Performance Validation of the Buildings of Excellence Projects
Client: NYSERDA
Project Team: Resource Refocus and New Buildings Institute (NBI)
Project Dates: 2021-2024
PROJECT SUMMARY
Buildings of Excellence (BOE) is NYSERDA’s $58M design competition that recognizes and rewards the design, construction, and operation of carbon neutral multifamily buildings that are healthier, more comfortable, and more resilient than conventional construction. The program funds projects that reduce their energy consumption and per capita carbon emissions while improving occupant safety, health, and comfort, and result in positive investments for building owners.
NYSERDA engaged Resource Refocus LLC (RR) and the New Buildings Institute (NBI) to study the BOE awardees and to develop robust studies of solution packages, performance validation, and project economic analysis. The work was originally scoped to focus on BOE Round 1, but was later expanded to cover any project in NYSERDA’s New Construction program. The team analyzed projects in the first three rounds of BOE and the Carbon Neutral Community Economic Development (CNCED) program.
Outreach deliverables included 1-page summaries, detailed case studies (30 BOE projects and 10 CNCED projects), and webinar content aimed at a wide stakeholder audience. The RR team also led the BOE Trend Analysis, which is a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the BOE Round 1 and 2 awardees. The report summarizes lessons learned, successful solution packages, energy and carbon performance, and project and operational costs across all 42 Round 1 and 2 awardees. The analysis also highlights design quality and non-energy benefits such as sustainability, resiliency, and comfort. RR also led performance validation for occupied projects, comparing weather normalized measured data to the modeled projections. Case studies are included on NYSERDA’s BOE and Featured Case Studies websites. Published papers on this work include 2024 ASHRAE Winter Conference and 2024 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
Project Locations - Round 1 & 2
CASE STUDIES
BOE Round 1
Bushwick Alliance - Brooklyn, NY [PDF]
Street Smart - Brooklyn, NY [PDF]
Solara Apartment Complex - Rotterdam, NY [PDF]
St. Marks Passive House - Brooklyn, NY [PDF]
North Miller Passive House - Newburgh, NY [PDF]
2050 Grand Concourse - Bronx, NY [PDF]
Engine 16 – New York, NY [PDF]
La Central Building C - Bronx, NY [PDF]
Zero Place - New Paltz, NY [PDF]
Westgate Apartments - Rochester, NY [PDF]
CreekView Apartments Phase II - Canadaigua, NY
Reingold Senior - Brooklyn, NY
Sendero Verde - New York, NY
The Seventy-Six Phase 1 - Albany, NY
Linden Grove - Brooklyn, NY
BOE ROUND 2
Bethany Terraces Senior Homes - Brooklyn, NY
Cooper Park Commons, Building 2 - Brooklyn, NY
Colonial II Apartments - Rome, NY
Johnson Park Green Community Apartments - Utica, NY
Great Oaks Mixed Use Eco-Park:Building 150 - Albany, NY
The Rise - Booklyn, NY
Solara Apartments Phase II - Rotterdam, NY
Hudson Green - Yonkers, NY
Baird Road Apartments - Fairport, NY
Dekalb Commons - Brooklyn, NY
Linden Boulevard Phase II - Brooklyn, NY
Court Square - Long Island City, NY
West Side Homes - Buffalo, NY
BOE ROUND 3
The Residences at Sterlington - Sloatsburg, NY
CNCED
NYU Loop Study - New York City, NY
NYU Rubin Hall - New York City, NY
UAlbany Carbon Neutral Roadmap - Albany, NY
PUSH Buffalo Sustainable Workforce Training Center (SWTC) - Buffalo, NY
Highland Passive House - Highland, NY
Eco Maple Syrup - Canadaigua, NY
The Frederic Church Center - Hudson, NY
The Bank Lofts - Richfield Springs, NY
Marketing and Outreach
The RR and NBI team prepared presentations and papers for the follwoing conferences and events.
Building Energy NYC - Webinar
NESEA Building NYC - Webinar
Build Up Buffalo 2023 Keynote - Buffalo, NY
PhiusCon 2023 - Houston, TX
2024 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings - Monterey, CA