountain Institute announced a major project to green the Empire State Building, an icon of the New York City skyline.

A comprehensive set of green retrofit projects will reduce the building's energy use by as much as 40 percent, saving $4.4 million annually once the projects are fully implemented.  (Read about the project in detail at esbsustainability.com.)

These sustainability measures are part of a larger $500 million upgrade program, and the extra costs of green retrofit projects should pay for themselves within three years.

While an impressive feat by any measure, you might think the results are unique to large-scale retrofits. After all, the Empire State Building has over 100 stories and two million square feet of space in which to capture energy savings.

Fortunately, the principle applied to the Empire State Building is simple: Take the right steps in the right order. And that concept applies to any home or office greening project.

Save energy first

Finding the simplest ways to save energy always comes first -- and often these opportunities are right in front of you.

• Purchase an adjustable thermostat, install efficient CFL lightbulbs, add insulation, or even replace older leaky windows to reduce how much energy your house needs.
• See this list for simple actions you can take in your home or office.
• Research the state and federal incentives that are available and listed in this database.

The Empire State Building made efficiency its first and top priority as well. Play this game to learn more about the ESB retrofit projects and how to put them in the right order.

To drastically improve insulation and save energy, the Empire State Building Co. will upgrade 6,500 windows and install reflective barriers on more than 6,000 radiators. A demand control ventilation project will reduce outside air infiltration by adjusting its power to the amount of people in a given room.

Tenants will also receive support to better monitor how they are using energy, thereby encouraging behavioral changes and increasing energy savings without any compromises in comfort.

Look at efficient supply second

Because of putting efficiency first, the Empire State Building was able to save lots of money on its energy supply systems. For example, efficiency measures reduced the cooling load by 1,600 tons, meaning the building can now retrofit its existing chiller plant instead of purchasing additional heavy industrial chillers.

Similarly, if you are replacing an old or broken heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning system, try reducing how much energy you need first. This will enable you to purchase a smaller, less-expensive system.

Measure your progress

Continuously monitoring how you and your building are using energy is the final "right step." In the Empire State Building, tenants will receive sub-metering data, but tracking energy use is becoming increasingly common in homes and small offices. Read this New York Times article about a recent home energy monitoring pilot project in Seattle.

While the Empire State Building may seem like a pie-in-the-sky example -- albeit one that will inspire tenants and owners in other large commercial buildings to take green retrofits seriously -- the principle of capturing efficiency first holds everywhere.

Jonah Taylor is an analyst at Rocky Mountain Institute. Subscribe to free RMI e-lerts here.