On July 18^th, 2024, BE-Exers Hailey Moll and Paul Rivers attended the Decarb NY summit, a conference dedicated to bringing together thought leaders in the real estate, architecture, design, and sustainability spaces to discuss cutting-edge decarbonization solutions. Coordinated by Companies for Net Zero, the conference aims to accelerate corporate adoption of net-zero emissions by fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across industry leaders and executives.

Following the success of Building Energy Exchange’s (BE-Ex) recent NYC-Stockholm Retrofit Exchange event, and the release of our Solutions for Low-Carbon Building: Stockholm report, attendees from BE-Ex focused specifically on panels covering utility-scale thermal energy networks (UTENs).

Of particular interest are innovative case studies, financing models, and governance strategies that accelerate UTEN implementation in U.S cities.

With policy drivers like the New York City Council’s passage of Local Law 2 of 2022, and the New York State Senate’s passage of the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act, the state is catalyzing preliminary UTEN demonstration projects to help scale building decarbonization. Thermal energy networks can provide efficient, carbon-free, and consistent heating and cooling services to connected buildings at an affordable cost. Pilot projects connecting buildings at the block level to shared thermal systems involve high levels of cooperation across private real-estate portfolio managers, utilities, engineering consultancy firms, and building managers.

Current demonstration projects in progress include exchanger and heat pump systems for commercial buildings in Rockefeller Center and Chelsea, and district geothermal loops connecting mixed building types in Mount Vernon. Challenges for pilots in dense urban areas can include the need for existing centralized systems and access to below grade staging areas. Real estate and utility partnerships are crucial for coordination across existing heating, cooling, and steam systems. Ultimately, demonstration projects must show effectiveness, profitability, and industry applicability to incentivize further investment.

Jonathan Flaherty, Global Head of Sustainability and Building Technology Innovation at Tishman Speyer, and BE-Ex Board Chair, stressed the importance of long-term building plans that are financially viable, apply a diverse set of sustainability approaches, and reduce the initial high upfront capital costs for owners pursuing full electrification. Full electrification of commercial office buildings in New York City is a costly endeavor, and UTEM is a compelling approach for project teams to consider when trying to close the gap towards decarbonization in their building portfolios.

The Public Service Commission’s recent adoption of the initial ruleset in the state law has helped outline pilot project requirements, standardize fair market access rules for systems, and promote workforce development in the sector.

Many of these demonstration projects have been spearheaded by firms that are members of the Exchange, including Tishman Speyer, Ecosystem Energy Solutions, AKF Group, and Con Edison.

As a growing network of people and organizations committed to decarbonizing buildings, Decarb NY is an engaging and insightful forum. This year’s summit was a great event, and we look forward to attending again in the future!

• LEARN MORE! Read the Solutions for Low-Carbon Building: Stockholm report to learn more about thermal energy network projects abroad
• LEARN MORE! Check out the NYC-Stockholm Retrofit Exchange event page to hear key insights from the Stockholm delegation around district-level smart growth solutions applicable to U.S building portfolios