Brooklyn Chamber and National Grid Celebrate Earth Day

Panel Discusses Energy Programs, Incentives

Appropriately on Earth Day, businessmen and women converged on National Grid’s Brooklyn headquarters for a panel entitled “Building Sustainable Businesses... Green Ways to Save.”

Presented as the inaugural event of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Real Estate and Development (RED) Committee, National Grid sponsored the panel that was a discussion about making green changes to save money.

“It’s really inspiring to see businesses like National Grid lead the way to make sure that we are green and we are efficient and that at the end of the day we are preserving the planet for our children, our grandchildren and our great-great-great-grandchildren,” said Carl Hum, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Whether you’re a small business, a retailer, a homeowner or a developer, there is something here for everybody.”

Moderated by Amanda Daly — the former director of education at the now-closed Center for the Urban Environment and a current adjunct lecturer at Brooklyn College — the panel consisted of three presentations by energy experts in New York City.

Clararose Voigt, assistant project manager of energy programs at NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), spoke about energy-efficiency project incentives given out by the corporation.

“The general program structure of NYSERDA follows through the initial identification stage, where we go into your facility to evaluate and identify what energy-efficiency measure we can undertake there, what needs to be improved,” Voigt explained. NYSERDA “then follows through onto the installation phase, where we provide work incentives to actually implement those measures that we identify.”

Building Incentives

For commercial and industrial programs, the incentives can be given to both existing buildings and construction projects. The process is split for existing buildings, which get incentives for energy studies through the FlexTech/Technical Assistance Program (for medium/large customers) or the Audit Program (for small customers), then get incentives for installation through the Existing Facilities Program. For construction projects, the New Construction Program provides incentives from program identification through installation.

Voigt said the Existing Facilities Program is then split into two categories: pre-qualified incentives for spot retrofits and small projects, and performance-based incentives for large-scale projects. Projects can receive up to $30,000 with pre-qualified incentives, and for performance-based incentives, the amount is based on the energy savings or demand response. For information, visit www.nyserda.org.

Julie Hughes, assistant vice president of energy efficiency at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), focused her presentation on steps the city government is taking to reduce the city’s energy consumption. This is part of a 10-year plan initiated by Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC program.

PlaNYC’s goal is to reduce emissions in New York City by 30 percent by the year 2030. This will be done by investing in clean power, establishing more efficient transportation, and, most importantly, making the city’s existing buildings more energy efficient.

“What we really need to address is the building stock that’s already here,” said Hughes. By 2030, she said, an estimated 85 percent of emissions will be generated from buildings we already have as opposed to new construction.

Hughes went on to explain that the capital needed to complete this plan is higher than the city’s available funds, so part of the strategy is to invest in projects that will save the most energy and have the quickest payback period.

Reaching Out to Broadway

The mayor has also reached out to universities, hospitals and Broadway — because of its use of so much electricity — to follow the City’s lead. Fifteen universities have already signed on, the EDC is currently in talks with hospitals, and Broadway has “taken the program and run with it,” Hughes said.

James Madsen, manager of energy efficiency at National Grid, spoke about the company’s gas and electric efficiency programs and incentives.

“In 2008 we had 53,000 participants in our gas programs that resulted in 12.2 million therms saved, equivalent to 71,000 tons of CO2 avoided. Our electric programs have even more participants: 372,000, with 420,000 megawatt hours of electricity saved, and 236,000 tons of CO2 avoided,” Madsen said. “Taken together, that’s about the equivalent of keeping 50,000 cars off the road for a year.”

Madsen urged everyone present to research high-efficiency products in case their older equipment needs to be replaced immediately. Most of the time, he said, repairpersons will offer replacements that only have standard efficiency.

Incentives from National Grid can be applied to many different products or improvements, ranging from standard heating equipment to kitchen equipment to solar water heaters. The energy company will also evaluate non-standard products for incentives. For more information, visit www.nationalgridus.com or www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com.

An example Madsen gave of a Brooklyn facility to take advantage of incentives was the Aviator Sports Complex in Floyd Bennett Field. For installing radiant heating, high-efficiency water heating and a high-efficiency boiler, among other things, the complex received $100,000 in incentives.

Joe Rende, National Grid vice president of energy services solutions, said, “By working together, with that power of action, we can make a big impact in tackling climate change, starting right here today on Earth Day.”

