Empire State Building Takes Green to New Heights

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

Today, buildings are a primary cause of greenhouse gas emissions, not something that’s often discussed, though many buildings and architects have been quietly retrofitting older structures and building new construction with energy efficiency in mind. However, the announcement this week that the Empire State Building will be undergoing its own green retrofit is bringing new attention to the issue. When you see numbers like, the retrofit will cut energy use 38 percent, saving $4.4 million dollars and 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, you start to get an idea of just how much energy is being consumed by commercial office buildings.

It’s refreshing to see such a high-profile building taking the lead on going green. In taking on this project, the Empire State Building will become the poster child for older buildings undergoing massive change to meet newer standards.

Just as refreshing, is that the owners are not shying away from discussing the business implications of this move. With the green retrofit, the owners expect to be able to increase rents and attract larger corporate tenants. In their estimation, the retrofit will pay for itself in three years, and see even greater payback after that, proving you can make green by going green.

Let’s hope the example set here pushes other building owners who may be focused on the downside of going green see the upside, both in terms of savings and reputation. It would do us all a world of good.

Comments

[Matt S]

Great post, Beth. Much of the work I've been doing lately has led me to this very same conclusion. In most cases, going green is not a concession, it's a smart business move.