High-Rise Buildings
New York’s biggest buildings have some of the biggest energy opportunities.
High-rise buildings contain complex systems and diverse tenants with many different needs. Discover expert support and tailored solutions for your path to a low-carbon building portfolio.
How You Benefit
- Reduce your building’s energy load and increase its resilience
- Provide value for your clients and tenants and meet their changing energy needs
- Position yourself as a leader in the emerging market for low-carbon real estate
- Reduce overhead operating costs while increasing project margins and portfolio values
- Get ahead of local laws and energy code compliance expectations.
Key Energy Saving Opportunities
1. Energy Management
Businesspeople know, “you can’t improve what you don’t measure.” With tailored support to meet the unique energy needs of high-rise buildings, thorough energy assessments and energy management strategies can be the difference maker between your portfolio and your competition’s portfolio. By taking steps like installing an advanced energy management system and training your building operations team on proper energy management techniques, you can unlock efficiencies and savings across your portfolio of high-rise buildings.
Learn more about energy management
2. Resource Efficient Electrification
Decarbonizing high-rise buildings in a cold climate like New York requires a novel approach. With the help of industry-leading resources, you can plan your path toward a carbon neutral building portfolio by adopting an incremental methodology and integrated design process combined with strategic capital planning.
Learn more about Resource Efficient Electrification 
3. High-Efficiency Lighting Design
Energy-efficient lighting in high-rise buildings can save money while improving building operations and tenant satisfaction. In comparison to conventional lighting options, high-efficiency lighting with advanced controls uses less energy, costs less to operate, and can last much longer than traditional options—up to 25 years. Consider also using daylighting to bring more natural light into your spaces, creating an inviting and comfortable environment.
Learn more about high-efficiency lighting
4. Ventilation System Upgrades
Making ventilation system upgrades can improve the comfort and air quality of your building and save money. For example, demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) systems automatically adjust your ventilation equipment to meet the needs of your building. DCV systems can reduce ventilation when offices and other spaces are not occupied or are at lower than peak occupancy.
Learn more about ventilation systems
5. Clean Heating and Cooling (Heat Pump) Upgrades
Clean heating and cooling systems, including ground source (geothermal) heat pumps and thermal energy networks, provide year-round comfort, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Heat pumps work by drawing heat from the environment and moving it indoors to heat or moving it outdoors to cool buildings. Compared to fossil fuel equipment, heat pumps have a longer lifespan and enable greater temperature customization and control for different tenants and zones throughout a high-rise building.
The Empire Building Challenge
The Empire Building Challenge (EBC) is a $50 million investment by New York State to demonstrate different pathways for achieving carbon neutrality in tall buildings. Through the establishment of a private-public partnership with leading real estate owners and their engineering experts, exciting approaches to cold climate decarbonization are being tested in the New York market. The EBC’s new Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings includes step-by-step guidance and real-world case studies for decarbonizing and modernizing a range of building types. With the potential to replicate these solutions across the first cohort of Empire Building Challenge partners and beyond, the impact of each project will accelerate New York’s progress toward the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (Climate Act) goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.
Explore the Challenge and help usher in a new era of high-rise buildings.
You Might Also Be Interested In
High-rise building developers and real estate portfolio owners can improve their bottom line and futureproof their business by reducing energy use and adopting clean technologies. Consider maximizing energy saving strategies with additional cost-effective energy investments, including:
- Community Heat Pumps Pilot Program: Learn how community thermal energy networks can address the heating and cooling needs of high-rise buildings.
- Electric Vehicles & Charging Stations: Converting your fleet and installing charging infrastructure can reduce costs and attract a growing customer base of EV drivers.
- Energy Storage: Use energy storage technologies to create a continuous, reliable supply of energy for your building or business.
- FlexTech Program: Complete an energy study of your building, with NYSERDA cost-share support, to identify and evaluate opportunities to reduce energy costs and incorporate clean energy into capital planning.
- Heat Recovery Program: Discover how recycling wasted thermal energy is supporting large building decarbonization.
- Solar: Compare options for powering your building or business with a clean, cost-saving energy source.
For a full list of programs, visit our energy programs and incentives page.
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