“Its no secret that I think Brooklyn is the center of the world. So when we celebrate Earth Day, I can’t help but think we’re celebrating ‘Brooklyn Day’ as well,” said Borough President Marty Markowitz. “Brooklyn is a green jewel for the rest of the country to emulate.”

Photo at top is, from left to right: Panel Moderator Amanda Daly, the former director of education at the now-closed Center for the Urban Environment and a current adjunct lecturer at Brooklyn College; Presenter Julie Hughes, assistant vice president of energy efficiency at EDC; Presenter Clararose Voigt, assistant project manager of energy programs at NYSERDA; Joe Rende, National Grid vice president of energy services solutions; Rick Russo, VP of member services at the Chamber; Lori Raphael, director of real estate and development at the Chamber; and Presenter James Madsen, manager of energy efficiency at National Grid.

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New Building for Poly Prep's Lower School 'Blends Old and New'

Addition Earns LEED Silver Certification, Awarded by Landmarks

Poly Prep Country Day School just became something for not only Brooklyn to brag about, but also New York State.

Poly — which has its middle and upper schools on its campus in Bay Ridge — recently built an addition to its lower school in Park Slope, earning the school a LEED silver certification and making it the first LEED-certified school in New York City and the first LEED-certified primary school in New York State. The expansion was also given a Lucy G. Moses Preservation award by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

The lower school occupies the Hulbert Mansion at 50 Prospect Park West, which was built in 1882 as a double townhouse. Since the ’20s, the building was occupied by the Ethical Culture School, then the Woodward Park School. Poly Prep took over in 1995.

The new addition, completed in 2008, was undertaken to provide Poly’s Lower School with more classroom space and exercise rooms. It was designed by architects Platt Byard Dovell White.

Since Poly already had instilled green values in their students and a green curriculum throughout their schools, they decided to take on the addition to make it as eco-friendly as possible.

Green features of the expansion — built on a lot next to the original Hulbert Mansion — include a 31 percent reduction in water use, 308.4 tons of construction waste that were diverted from a landfill, and sealants, paints and carpet systems that are 100 percent low-VOC (volatile organic compound).

Each green feature gave Poly’s Lower School a certain number of LEED points. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a building rating system overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the addition 34 LEED points, earning it a silver status.

It was also important for Poly to preserve the building’s historic features. “Historic preservation really is ecologically responsible,” said spokesperson Malcolm Farley.

The Landmarks Conservancy gave Poly Prep Lower school the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award because of this commitment to preserving the historic character of the original building, as well as the neighborhood surrounding it.

While the addition is contemporary, the materials and colors used in it complement the Hulbert Mansion and the Park Slope Historic District.

Poly Prep Headmaster David Harman accepted the award at a ceremony that took place Monday night in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

“We’re thrilled to be the only school, the only educational facility that’s being honored tonight,” Harman told the Eagle.

He emphasized Poly’s commitment and leadership in the area of environmental responsibility. Indeed, children in the school as young as 4 learn about and study the environment.

Launa Schweizer, head of the lower school, said the students love learning about the environment. Her own children attend the lower school, and she said, “They’re always telling me about turning the lights off and not wasting water.”

About the new building, Schweizer said, “We’re very proud of it — the ability of the architects to blend the old and the new is really wonderful.”

The Lower School’s receipt of this award continues a Poly tradition. Two alumni are previous winners, and a Poly parent was the architect of another project to receive an award on Monday.

Photo courtesy of Poly Prep Country Day School

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Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day began in 1970. It was an idea proposed by then-senator in Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson, so people would think about the environment, what they were doing to harm it and what they should do to help it. It's celebrated every year on April 22.

So take a moment to appreciate the earth and do something green today!

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New Park Slope BID Committed to Recycling

After at least four years of attempts, a Business Improvement District (BID) has finally come to Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, and it’s about time, says Irene LoRe (right), owner of Aunt Suzie’s restaurant and executive director of the new BID.

“We took a couple of wrong turns,” she explained. “But we finally got our act together.”

Stretching along Fifth Avenue from Dean Street down to 18th Street, the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID is self-funded with a budget of $300,000. It held a holiday tree lighting in Washington Park and a Valentine’s Day promotion. LoRe said that the organization will soon release a web site, a blog and hopefully a guidebook.

