The new Bank of America Tower on 42nd and 6th (1 Bryant Park) has a whole slew of so-called green features. Some are b.s.; some are excellent, but the one that interests me the most is the air conditioning system.
Does it save energy? Directly, absolutely not, as you lose efficiency every time you move energy from one form to another. Indirectly, it's hard to be certain, but there may be some total electricity savings, if you look way down the supply chain.
But more importantly-- it "shifts load". Typically in New York, electric usage peaks around 4 pm on a hot day, and persists at usage levels close to the peak usage until 7 pm or so. By running the ice makers late at night, and then using that ice in the daytime, One Bryant Park can essentially perform part of its air conditioning when electric demand is lowest, thereby putting less strain on the local electrical grid when demand is highest.
The technology isn't new, but i never heard of it being applied in NYC quite this way before.
I was told that the Credit Suisse office in the old Met Life building on Madison Square Park may have something similar, but i'm not certain.
Environmental Building News has an article with further details.
Bank of America Tower - July 2009 by 21Elephants.com
In essence the building has huge ice making machines in the sub-basement which run all night in the summer. Then, in the daytime, the ice is melted in order to provide a source of cooling. The building has a conventional array of chillers as well, but because much of the cooling is provided by ice, the chillers are fewer and smaller than would otherwise be needed. Does it save energy? Directly, absolutely not, as you lose efficiency every time you move energy from one form to another. Indirectly, it's hard to be certain, but there may be some total electricity savings, if you look way down the supply chain.
But more importantly-- it "shifts load". Typically in New York, electric usage peaks around 4 pm on a hot day, and persists at usage levels close to the peak usage until 7 pm or so. By running the ice makers late at night, and then using that ice in the daytime, One Bryant Park can essentially perform part of its air conditioning when electric demand is lowest, thereby putting less strain on the local electrical grid when demand is highest.
The technology isn't new, but i never heard of it being applied in NYC quite this way before.
I was told that the Credit Suisse office in the old Met Life building on Madison Square Park may have something similar, but i'm not certain.
Environmental Building News has an article with further details.
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