New York’s first all-electric skyscraper to open in 2024
505 State Street skyscraper in downtown Brooklyn to cut down on carbon emissions with fully electric heating and appliances.
Image by 505 State Street
The apartment tower 505 State Street, part of the Alloy Block development project in downtown Brooklyn, is set to be New York’s first all-electric skyscraper as the bustling city takes steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
While most emissions nationwide in the United States are generated by transportation, with supply chain trucks and private vehicles with low occupancy accounting for most, New York City has a different problem. With the majority of residents using public transportation for their commuting needs, buildings “are by far the largest source” of greenhouse gas emissions as gas/oil burning furnaces and water heaters account for 40% of carbon emissions in the city according to Christopher Halfnight, Senior Director of Research and Policy at the Urban Green Council.
To tackle this challenge, the New York City Council passed a law which required new buildings to avoid emitting a certain amount of carbon dioxides into the atmosphere. While this law kicked in for buildings up to the height of seven stories in 2024, it won’t impact towers and skyscrapers such as 505 State Street until mid-2027. The developers of the Alloy Block voluntarily took upon the commitment towards sustainable energy for this skyscraper which is set to open in 2024 as the first phase of the development project.
But, this wasn’t always the plan of the developers. When the Alloy Block commenced construction in 2019, it was expected to power the 44-story high skyscraper with gas similar to all surrounding sites. However, with the New York City Council passing the law to tackle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions), and with the incident where the National Grid suspended new gas connections in Brooklyn due to regulatory concerns over a billion-dollar gas pipeline, the developers decided to go all-electric for its latest skyscraper betting on incentives for electrification by regulatory bodies.
Speaking on this planning change, A. J. Pires, the President of Alloy Development said, “The assumption was the base building heat would be on gas, and maybe the cooktops would be gas.” However, with the regulatory and social changes that were taking place in New York for sustainable energy requirements, the team expected the city council to “penalize anything that was using a carbon-based fuel, and that ended up being true.” New York City is now set to fine landlords millions of dollars with its latest climate law if found to be breaching the emission regulations.
The electrification of the appliances and heating of the building is achieved through an innovative technology known as the water-source heat pump system. Key features of this system include a building envelope which acts as an insulating layer to avoid warm air and cool air moving out of the building during winter and summer respectively, energy recovery units to remove heat from incoming air during summer and remove cold from incoming air during winter, and highly energy efficient electric water boilers to supply hot water to the entire building.
