At a glance
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the State University of New York (SUNY) have completed comprehensive energy efficiency improvements at Alfred State College.
Reprinted with permission from the New York Power Authority
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the State University of New York (SUNY) have completed comprehensive energy efficiency improvements at Alfred State College.
The energy-saving upgrades, which began before the COVID-19 virus struck New York and have recently been finalized under strict COVID prevention and return-to-work guidelines, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,000 tons a year — the equivalent of taking nearly 200 cars off the road — in addition to saving nearly $126,000 in energy and maintenance costs annually. The energy-saving upgrades advance Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Green New Deal, a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda that will aggressively put New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality.
The extensive improvements, financed and implemented by NYPA in partnership with SUNY, encompass a variety of energy-saving measures, such as exterior LED lighting, ventilation improvements, and building management upgrades at more than a dozen locations throughout the more than 1.3 million-square-foot campus.
“Reducing energy use at our state’s higher learning facilities is pivotal to achieving the governor’s aggressive energy goals for New York State,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “The completed energy efficiency improvements at Alfred State College are representative of SUNY’s efforts to lead by example on all of its campuses.”
Alfred State President Dr. Skip Sullivan said, “Alfred State is very fortunate to have the support and expertise from NYPA and SUNY to help our campus become so much more energy efficient. Almost every mechanical room and system on campus is improved with the energy efficiency measures only available from these advance building management systems. Becoming energy efficient is more than just switching to LED lighting and ASC is proud to be a leader.”
SUNY schools make up 40 percent of New York’s state-owned buildings and are one of New York’s leading energy users. The SUNY Clean Energy Roadmap, announced last year, represents Cuomo’s sustainability vision for the SUNY system, the largest comprehensive higher education system in the country. Led by NYPA and in collaboration with other key New York energy agencies, the plan seeks to increase the use of renewable energy sources, improve energy efficiency, and help combat climate catastrophe.
Under Cuomo’s leadership, SUNY and NYPA have partnered to complete 141 energy-saving projects at 800 SUNY facilities, reducing energy consumption by 195,000-megawatt hours, removing more than 78,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and saving more than $28.2 million annually in energy and maintenance costs. SUNY and NYPA are currently partnering to implement energy-saving measures at 46 additional SUNY buildings—those projects, once completed, will reduce SUNY’s energy consumption by an additional 39,500-megawatt hours.