Announcing our exciting new collaboration with Ecosystems Energy
Announcing new sustainable energy pilot program!
At Chelsea’s Fulton Houses Campus the “UTEN” Utility Thermal Energy Network pilot project brings Con Edison and Ecosystems Energy into a partnership with NYCHA to create a cutting-edge low-carbon power source. This is a first of its kind pilot aiming to recycle waste heat from a commercial data center to deliver efficient low emission heating, hot water and cooling to nearby multifamily residential buildings. These new systems become a resilient framework for clean energy delivery, advancing environmental equity in a designated disadvantaged community.
The project initiative transforms excess heat into a renewable resource for four NYCHA residential buildings. Serving 327 households, the system provides heating, cooling, and domestic hot water with high efficiency heat pumps while dramatically reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Building Studio coordinated, integrated, and guided the multidisciplinary consultant teams of mechanical, civil, structural and decarbonization/environmental engineers, enabling this sustainable transition by carefully weaving substantial mechanical systems and piping from blocks away, to through and around buildings that were never designed for them.
This architectural effort included detailed analysis leading to a deep understanding of the engineering entailed in the project. We developed creative options and impact visualizations for these options in the concept phases to help the many responsible parties envision and approve the work, which progressed to careful coordination of construction documentation across the disciplines with multiple layers of peer review from outside agencies and professional teams.
Ultimately the subgrade construction and structural modifications including the constructional logic were developed in a way that is respectful to the community and their personal homes where the complex mechanical work was to occur. This project was recommended for approval to the public utilities commission and we look forward to seeing through construction.
We are grateful to WSP for bringing us on for this important infrastructure project that will hopefully lead our city to a more sustainable future!