Skip to main content

Energy & Water

  • Rockefeller University joined the Mayor’s Challenge initiated by Mayor Bloomberg in 2007, voluntarily pledging a 30% reduction in carbon intensity compared to base year 2005.
  • All usage is benchmarked with NYC and tracked according to Local Law.
  • Since 2005 campus square footage is up about 26%. In addition to this: three data centers have been built, and many older laboratories have been modernized with more cooling and ventilation.
  • ALL of these new loads have been more than offset.
  • Campus Carbon Intensity is down more than 35%
  • Campus Carbon Emissions are down more than 20%
  • Enhanced maintenance procedures on large equipment
  • Converted most large pumps, rotating equipment from mechanical throttling to variable speed electrical modulation
  • Installed new electric chiller with variable speed drive as lead cooling equipment, while sequencing associated cooling towers for most efficient operation
  • Cross connected two chilled water plants to take advantage of diversity and increase operating flexibility
  • Installed two new boilers with greater efficiency
  • Reduced dependency on heavy oil in the central heating plant
Graph showing decrease in energy usage from 2020 through 2022
  • Optimized chilled water pumping and distribution throughout campus
  • Ongoing repairs to steam traps and steam distribution system.  Operate with lower steam pressures when/where possible
  • Eliminate obsolete high pressure steam piping
  • Aggressively monitor air changes and reduce where possible
  • Established protocol for perimeter heating and automated the controls where needed, including night set-backs. Leveraged a cascading affect.
  • Since 2008, All new ventilation systems are equipped with energy recovery capability, taking advantage of exhausted air
  • Electrified sterilization equipment in KRB building
  • Increased maintenance frequency of HVAC units
  • Ongoing conversion to LED lighting
  • Installed more than 40 electric vehicle chargers on campus and in residential garage
  • Eliminated old concrete cistern and associated pumping for central water distribution system
  • Phased out ALL once trough water cooled equipment
  • Repurposed cooling condensate run off water to cooling towers, saving over one million gallons of water per year
  • Possible “Buy Back” to eliminate old equipment: Freezers, sterilizers, hoods
  • Electric heat pump and heat recovery for RRB
  • Infrastructure work to enable future electrification