insights
Lowering Utility Costs in Electrified Buildings
FULL REPORT
Electricity is roughly 5 times as expensive as natural gas in NYC. The Passive House design approach is effective in decreasing utility costs of mostly electric buildings. As we transition to fully electric buildings, the utility rates for systems like domestic hot water that are governed by user behavior increase, unlike systems affected by building performance.
The bottom line is that we need new strategies to combine with Passive House to lower utility costs in fully electric buildings.
This report (FULL VERSION) Is a deep dive into strategies on how to reduce the utility costs of fully electrified buildings.
Lowering Utility Costs in Electrified Buildings
TEAR SHEET
This tear sheet provides a brief overview of the FULL REPORT (see above) on reducing operational costs of fully electric buildings. This resource provides a fast and easy to understand primer on effective strategies in electric buildings, and is intended for use by designers, builders, developers, building owners and policy makers.
Strategies explored in this Tear Sheet and the Full Report include Passive House and High Performance building, renewable energy implementation, advanced building controls and Time of Use energy rates.
Analyzing Embodied Carbon for Retrofit and New Construction
How much emphasis should we place on embodied carbon in relation to operational carbon? When does it make sense to build new versus re-use an existing structure? When we are specifying assemblies, which materials are most important to consider in driving down embodied carbon?
This report addresses these important questions surrounding embodied carbon in the built environment of New York City.
reimagine buildings 2024: Modular Construction Solutions for Affordable, Passive House Apartments
In Autumn 2023, PCA's ongoing commitment to tackling NYC's critical demand for affordable senior housing propelled us into an exhilarating endeavor. In the span of just 2 weeks, we shipped 47 modular units from Leola, PA to Brooklyn, NY, where they were erected into the 4-story residential complex, Bethany Terraces.
Principal Grayson Jordan presented this pioneering project at Reimagine Buildings 2024, a global online conference hosted by the Passive House Accelerator.
Time Lapse: Bethany Terraces revitalizes senior living with modular solutions
Partnering with RiseBoro Community Partnership and supported by NYSERDA, we designed Bethany Senior Terraces with sustainability in mind.
Modular construction offers cost control, shorter construction time, and waste reduction. As we look to the future, PCA is committed to further integrating this innovative methodology to build thriving, resilient communities for all.
Explore Bethany Terraces further on our project index or via Passive House Accelerator's article.
Case Study: Affordable Performance in the East Village
This low-income co-op underwent a complete rehabilitation designed to meet Passive House standards. The project employed budget-friendly materials without compromising performance.
This case study emphasizes the significance of using healthy materials and continuous interior insulation to ensure excellent indoor air quality through cost-effective retrofit solutions.
Explore 544 East 113th street further on our project index.