Columbia School of Social Work a winner, 230 Park Avenue a loser in energy efficiency

The Columbia University School of Social Work is a winner, and 230 Park Avenue is a loser in energy efficiency so far among New York commercial buildings participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s second annual “Battle of the Buildings”, according to the program’s website. Two hundred and forty-five buildings across the country are competing to reduce energy waste and improve their energy efficiency in the competition organized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, according to the program’s website.

In New York City, the School of Social Work at 1255 Amsterdam Avenue has achieved a 3.65 percent reduction, NYU’s Hospital for Joint Diseases at 301 East 17th Street has achieved a 4.16 percent reduction and New York Hospital Queens at 56-45 Main Street in Flushing has achieved a 1.56 percent reduction.

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The competitor that demonstrates the greatest percent-based reduction in weather-normalized energy use intensity between Aug. 31, 2010 and Aug. 31, 2011 will be recognized as the winner in November. At the end of July, the EPA released its top competitors so far as well as the progress of all the other participating buildings which include office buildings and retail stores.

But not all buildngs have seen energy reductions. Columbia University’s Woodbridge dorm has seen a 37.46 percent increase in energy use, 230 Park Avenue has seen 3.59 percent increase and 60 Wall Street has seen no change at all. — Miranda Neubauer