ERS Energy Efficiency Project Achieves LEED Platinum Certification

New York, New York--Working as a technical consultant under NYSERDA's New Construction Program, ERS played a major role in improving the energy efficient design of New York City's Democracy Now! broadcast studio, helping them achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of building efficiency and sustainability the USGBC offers. The studio covers 9,000 square feet on the eleventh floor of an old industrial printing house and includes a broadcast studio, administrative offices, a research library, and a lobby. The project presented several energy efficiency challenges, one of which was to figure out how to minimize cooling energy use throughout the diverse spaces. ERS engineers used advanced building energy simulation models to assess energy efficiency opportunities, and the final building design included innovative lighting systems and controls, high efficiency windows, and an energy efficient modular chilled-water system. These energy efficiency measures helped the Democracy Now! design team lower their overall energy use by more than 10 percent compared to a conventional system. We are proud to have been a part of the team that made Democracy Now! the greenest broadcast studio in the country.