DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: 300-level

SESSION 10

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – 2:00pm – Metro 2B

ABSTRACT:

A panel of business leaders and subject-matter experts will explore the economic and environmental benefits of ‘building to grid’ smart grid strategies for green building efforts, and examine how interoperable systems come together to deliver a real Building-to-Grid Smart Grid solution that will contribute to the achievement of PLANYC and provide multiple public benefits for New York City and the region.

MODERATOR:

Audrey Zibelman, CEO, Viridity Energy

SPEAKERS:

Jim Gallagher, Energy Policy Advisor, Office of Mayor Bloomberg
Troy De Vries, Project Manager, Con Edison
Shiv Mani, Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Roger N. Anderson, Con Edison Senior Scholar, Columbia University

DESCRIPTION:

‘Building to Grid’ Smart Grid solutions leverage the computing and telecommunications advances of the modern era to deliver efficient and reliable power to large buildings. These strategies minimize cost and mitigate the stability risks that large power users represent to system operators by creating a secure and interoperable interface.

The idea of a Smart Grid describes the destination at the end of a very long road. The problem at hand is an antiquated electricity delivery system that is struggling to meet the needs of the modern era. Delivering high volumes of energy across an infrastructure that was commissioned decades before the age of the internet is inefficient as well as a security risk.

Recent federal, state, and local support of Wind, Solar, and other Alternative energy technologies have placed an emphasis on sustainability—and rightfully so— as these sectors have matured substantially in the last decade. Still, the benefit of these and other advances are exposed to an inefficient and unreliable power delivery system. Aging equipment and the lack of real-time visibility are just a few of the major problems.

A major challenge also exists on the other side of the meter. Every customer and every light bulb has an effect on the grid, which requires a response from an energy generator. But huge amounts of energy is wasted and, even worse, the unpredictability of demand indicates the grid operators’ inability to foresee what will happen in the future.

Fortunately, a variety of solutions are developing to address every weak link along the chain.
One the areas which shows the greatest potential for Smart Grid improvement is ‘Building-to-Grid’. ‘Building to Grid’ solutions leverage the computing and telecommunications advances of the modern era to deliver efficient and reliable power to Demand-side users while minimizing cost and mitigating the stability risks that large power users represent to system operators by creating a secure and interoperable interface.

A Secure Interoperable Open Smart Grid (SIOSG) has the capability of providing the missing link to energy efficiency and demand side management. This provides evaluation, measurement, and verification through ubiquitous deployment of intelligence and direct access to aggregated load management and grid connected distributed resources.

New York City and the NYCEDC have 31 buildings under their direct energy management. The SIOSG demonstration project with Con Edison under the DOE sponsored Smart Grid Grant will capture the full potential of demand response, grid integrated, manage the load, and will enable energy efficiency for a customer to achieve curtailable and flexible load from three different facilities in Brooklyn. An additional site in Long Island City or Lower Manhattan will also be a part of this demonstration. The SIOSG will integrate to the city’s building management systems and enable the city’s energy assets to react in real time to the system needs of Con Edison (e.g., for distribution system and network load relief) and the NYISO, to schedule curtailed and shifted load into the day ahead and real time wholesale energy and ancillary service markets.

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DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: 300-level

SESSION 23

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 – 9:00 am – Metro 2A

ABSTRACT:

PlaNYC, New York City’s sustainable growth plan, called for expanding the city’s clean distributed generation capacity by 800 MW. Though a total of 64 MW has been installed over the past three years, the city has a long way to go to reach its 800 MW goal. This presentation will focus on existing and emerging distributed generation strategies at the building and district scale that can contribute to de-carbonizing the City’s utility grid.

MODERATOR:

Kenneth A. Lewis, Director, New York Office, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

SPEAKERS:

Steven Caputo, Policy Adviser, New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability
Florence D. Hudson, Energy & Environment Executive and Cloud Computing Strategist, IBM
Margarett Jolly, Distributed Generation Umbudswoman, Consolidated Edison

DESCRIPTION:

The presentation will begin with a look at 7 World Trade Center as an example of distributed generation technologies utilizing micro-turbines and a using Con Edison steam delivery system to generate electricity on-site. Design implications of distributed renewable energy systems on buildings will be illustrated with introductions of several Center for Architecture Science and Ecology CASE research areas.

