Engineering Tomorrow Helps Make Heating Costs Affordable
In recent years, average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood has skyrocketed to more than $3,000 a month, excluding utilities. That’s why New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council (RBSCC) came together to develop Knickerbocker Commons.
RBSCC also wanted to cut tenant utility costs radically without compromising comfort. So, they called upon Chris Benedict, R.A., to design an ultra-low energy building. Henry Gifford, who works for Chris Benedict, designed the mechanical systems for the building. The team combined several technologies, such as continuous exterior insulation, energy recovery ventilators, sealed combustion boilers, and individual room thermostat controls, including Danfoss thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). According to Gifford, the result is 90 percent lower energy consumption than comparable buildings — and heating costs below $50 per apartment per year.