Cornell Tech has recently announced their plans to achieve net zero energy efficiency for the campus’ Bloomberg Center. The Bloomberg Center is the first academic building on the Cornell Tech campus to receive support for the sorts of green energy systems that will help the building approach net zero.
To begin with, architects have designed the building to be as energy efficient as possible. However, the building also needs to generate enough electricity to cover the building’s energy needs without the use of natural gas. This is possible thanks to the building’s large roof space, which will see the installation of approximately 1450 solar panels in September.
The Bloomberg Center building has other energy saving features, for example, the basement will also have a geothermal heating and cooling system. The system will connect to 80 wells going 400 feet deep, which will help cut energy need further. An underground tank capable of holding 40,000 gallons will collect rainwater to be used in the building’s cool, irrigation and plumbing systems. In addition, almost every aspect of the building has been intelligently composed to cut down on energy usage, such as a perforated aluminum skin for the building that will function as both insulation and shade, negating some of the need for heating and cooling.
Andrew C. Winters, Senior Director of Capital Projects for Cornell acknowledged the amount of effort and cooperation needed to complete the task. He went on to say that the project was an opportunity to think about applying sustainability practices to the entire campus. Cornell Tech’s Dean, Dan Huttenlocher, agrees with the vision of applying the Bloomberg Center model campuswide.
“Cornell Tech will have some of the most environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient buildings in the world,” said Huttenlocher.
“The Bloomberg Center is our main academic hub on campus and, inspired by the Bloomberg model, we’re reinforcing our commitment to innovation and sustainability by pushing the boundaries of current energy efficiency practices and setting a new standard for building in New York.”
