New York City should focus on elevator shafts to improve the energy efficiency standards of its high-rise residences, according to a new report from the Urban Green Council.
A typical New York apartment building loses thousands of dollars worth of energy every year from leaky elevator shafts that vent warm air at the top of the building and draw in cold air at the bottom.
The report, “Spending Through the Roof says that apartment building owners pay an average of $3,400 a year to replace heat lost through the roof. In taller buildings, the cost can be more than $20,000 a year.
Plugging this type of air leak can cost from $500 to $15,000. If the leaks were plugged on 4,000 tall apartment buildings in the city, landlords would collectively save $11 million a year, while keeping 30,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Elevator shafts and stairwell openings were required to vent smoke in the case of fire. But construction practices and firefighting techniques have changed, so the vents now "are needlessly open all the time."
Codes governing stairwell vents haven't changed since 1929 so there's no legal way now for building owners to fix the problem.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jun 19, 2020
Demand for family rentals expected to jump over next few years
Developers’ focus on single, urban millennials leaves family market underserved.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2020
AIA offers retail and office 3D models for reducing risk of COVID-19 transmission
For modifying stores and offices with 17-point architectural, engineering, and administrative framework.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2020
Santa Fe is second city in the world to achieve LEED v4.1 Gold
New Mexico community gained credits for resilience planning, including public health crises.
Codes and Standards | Jun 15, 2020
NSF International’s Checked by NSF program helps businesses reopen safely
Includes third-party validation of COVID-19 preventive measures.
Codes and Standards | Jun 15, 2020
Workers want policy changes before they return to offices
More office cleaning, work from home opportunities, and staying home when sick among the desired adjustments.
Codes and Standards | Jun 12, 2020
Carbon emission legislation prompts commercial real estate to innovate
Mass timber, augmented reality, and modular construction among the trends.
Codes and Standards | Jun 11, 2020
USGBC offers new pilot credit to address green cleaning and COVID-19
Provides guidance on cleaning and disinfecting buildings using green cleaning best practices.
Codes and Standards | Jun 10, 2020
AIA issues tools for reducing risk of COVID-19 transmission in buildings
Tailored strategies offered for offices, retailers, schools, and senior living facilities.
Codes and Standards | Jun 8, 2020
OSHA construction safety inspections fall 84% during COVID-19 pandemic
Agency focuses on preventing disease transmission in healthcare industry.
Codes and Standards | Jun 8, 2020
5 must reads for the AEC industry today: June 8, 2020
Frank Lloyd Wright sites set to reopen and construction jobs rise by 464,000.