Planning For Net Zero In Your Community By Diane Levin, VP Marketing and Product Development, New York Power Authority
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s part of our climate leadership goals, New York State is committed to 70% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. While net zero has traditionally been associated with new building codes and standards communities are increasingly taking up the challenge within existing facilities. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is leading the path to net zero decarbonization for our customers. We have helped some of the largest customers in New York State, including local governments, communities, and municipalities to meet their energy efficiency goals.
Customers may want to consider these factors when moving to net zero: HOLISTIC PLANNING. There’s an interplay between operations, building electrification, technologies available, demand and energy charges, clean energy choices, and organizational goals. The best plan takes into consideration your organization’s cost savings and sustainability goals, and matches them to energy efficiency possibilities today with a path for a net zero outcome in the future. OPTIONS FOR YOUR NET ZERO BUILDING. NYPA looks at each of these opportunities individually and then brings them together into a comprehensive plan:
We guide our customers on the complex path to net zero, and manage through policy changes, incentives, grants, and new technologies. We also provide advisory, contracting and implementation services ranging from retrofits and recommissioning through to an all-encompassing multi-year clean energy master plan.
Recommissioning and maintenance
A well-running system can reduce energy consumption without sacrificing operational performance. Recommissioning is a must. Over time, even the best systems drift and need a refresh for optimized operations.
A move to carbon net zero should consider all aspects of clean energy – from simple energy efficiency solutions to solar and even electric vehicles (EVs).
Smart technologies
Consider smart technology upgrades to monitor energy usage. This provides the data you need to fully optimize your system, and prepares you for future opportunities in demand response or other grid management programs.
Building electrification Switching from fuel to electric energy opens the potential for net zero carbon buildings through renewable energy credits (RECs), and offers the potential to tap into distributed energy resources.
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NYSAC News | Fall 2021
Distributed energy resources (DERs)
Solar and storage offer the opportunity for green energy and resilience.
EV infrastructure
EVs are not technically a part of a net zero building, but as EV adoption grows, communities will need to add supporting parking and charging infrastructure. A clean energy expert can design these parking and charging systems to include storage and to manage peak usage – both important aspects of a net zero future.
