New York City Housing Authority
At a Glance
Industry
Public Housing Authority
Project Types
Data Analysis, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2020
Location
New York, NY
Summary
Christina evaluated NYCHA’s energy management process to develop strategic recommendations that will position the agency to more efficiently comply with energy reporting requirements, perform data-driven asset management, and advance their sustainability
Goals
The New York City Housing Authority provides affordable housing for over 400,000 New Yorkers in over 300 public housing developments across the five boroughs. In the past decade, NYC has passed some of the most ambitious and progressive climate action laws, many of which are centered around building energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. Faced with increasingly complex reporting standards, an energy management system in need of an update, and the largest public housing portfolio in the country, NYCHA engaged EDF Climate Corps Fellow Christina Ismailos to investigate and provide recommendations to meet their internal and external obligations.
Solutions
Christina investigated how energy management is currently practiced at NYCHA, including management structures, data processes, and NYCHA’s internal capacity to meet its compliance obligations. This included analyzing institutional sustainability objectives and existing management systems, researching and applying current best practices in energy management, and mapping the flow of energy data from the point of consumption to each compliance filing. Once the scale and complexity of the issues were illuminated, Christina proposed a set of actionable immediate and long-term recommendations that will allow NYCHA to properly utilize ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager as a platform for energy asset management, gain access to financial mechanisms that will add new sources of revenue, and more effectively meet its goals and environmental obligations.
Impact
Better monitoring of their buildings’ energy performance will help NYCHA to target asset upgrades, plan for retrofits, and balance the budget in the wake of rising energy prices. NYCHA has one of the largest building portfolios in New York, and by updating their energy management and reporting practices, they will contribute invaluable insight on the progress of the City’s ambitious sustainability goals. Demonstrating how poor performing buildings might be seen as an accessible opportunity for energy and GHG savings will also stimulate private investment into public housing, advancing city-wide climate goals and vastly improving living conditions for the 400,000+ New Yorkers living in NYCHA buildings.