This week, in honor of Earth Day, the new BID launched a recycling initiative.

The initiative, called “Green Grows in Brooklyn,” is an expansion of something that 3r Living, a store on Fifth Avenue that sells eco-friendly and organic products, has been doing since it opened five years ago.

Samantha Delman-Caserta, co-owner of 3r Living, said her store has always taken batteries, small electronics, CDs, VHS tapes and cell phones to recycle. Their recycling containers are always full, and Delman-Caserta says she sends the items to an outside company (in the U.S.) to be processed.

The aforementioned 3r Living was footing the bill for this recycling, and it was getting to be too much of a burden for the store to shoulder all of the expense. So when the BID formed, Delman-Caserta approached LoRe about making the recycling a BID initiative.

Several Fifth Avenue merchants have joined in, all putting green tree signs in their windows and asking customers to donate one dollar to the cause this week because Wednesday is Earth Day.
With the BID taking on the fundraising, it would allow more drop-off points for recycling, and also one day every so often where larger items would be collected, such as computers and microwaves.

“It’s a very exciting beginning to what we hope will be a successful program and campaign to green Brooklyn,” said Delman-Caserta.

LoRe noted that in this economic downturn, recycling programs are often the first ones to be cut. “I’m looking for all of us, merchants and customers alike, to share this burden,” she said. “We can’t leave recycling behind.”

Photo courtesy of Allford Trotman Photography and Video

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Order Groceries, Plant a Tree

To celebrate Earth Day, food delivery service FreshDirect will make a tree donation to the Nature Conservancy's "Plant a Billion Trees" campaign for each order of $100 or more scheduled for delivery on April 22. Orders must be placed by April 21 to reserve Earth Day delivery service.

Hold off on ordering groceries until then, if you can, and make a real impact on the earth for Earth Day!

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Less Garbage From Red Horse Cafe

Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn reports that the Red Horse Café at 497 6th Avenue in Park Slope will not serve beverages in disposable paper or plastic on Earth Day

The eatery will debut a new line of stainless steel and ceramic mugs with the its rocking horse logo. Guests of the café are also encouraged to bring their own mug.

Read about this as well as other green initiatives at the Red Horse Café here.

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Let the Earth Day Celebrations Begin

Every year since 1970, April 22 has been celebrated as Earth Day. The idea was hatched by then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who wanted to spread awareness about the environment and what needed to be changed in our habits as stewards of the planet.

Now, 40 years later, with the economic climate combined with the climate crisis, Earth Day seems even more important.

We have to take action, to save our planet while also saving money, maybe by replacing light bulbs with ones that are more energy-efficient, buying used clothing, or cutting down waste by bringing lunch to work (or school) instead of buying it.

Making changes in your daily habits to positively impact the environment will also increase an appreciation for that environment. Earth Day celebrations held throughout Brooklyn do just that: celebrate and appreciate the Earth by raising awareness.

Here’s a list of some upcoming Earth Day events:

New York Aquarium Earth Week Green Fest
Now through Sunday April 19 including April 22, New York Aquarium, 610 Surf Ave
The week features a Green Fest — a celebration of all things “Green” at the aquarium. Exhibits and vendors will be on hand to help you and your family learn about what you can do to protect our planet. The event will feature: sea lion shows, demonstrating how to protect our sea life; keeper chats with the help of animal ambassadors; an Earth Day mural, where families can help create an artful tribute to the planet; a chance to make an Earth Day souvenir using recyclable materials; music with a “Save the Earth” theme; local public school children displaying murals created from recyclable art; and canvas shopping bags for children to decorate.
Admission is $13 for adults, $9 for children ages 3-12 and $10.00 for senior citizens (65 and older); children under 3 years of age are admitted free. For information, call (718) 265-FISH or visit www.nyaquarium.com.

Earth Day Celebration with PACC
Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. -1 p.m., Gibb Mansion at 218 Gates Ave. between Classon and Franklin avenues
Be a part of the 45th anniversary celebration of the Pratt Area Community Council and make Gibb Mansion greener. Prep soil, plant flowers, build a raised vegetable bed and pick up gardening tips from a Brooklyn-based landscape architect. Also available will be coffee and breakfast from a local bakery, desserts by Michael Allen.
RSVP to rsvp@pratt area.org. Call (718) 522-2613 ext. 14 for more information.

