Ashforth recently completed several sustainable upgrades to 1111 & 1129 Westchester Avenue, a two-building, 366,000-square-foot property Ashforth manages in White Plains, NY. The upgrades include installing high-efficiency chillers using environmentally-friendly 410A refrigerant, a new building management system, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, LED parking lot pole lights and walkway lights. A savings of nearly one million kWh per year is estimated with these upgrades, which is over a 17% decrease from previous usage.
As part of managing these upgrades, Ashforth was successful in securing incentive dollars for ownership through a New York State Energy & Development Authority (NYSERDA) initiative. NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
The EV charging stations installed at the building are offered to the tenants at 1111 & 1129 Westchester Avenue free of charge. States and private companies are working to increase overall access to EV charging stations. Ashforth also has a station at one of its owned properties in Stamford, CT. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center website as of summer 2014, there are approximately 460 units registered in the state of New York; 27 stations are located in Westchester County.
Ashforth manages over 3.5 million square feet of office space in New York and Connecticut. Seven of Ashforth’s eight owned properties are Energy Star rated with scores above the required 75, three maintained scores in the 90’s, and all properties increased their score during the past year. Ashforth has deep and broad experience with managing both energy improvement and sustainable projects that range from retrofitting entire buildings with energy-efficient LED lighting, upgrading HVAC and air filtration systems, re-commissioning building systems, implementing eco-friendly green cleaning and greatly reducing the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer and herbicides with stringent green landscaping specifications.
The upgrades Ashforth handled at the White Plains property and the numerous others across its portfolio are all part of Ashforth’s long-standing sustainable management practices – a commitment focused on lowering operating costs and being environmentally responsible.
