Reducing the Carbon Footprint
of our Facilities

Con Edison’s Clean Energy Commitment aims to provide 100% clean power for the buildings it occupies by 2030.

These facilities equate to approximately 3 million square feet of office space and work locations. We’re implementing clean energy solutions at both existing facilities and new construction projects.

Provide 100% clean power for Con Edison facilities by 2030

We are conducting energy audits at our buildings, and developing cost estimates and recommendations on what types of energy projects we should pursue so that our buildings are powered entirely by clean power by 2030. Various types of projects and energy conservation measures will be considered and evaluated including, solar, geothermal, wind, hydrogen, building electrification, green roofs, and battery/thermal storage. As part of this analysis, our environmental consultant will identify any additional costs needed to achieve building green certification.

Local Law 88: – Upgrade of Lighting Systems for Applicable Con Edison Facilities by 2025

In order to meet the company’s goals on implementing energy efficient lighting, and Local Law 88, which establishes standards for lighting upgrades and submetering, we are replacing all existing lighting at our facilities with energy efficient LED lighting, which are approximately 50% more efficient on average than our existing lighting. Automatic lighting controls and daylight harvesting will be implemented to reduce energy usage for lighting as much as feasible. Construction has been completed at our Davis and 3rdAve sites which yielded savings of approximately 59.4kW. Our remaining facilities are either pending construction or in the design phase.

Sustainable Facility Design & Infrastructure

CECONY is pursuing Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for a variety of real estate projects. We are in the process of finalizing our LEED certification in Building Design and Construction for one of our data centers. LEED certification is a rare designation for data centers: ours will be one of approximately 20 LEED-certified data centers in the U.S. and one of 70 globally. The servers at the data center have been replaced with new, energy-efficient servers. Modular air-cooled chillers were installed to cool the servers. Such chillers do not require the large amount of water consumed by an evaporative cooling tower and water- cooled chiller system, providing a sustainable solution for the often water-intensive process of cooling servers. These chillers can reduce and vary their power consumption to match the heat load of the building and provide greater system reliability. The installation of these chillers has reduced water use by more than 40%. The data center boasts 100% LED interior and exterior lighting. Other environmental design improvements include the addition of bike racks and a solar-reflective roof covering.

We are actively pursuing LEED certifications for two other projects. The renovation of our former Van Nest Cable Lab will be evaluated for sustainability and energy efficiency under the LEED Interior Design and Construction (Commercial Interiors) framework. The former cable lab will become an office space for employees in the Bronx. The project will prioritize the use of locally-sourced materials, interiors will be furnished with recycled carpeting and furniture to the extent feasible, and an all-electric HVAC system will be installed. LED lighting and low-flow water fixtures are also features of this renovation.

We are currently finalizing the design for the new Sherman Creek Service Center with the goal of achieving at minimum LEED Gold certification for new office construction. This new service center will include both a green roof and a solar canopy that will help power the facility. The station will also have an all-electric variable refrigerant flow HVAC system in lieu of a gas-fired system.

Powering our Headquarters with Solar

As a strong proponent of solar power, Con Edison installed its own photovoltaic electric generation system at the CECONY headquarters in 2014, on the roof of the 19th floor. One goal of the project was to integrate the largest possible PV system given the limited space available. Today, the system consists of 209 solar panels, totaling 53kW (DC) of nameplate capacity. This solar system helps power our headquarters, reducing the building’s carbon footprint.