The second part of the presentation will describe the critical need for distributed generation to aid in de-carbonization efforts and enhancing reliability, particularly through peak demand reductions. Incorporating distributed generation into She will then describe how distributed generation can be incorporated into Con Edison’s steam network—which is the largest in the country–—will also be discussed, along with and also discuss various incentives for clean distributed generation.

This portion of the session presentation will end with a summary of a range of distributed generation technologies available to design teams including such as Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHP), steam turbines, ice storage, and solar power.

In addition, the third presentation, the Mayor’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability will describe the city’s efforts to encourage distributed generation in the context of PlaNYC. The city will discuss its efforts through the Department of Buildings to streamline permitting of co-generation facilities, as well as the creation of Solar Empowerment Zones and a citywide solar map to accelerate the adoption of solar power.

The session will finish with a Florence Hudson of IBM Smart Cities/Smart Buildings will round out the discussion of by highlighting what is possible through a smarter approach to building design and planning, and how can innovation in design can lead the way.

Learning objectives/Questions addressed:

• How can distributed generation be used in a dense urban environment like NYC.
• How can distributed generation be interconnected into existing steam and electric utility grids?
• What incentives and policies exist to encourage clean distributed generation?
• What are the political and policy implications?
• What are the new technologies for distributed generation?
• How can innovative design and planning lead the way?

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DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE

SESSION 30

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 – 11:00am – Metro 2A

ABSTRACT:

A discussion of the transformative potential for low-voltage, or DC powered, lighting and control systems, and the challenges to implementation.

MODERATOR:

TBD

SPEAKERS:

Patricia Dimaggio, Specifications Engineer, Osram Sylvania
Ryan Carlson, Senior Director, Product Management, Redwood Systems
Ken Czech , Vice President, Strategic Product Development & Innovation Philips Lightolier

DESCRIPTION:

DC-based components and power sources represent an exciting new direction in building design and operation. By marrying low-voltage LED lights with DC-based sensors, networking, and intelligent building controls, the potential exists for buildings systems to operate completely in concert. This panel will explore the intersection of efforts to reduce energy consumption through groundbreaking lamp technology, superior networking & controls, and progressive lighting design.

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DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: 400-level

SESSION 39

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 -2 pm – Metro 4A

ABSTRACT:

Three cases studies explore the unique challenges of urban stormwater management today.  Projects to be discussed include a 2.6 acre vegetated roof installed in downtown Minneapolis, a 48 block transit-way sustainable streetscape renovation project, also in downtown Minneapolis, and a waterfront re-development project in Toronto.

MODERATOR:

Jeannette Compton, Senior Project Manager for Design, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation

SPEAKERS:

Skip Graffam, Partner and Director of Research, OLIN Landscape Architecture and Urban Design
Peter MacDonagh, Co-Founder and Director, Design + Science, Kestrel Design Group
Gary Pease, Principal, Nitsch Engineering
James Urban, FASLA

DESCRIPTION:

Because using open space for stormwater ponds and raingardens in urban areas is typically cost prohibitive, innovative stormwater management approaches are often necessary. Where open space is at a premium, innovative stormwater management techniques can be integrated in a way that produces multi-functional stormwater techniques using a whole systems design approach.

This session will provide an overview of the unique challenges of urban stormwater management today and will present three case studies that show innovative, integrative approaches for urban stormwater management that at the same time also provide many other benefits that contribute to building sustainable urban sites and cities. All three case studies show movement away from the scale of demonstration projects to large-scale projects birthed from necessity due to city stormwater systems that are no longer able to handle their loads.

The first case study is a presentation of a stormwater solution developed for Yale University. The City of New Haven requires that development projects at Yale treat and mitigate all of its stormwater on site, prior to discharge to the City system. They implemented strategies to capture, store, infiltrate, cleanse and recycle stormwater, demonstrating various sustainable design principles. A water-based phytoremediation solution to treat the stormwater incorporates rainwater harvesting into a workable and aesthetically pleasing solution, which is integrated seamlessly into a vibrant public space on campus.

