NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Omni New York, LLC received a $250,000 award under New York State’s inaugural Buildings of Excellence Competition.
Omni New York will use the award to implement Bright Power’s MoBIUS® real-time energy management service at Park Avenue Green, North America’s Largest PHIUS+ Certified Passive House building, in the Bronx. They also are implementing MoBIUS at their neighboring property, Morris Avenue Apartments, which is LEED Gold Certified. With MoBIUS, Bright Power will help Omni New York maintain and improve the energy performance of these two buildings. The award will also enable Bright Power and Omni New York to compare real data from two different buildings of similar size, tenant population and location -- one Passive House and one not. This analysis will help to reveal the operational differences of Passive House and non-Passive House buildings and quantify the energy savings benefits of Passive House construction.
The Buildings of Excellence Competition, administered by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recognizes and supports the design, construction and operation of low-carbon emitting multifamily buildings in New York. It supports Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal, the most aggressive climate change program in the nation, which puts New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality and mandates an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The competition was launched in March 2019 with $18 million awarded to 28 projects under the first round.
Bright Power’s MoBIUS is an ongoing energy management service that integrates real-time energy management (RTEM), continuous commissioning and on-site and remote technical support to fix and maintain systems equipment. High performing buildings with sophisticated technology, like variable refrigerant flow condensers or energy recovery ventilators, require more regular, detailed maintenance to ensure the systems are performing at the highest levels. With MoBIUS, building owners and maintenance staff get the benefit of Bright Power’s energy expertise as part of the property management team, proactively driving increased resident comfort, reduced maintenance costs and lower energy bills.
Bright Power is a qualified vendor under NYSERDA’s RTEM program which cost shares up to 30 percent of project expenses to install systems that optimize a building’s performance and provides tools to support property owners in determining the best system and service for their needs. The combination of RTEM system and service has the potential to achieve 15 percent to 30 percent in energy savings. Bright Power will be submitting applications to NYSERDA’s RTEM program for both Park Avenue Green and Morris Avenue Apartments.
Curtis + Ginsberg Architects designed Park Avenue Green. Other project team members include Bright Power, Monadnock Construction and Rodkin Cardinale, P.C. Consulting Engineers. Meltzer/Mandl Architects, P.C. designed Morris Avenue Apartments.
Park Avenue Green is also the recipient of the 2019 Downstate Project of the Year from the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) Awards for Excellence, is a 2019 New York Energy Consumers Council (NYECC) Energy New York Award (ENYA) honoree and recently received an honorable mention in the multifamily category at the 14th Annual North American Passive House Conference’s Design Competition.
“Omni New York LLC is excited to pioneer a detailed look at the real-life performance of Passive House buildings. This study is truly unique in its ability to compare two properties, one Passive House and the other LEED Gold accredited, that are owned and managed by the same company, similarly sited, of comparable scale and program, and with almost identical on-site power generation. We look forward to working with NYSERDA and Bright Power to turn this data into a resource for owners, managers, builders, design professionals and lenders,” said Eugene Schneur, Managing Director of Omni New York LLC.
“Bright Power applauds Omni New York’s commitment to sustainability, high-performance buildings and its residents. We are very proud to have served as Park Avenue Green’s Passive House consultant and PHIUS verifier, and are now excited to integrate MoBIUS into this ‘building of the future,” said Jeffrey Perlman, Bright Power’s Founder and CEO.
“NYSERDA’s dedication to the advancement of real-time energy management through the Buildings of Excellence and the RTEM program is making it possible for building owners to truly understand the health of their buildings and employ proactive maintenance practices,” said Samantha Pearce, Director of Energy Management Services at Bright Power.
“We are very excited to be part of the Park Avenue Green team bringing the largest PHIUS Passive House Project to fruition creating much needed affordable housing will the smallest possible carbon footprint,” said Mark Ginsberg FAIA, LEED AP, Partner, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects.
Janet Joseph, Senior Vice President for Strategy and Market Development, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority said, “NYSERDA is proud to support Omni New York, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, and Bright Power on this Buildings of Excellence award winning project that will implement Real Time Energy Management to provide important energy efficiency data needed to help us understand how to bring low-to zero- carbon buildings to scale in New York State. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, public-private partnerships like this play a key role in creating our carbon neutral future while featuring affordable, beautiful homes that benefit residents with lower energy costs and healthier environments to live in.”
About Omni New York, LLC
Omni New York LLC is a full service real estate development, construction and property management firm company founded in 2004 with a vision to bring quality, well-managed affordable housing to historically underserved communities. Omni revitalizes communities not just by providing quality affordable, environmentally-friendly housing, but also by working to strengthen the social fabric of the neighborhoods it serves through its partnerships with non-profit social service organizations. With more than 13,000 housing units acquired since its inception in 2004, the company has grown to become one of the industry’s largest and most-trusted owners. Omni is operated by three managing directors: Eugene Schneur, Rob Bennett, and former baseball All-Star Mo Vaughn.
About Bright Power, Inc.
Bright Power provides strategic energy and water solutions to building owners and operators across the nation. Specializing in multifamily apartment buildings, Bright Power has worked with over 1,400,000 apartments that cover 1,200,000,000 square feet. Bright Power’s energy management solutions include EnergyScoreCards benchmarking software, energy audits, energy procurement, on-site generation, green building design services, turnkey installation of energy improvements and ongoing energy management. For more information, please visit www.brightpower.com.
About Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP
Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP (C+GA) is an award-winning architecture and planning firm whose work focuses on serving the needs of our clients, the community, and the environment. Founded in 1990 on the belief that everyone deserves access to quality design, and that design can effect positive change for individuals and communities, the firm is a recognized expert in the design of sustainable mixed use, multi-family housing and institutional projects. Our leadership in sustainable multi-family design is recognized nationally, as we are ranked 69 on the Building Design + Construction 2018 Top 150 Multifamily Architecture and AE Firms nationally, along with the top 160 AE firms designing sustainable buildings, and are ranked 83 nationally in Engineering News-Record’s ENR 2018 Top 100 Green Building Design Firms. Our expertise in new construction and the rehabilitation of existing buildings has resulted in the completion of over 13,000 individual units in New York. C+GA is a certified women-owned business (WBE).
Press contact:
Rob Kreis
bp@fischtankpr.com
646-699-1542
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