Earth Day at Habana Outpost
Saturday April 18 and Sunday, April 19 from noon-6 p.m., Habana Outpost, 757 Fulton St., corner of South Portland
The two-day free event will feature green crafts and face painting for children sponsored by Habana Works and The Leadership Learning Lab; a children’s eco-fashion show with the Scrapkins; and a recycled art show featuring the art work of local students. There will be information for adults from groups including Green Homes NYC, Transportation Alternatives, Green Spaces and Brooklyn Green Drinks, as well as Habana Outpost suppliers, Solar Energy Systems, Tri State Bio Diesel and Rolling Press.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.HabanaOutpost.com or call (718) 858-9500.

Earth Day Celebration at the Greene Grape
Saturday April 18 and Sunday April 19, 753 Fulton St. at South Portland and 765 Fulton St.
Plant sale, April 18 and April 19 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Outside Greene Grape Provisions, 753 Fulton St. at South Portland, the Brooklyn Brownstone Garden District will hold an edible plant sale and help kids make ‘seed bombs’ using recycled coffee grounds from the coffee bar.
Wine tasting, Saturday, April 18 12 p.m.– 7 p.m., Think Global, Drink Local: The Greene Grape Wine store at 765 Fulton will be holding an all-day tasting of environmentally-friendly wines, featuring the founder of Brooklyn Oenology, a Brooklyn label that uses New York grapes and labels by Brooklyn artists, who will pour Social Club White 2007; and three wines will be opened from the Greene Grape’s monthly New York Cork Club, which features two new wines each month from the Empire State.
Wine tasting Sunday, April 19, noon-7 p.m., Economical and Earth-Friendly: The Greene Grape Wine store at 765 Fulton St. will be holding an all-day tasting of environmentally-friendly wines, featuring four organic wines all under $15 including a 1-liter Malbec (a type of wine) in a tetrapak (Yellow+Blue Malbec 2007).
For more information, visit brooklyn.greenegrape.com or call (718) 797-9463.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts National Grid “Earth Month” Celebration
Sunday, April 19, 5 p.m., Walt Whitman Theatre Plaza at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road
The second day of the second annual National Grid Earth Month celebration, to be held following a performance of Montana Repertory Theater’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Educational materials, give-away items and family activities will highlight the need for conserving energy, recycling in the home, and having a heightened awareness of the global issues that we face today. The Council on the Environment of New York City’s Office of Recycling, Outreach and Education will present interactive family recycling games, the Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust will be on hand to promote urban composting, and the New York City Fire Department will provide life-saving tips on fire safety in the home. Live music by Showstoppers and large-scale puppets from the Brooklyn College Community Partnership program will also be featured.
National Grid Earth Day Celebration events are free and open to the public. Tickets to To Kill a Mockingbird may be purchased through the BCBC Box Office.
For more information, visit www.brooklyncenter.com.

Celebrate Earth! Festival at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Saturday, April 25, Sunday, April 26, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave.
The new Celebrate Earth! Festival features events including: hands-on art and science workshops that focus on the planet’s resources and the ways people can care for them; crafting a pressed flower or a book cover from candy wrappers; an eco-scavenger hunt through the museum; discovering the science behind wild weather; help creating a sculpture from recycled items; touring the green features of the new museum, and more.
For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.brooklynkids.org or call (718) 735-4400.

10th Annual Gowanus Canal Earth Day Flotilla Spring Clean-Up
Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., meet at 2nd and Bond streets at the Canal
The Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy will guide eco-volunteers on an ecological cruise to explore, rediscover and help collect floatable debris in and along the historic Gowanus Canal.
To register, call (347) 224-5687, (347) 224-5828 or e-mail theurbandivers@yahoo.com.

Block Institute Earth Day Celebration
May 6, all day, both Block Institute locations, 376 Bay 44th St. and 2214 Stillwell Ave.
Featuring an Earth Day-themed lunch; art projects made from recycled materials; spring planting and garden preparation; a recycling drive; and a Mother’s Day/Earth Day sale of green bags, plants, wooden roses, arts and crafts and note cards. Special guest Miss Brooklyn 2009, Keelie Sheridan, will be attending.
For more information, call (718) 946-9700 (Bay 44th Street location) or (718) 947-3200 (Stillwell Avenue).

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