Goddard Riverside Community Center
At a Glance
Industry
Nonprofit
Project Type
Commercial Energy Efficiency
Year
2016
Location
New York, NY
Summary
Ana Sanchez facilitated the implementation of energy efficiency projects at many Goddard Riverside Community Center facilities, building off the work of a 2015 EDF Climate Corps fellow.
Goals
Having already hosted an EDF Climate Corps fellow, Goddard Riverside Community Center, a settlement house that provides supportive housing and other social services, had identified a number of energy efficiency projects. Wanting to go further, the center looked to set more ambitious goals and create action plans for project implementation. Ana Sanchez, another fellow, was welcomed to help bring these projects to life.
Solutions
To raise awareness of energy efficiency from the bottom-up, Ana established a cross-functional energy team and signed Goddard up to receive a monthly subscription to Energy Reports for managers and superintendents. The reports flag meters, track energy use and help keep new opportunities for energy efficiency on everyone’s mind. She also worked to prepare Goddard for the conversion to LED lighting and the installation of motion sensors for all of its buildings. For one of its recently renovated buildings, Ana helped get proposals ready to be signed for the LL87 Energy Audit.
After analyzing energy use data, Ana saw an opportunity to optimize water consumption. By installing water-efficient shower heads, kitchen aerators and toilet flappers, Goddard could realize significant savings. She also worked on dividing the lighting for greater occupancy control and installing programmable thermostats in addition to a film that regulates the amount of solar energy passing through the sky glass at location-specific offices.
Potential Impact
Goddard could save $80,000 annually by implementing Ana’s project recommendations, which can be put towards enhancing its community programming, to better the lives of its residents throughout the Upper West Side and Harlem. Already, increased staff engagement, behavioral changes and awareness of energy efficiency has been seen.