Politics & Government

Energy Program Benefits Purchase, SUNY

Build Better NY is spending $80 million on 10 SUNY campuses to improve energy efficiency.

The New York Power Authority and State University of New York announced comprehensive energy efficiency projects at 10 SUNY campuses in support of Governor Cuomo’s Build Smart NY initiative during an event at Purchase College, one of the campuses to benefit from the state's Build Smart NY initiative.

NYPA and SUNY unveiled nearly $80 million cost-saving innovative energy efficiency projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 21,000 tons annually, officials said in a press release. 

In addition to the work at Purchase College, the event also highlighted energy-saving improvements at the following SUNY campuses: University at Buffalo, College at Brockport, SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Downstate Medical University (New York City), SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse), SUNY Maritime College (New York City) and SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse). Click here for more information on projects on these campuses.

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“NYPA is working hand-in-hand with SUNY to achieve its energy efficiency goals,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “There’s a saying that ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure,’ and thanks to the rigorous reporting requirements established under Governor Cuomo’s Build Smart NY program, New York State has never been better positioned to achieve meaningful energy reductions.”

Following the announcements, a tour of a recently completed 1000-ton chiller and ice storage system on the Purchase College campus was offered.

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At SUNY Purchase College, NYPA completed three high-impact energy efficiency endeavors in 2013, including:

    · Installing an $11 million replacement of a nearly 40-year-old chiller with an ice-storage cooling and ventilation system serving the entire campus and saving the college $380,000 annually. 

· Implementing a $10 million project to replace the existing 40-year-old HVAC system to meet the temperature and humidity requirements at the on-campus Neuberger Museum necessary for the facility’s re-accreditation from the American Association of Museums. The project reduces the museum’s energy consumption by over 30 percent and delivers 30 percent more cooling. 
· Developing the first Energy Master Plan for any SUNY campus under Build Smart NY to help the college achieve greater energy-savings in the future.


The work at SUNY Purchase was performed by New York contracting firms, RCM Technologies and AECOM.


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