SL Green Building 4

SL Green is a real estate investment trust (REIT) and is New York’s largest office landlord. SL Green has been operating for 34 years holding interests in 118 buildings totaling 49.9 million square feet. Like most REITs, they focus on maximizing the value of their properties throughout Manhattan and the surrounding area. Their primary goal is to provide high-quality buildings to their tenants. The Reckson Executive Park is a six-building complex set on 40.5 acres in the village of Rye Brook, NY. SL Green’s Building-4 was constructed in 1982. This building comprises 91,000 square feet and had an Energy Star rating of 76 prior to the installation of Hydromx®.

Challenge

SL Green, like most building owners, is challenged with high energy costs for operating their HVAC equipment. In 2016, Building-4 was selected as the initial location in SL Green’s property portfolio for the installation of the Hydromx. Prior to the installation, a detailed energy usage baseline was recorded: Building-4 used 1,757,782 kWh of electricity costing over $335,000 (or $3.68 per square foot).

Solution

In January of 2017, Hydromx-PG (propylene glycol) was installed in Building-4’s 3500-gallon water source heat pump loop at a concentration of 40% Hydromx-PG to 60% water. The installation was aimed at reducing energy consumption, utility costs, and equipment wear and tear, and providing a more energy-efficient building for the tenants.

Results

According to Brian Fridkin, a third-party energy analyst with Yardi, the 40% Hydromx-PG solution has lowered Building-4’s HVAC energy consumption by a minimum of 22%. This reduction saved SL Green $28,000 in 2017 alone, resulting in a payback of fewer than three years.