About the Retrofit Project

The sustainability retrofit proves that these retrofit projects can dramatically increase building energy efficiency and reduce overall carbon output with sensible payback periods and enhanced profitability.

What were the top three goals of the program?

• Dramatically reduce energy use, and be able to demonstrate the savings in a transparent and verifiable way
• Improve tenant comfort and reduce tenant energy use via improved design and awareness
• Improve the building’s marketability

Adopted as core elements of the more than $500 million upgrade program at the Empire State Building, the sustainability retrofit program is the first comprehensive approach that integrates many steps to save energy, and use energy more efficiently.

More than 60 energy efficiency measures were analyzed to accomplish these results. Serious Material’s upgrade of the Empire State Building windows was one of eight individual energy-saving measures that worked together for maximum whole-building performance. The other measures included radiative barrier; tenant demand control ventilation; tenant daylighting, lighting, and plugs; balance of direct digital controls (DDC); chiller plant retrofit; VAV air handling units; and tenant energy management.

Read more about the eight energy efficiency measures that are expected to reduce energy use by 38% annually.

Work has begun, and building systems work is projected for completion by the end of 2010. The rest of the work should be finished by end of 2013. Work that is scheduled to be completed within 18 months will result in more than 50% of the projected energy savings. The balance will be an additional 36 months that is expected to be completed by 2013.