Five Projects Supported by Bright Power Receive Buildings of Excellence Competition Awards from NYSERDA

By Bright Power
April 20, 2021
NEWS

Almost $5 Million in Awards for Innovative Low- and Zero-Carbon Emitting Building Design and Construction

New York, NY | Bright Power, a leading energy and water management company, celebrates five projects that were recently awarded funding in the second round of the Buildings of Excellence Competition, administered by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The Buildings of Excellence Competition recognizes and supports the design, construction and operation of low-carbon emitting multifamily buildings in New York. It supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), 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 and the first round awarded $18 million to 28 projects, nine of which are projects that are working with Bright Power on sustainability features and design. This second round awarded $13 million to 14 projects, five of which are working with Bright Power.

The five projects include:

At Dekalb Commons, St. Nicks Alliance and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation will use the award with Bright Power, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC and Dagher Engineering, PLLC to build to Passive House standards and investigate the feasibility of integrating a solar photovoltaic (PV) array with community solar. Building to Passive House standards will provide future residents with greater thermal comfort, increased air quality, and superior insulation, controlling utility costs. By integrating community solar, St. Nicks Alliance and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation will be able to generate electricity at the property and will enable more New Yorkers to realize the benefits and savings associated with clean energy. Bright Power will also provide Enterprise Green Communities certification in addition to commissioning and Passive House consulting. Bright Power is delivering the technical support for this project’s participation in NYSERDA’s Multifamily New Construction Program.

“St. Nicks Alliance is committed to the development of energy efficient and sustainable housing. We are honored to receive the Buildings of Excellence award from NYSERDA for our Dekalb Commons project. This award recognizes the commitment and efforts of not only St. Nicks Alliance, but our committed partners of Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Magnusson Architecture and Planning, and Bright Power. The addition of the Blue Ribbon for Design Excellence for the Buildings of Excellence Competition further shows the team’s strong commitment to provide quality and sustainable affordable housing. We hope to continue this mission of energy efficiency and sustainability in future projects,” stated Frank Lang, Director for Housing.

At Hudson Hill, Westhab will use the award with Bright Power, Amie Gross Architects and EP Engineering to build an all-electric building with Passive House inspired design. Hudson Hill will boast an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) system, heat pump water heaters, triple glazed windows, and will have reduced embodied carbon due to the wood frame. Bright Power designed a 121 kilowatt ballasted solar PV array so Hudson Hill can generate electricity at the property and offset the common area meter. In addition, Bright Power will provide ENERGY STAR certification and commissioning. Bright Power expects to deliver the technical support for this project’s participation in NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program. Future residents will have a high performing building with superior comfort while ownership will reduce utility costs.

“Hudson Hill will bring safe, affordable, resilient housing to low- and moderate- income individuals and families, while incorporating both proven and novel technologies and strategies to reduce energy consumption, increase healthy living, and lower the building’s carbon footprint,” says Westhab’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate, Andrew Germansky. “Bright Power has been instrumental in determining the best components to incorporate into the design of Hudson Hill to ensure that it is a model for sustainable development. Together, we’re demonstrating that affordable housing can be high-quality, replicable, and sustainable.”

At Linden Boulevard Phase III, Radson Development will use the award with Bright Power, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC and Di Bari Engineering, P.C. to develop a very high performing, all-electric building, expanding on the previous two phases of the Linden Boulevard project. Phase III will include a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system, heat pump hot water heaters with VRF heat recovery and energy recovery ventilators (ERV). Bright Power will provide Enterprise Green Communities certification and ENERGY STAR certification. Bright Power expects to deliver the technical support for this project’s participation in NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program. Bright Power also is investigating the feasibility of building Linden Boulevard Phase III to Passive House standards.

Bright Power joined the design team for all three phases of the Linden Boulevard projects, which will serve as comparative case studies, given that the buildings will be similar in size, to highlight the real operational impacts of increased energy efficiency and high performance design practices across the phases.

Linden Boulevard Phase I featured a VRF system and a high efficiency condensing water heater. Bright Power provided Enterprise Green Communities certification and commissioning. Bright Power is also delivering the technical support for this project’s participation in NYSERDA’s Multifamily New Construction Program.

Radson Development expands on the sustainability features in Linden Boulevard Phase I for Linden Boulevard Phase II, a first round Buildings of Excellence award-winner. Radson Development is using the Buildings of Excellence award to install heat pump water heaters and will work with Bright Power to provide commissioning and high-performance building consulting. The latter two will ensure that the heat pump water heaters are installed and working as designed. Heat pump water heaters provide premium comfort for tenants while controlling utility costs and are a key technology in electrifying buildings.

At The Rise, Xenolith Partners will use the award with Bright Power, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC and Dagher Engineering to build a Passive House certified, all-electric building. The Rise will feature heat pump water heaters for domestic hot water, VRF heat pumps for heating and cooling, energy recovery ventilation, solar PV for on-site electricity generation, and green roofs and walls. Bright Power is providing Passive House consulting and certification services, Enterprise Green Communities certification services, and solar consulting and design services.

“Xenolith is thrilled to receive this BOE and Design Excellence award for The Rise, and to be collaborating with an exceptional team, including Bright Power, MAP and Dagher, to deliver our second Passive House project. The Rise will promote health equity and advance sustainable affordable and supportive housing for justice-involved individuals and their families in the Brownsville community. We are grateful for NYSERDA’s recognition and support in achieving these goals,” said Chris Lebron of Xenolith Partners.

At Bethany Terraces Senior Houses, RiseBoro Community Partnership, Inc. will use the award with Bright Power, Paul A. Castrucci Architects PLLC and Zero Energy Designs to build an all-electric building built to Passive House standards. With a Passive House design, Bethany Terraces Senior Houses will provide future residents with superior comfort while keeping operations costs low. Bright Power will serve as the Passive Houses Verifier and expects to deliver the technical support for this project’s participation in NYSERDA’s New Construction – Housing Program.

“Bethany Terraces is a continuation of our groundbreaking passive house development and is our first modular project, which will reduce construction costs and time while saving on overall carbon emissions and bringing the project to nearly Net Zero,” said Ryan Cassidy, Director of Sustainability and Construction for RiseBoro Community Partnership, Inc.

“We are thrilled to be a part of these innovative projects and are honored to work with such forward-thinking building owners and developers. Thanks to competitions like the Buildings of Excellence, the real estate industry can see the value and impact of low- and zero-carbon emitting buildings — and share best practices,” said Jeffrey Perlman, Founder and CEO of Bright Power.

NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “As we continue to transform buildings across the state to be more energy efficient in support of our transition to a carbon neutral economy, it’s critical to recognize the important role our market partners play in helping us meet our shared climate goals. We congratulate Bright Power on their contributions to five Buildings of Excellence Round Two winning projects and applaud their commitment to creating more sustainable, comfortable and affordable housing opportunities for New Yorkers.”