Two NYC Con Edison Customers
Who Think Steam and Green
Two of Con Edison Steam’s most majestic customer buildings,
the Hearst Tower and 7 World Trade Center (WTC), stand tall and
proud against the backdrop of the city skyline. Both are world-class
leaders in sustainability, and they use Con Edison district steam for
heating, domestic hot water and, in the case of 7 WTC, for a microsteam
turbine. They were the first two commercial buildings in New York
City to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification with a gold rating.
Michael Ficeto/Hearst Corporation.
The 850,000-sq-ft Hearst Tower has won
worldwide praise for its innovative and
environmentally sensitive design. It was
the city’s first occupied green office building to achieve the Gold LEED rating by
the U.S. Green Building Council.
Hearst Tower’s original six-story art deco
stone building, built in
1928, became the
foundation for the 46-
story glass and steel
skyscraper completed
in 2006. The new building reused most of the
old building’s interior
materials and used 20
percent less steel. The
building utilizes steam
for heating its lobby’s
radiant stone floors, as
well as the rest of the
building, and for all its
hot water needs. Steam
allows Hearst to use
the space for commercial rentals that would
otherwise be taken up
by boilers and stacks.
Steam also eliminates
the need for idling oil-delivery trucks in
Manhattan’s air-quality
nonattainment area.
Other sustainable elements designed into the building include
the structural steel, which contains 90 percent recycled materials;
daylighting and use of lighting sensors; office furniture made of
recycled materials; low- or no-VOC paints and carpets; and the
recycling of rainwater.
As the first building to rise at the World Trade Center site, 7
WTC heralds the spirit of redevelopment and renewal in downtown
Manhattan. Located in the heart of New York’s financial district, 7
WTC offers unparalleled access to the city’s and the region’s entire
transportation network. The building was built over an electrical
substation that provides power to much of lower Manhattan.
By using Con Edison steam, designers and engineers had the
freedom to create a building without having to be concerned with
the large amount of space needed for a boiler and a stack; nor did
they have to worry about oil storage and fuel truck deliveries. The
building can claim a 25 percent lower carbon footprint than one
with an on-site boiler (assuming typical boilers use a mix of 70 per-
cent gas and 30 percent oil). Also, with the installation of a microsteam turbine – which earned a LEED point for innovative technology
– steam used for heating is reused to generate electricity for the
building while using its waste heat to preheat domestic water.
The 7 WTC building is also a model of the kind of collaborative
efforts that will define the development of the other buildings at
the World Trade Center site. Silverstein Properties worked with Con
Edison, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, as well as government agencies and leading environmental organizations, to develop
and implement a variety of environmental innovations.
Green design features include more open space; incorporation
of energy conservation technologies such as steam-to-electricity
turbine generators and variable-speed fans; use of latest glass technology, providing maximum building energy conservation and more
natural light for tenants; water conservation measures, including
rainwater reuse for building cooling and park irrigation; waste
reduction through diversion of more than 75 percent of construction
Ruggero Vanni/ESTO.
The 52-story 7 World Trade Center (center right) was the first building
to rise at the World Trade Center site, opening in 2006 and garnering
numerous design awards.
waste and use of recycled-content materials; and use of ultra-low-sulfur fuels and particulate filters on construction vehicles, resulting
in lower emissions and cleaner air.
Both buildings serve as models for a major environmental initiative in New York City called PLANYC 2030. Announced by New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007, the plan lays out 127
initiatives designed to address the challenges of a city whose population will grow by 1 million people by 2030. The plan’s energy initiatives include reducing energy consumption, launching an energy
awareness campaign, expanding cogeneration and supporting
renewable energy sources. Working with the mayor’s office, Con
Edison Steam has also implemented customer programs to encourage energy conservation and cost savings through thermal energy
storage, steam demand reduction and condensate reuse.
When it comes to building high, building clean and building
green, New York City and Con Edison Steam customers are working
hard to stay ahead of the pack and on top of the world.
For lists of other buildings using district energy service,
see the District Energy Space section of IDEA’s Web site at
www.districtenergy.org/de_ space.htm.