The next three case studies illustrate stormwater management using green infrastructure on a larger scale:

1)    A 2.6 acre vegetated roof installed in downtown Minneapolis on an existing arena to mitigate stormwater runoff from a significant amount of impervious surface in a downtown location where space does not permit use of other Low Impact Development Techniques for stormwater management at grade. Green roofs, which integrate stormwater management into the building envelope, also reduce building energy use, reduce urban heat island effect,  increase the lifespan of the building envelope by protecting it from extreme temperature fluctuations and, improve air quality, and increase wildlife habitat.

2)    A 48 block transit-way sustainable streetscape renovation project, also in downtown Minneapolis, that incorporated urban trees and extended the trees’ rooting volumes under paved sidewalks to not only allow the growth of large trees, but also treat stormwater runoff from 90% of rain events from its 5.5 acre catchment area, significantly contributing to solving the City’s combined sewer overflow problems and reducing stormwater utility fees by half.

3)    A waterfront re-development project in Toronto that uses several innovative techniques to maximize uncompacted tree rooting volume and harvest stormwater to reduce stormwater impacts to Lake Ontario. At the same time, this project also reduces Toronto’s urban heat island effect, increases storefront appeal, and enhances water quality in the City’s valuable waterfront. At 2100 acres, this project is the largest project of its kind in the world.

Following the overview and case study presentation, time for audience wide discussion will provide opportunity for integrative synthesis of experience and expertise of the disciplines represented in this session.

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DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: 300-level

SESSION 12

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – 2:00pm – Metro 4A

ABSTRACT:

Reducing water consumption by implementing water savings strategies on a project-by-project basis.

MODERATOR:

Bret Mantyk, Environmental Designer, Atelier Ten

SPEAKERS:

Edward A. Clerico, Founder & President, Applied Water Management, Inc.
Michael Gubbins, Vice President & Director of Residential Management, Albanese Organization
Uta Krogmann, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University
Warren Liebold, Director of Metering/Conservation, NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DESCRIPTION:

As the global population struggles to properly manage its water resources, the building industry has increasingly taken steps to reduce water consumption by implementing water savings strategies on a project-by-project basis. Strategies such as low-flow plumbing fixtures, low-maintenance landscape design, stormwater harvesting, and greywater and blackwater reuse have become common practice thanks to programs such as LEED that have helped to change the industries’ attitudes towards water conservation.

Incorporating water savings measures into individual projects benefit communities as a whole. However, what remains unclear is how these strategies, when implemented on a greater scale, affects the regional water infrastructure. This is especially unclear in the urban landscape, where small changes on individual projects across an entire town or city could have considerable impact on the infrastructure in that region.

This presentation will address this issue by bringing together a panel of industry professionals ranging from the building design industry, water technology experts, and local and government agencies, to discuss regional-scale impacts of good and best-practice water strategies on buildings.

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DYNAMIC INFRASTRUCTURE: 300-level

SESSION 27

DATE // START TIME // ROOM NUMBER:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 – 9:00am – Metro 4B

ABSTRACT:

A diverse panel presents the Gowanus Green case study, a proposed neighborhood of sustainable mixed-income housing, parks, community facilities, and retail, to illustrate the reclamation of a brownfield site along Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal and the transformation of disused open space into a ‘sustainable’ public amenity.

MODERATOR:

Guido Hartray, Associate, Rogers Marvel Architects

SPEAKERS:

Stephen Whitehouse, Partner, Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners
Sue McCoy, President, Philip Habib & Associates
Andrew Jackson, Project Manager, Hudson Companies
Carter Strickland, Deputy Commissioner for Sustainability, NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DESCRIPTION:

Gowanus Green—a proposed neighborhood of sustainable mixed-income housing, parks, community facilities, and retail – will reclaim a brownfield site along Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal. Among New York City waterways, the canal is one of the most severely afflicted by combined sewer overflows (CSOs), yet the brownfield sites along the canal make conventional retention strategies difficult due to the risk of further contamination. The Gowanus Green Master Plan takes this challenge as a starting point to structure the neighborhood’s urban design around biofiltration. This strategy would reestablish the neighborhood’s ecological and recreational connections to the canal as a shared amenity.

PLANYC has identified inland waterways such as the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek as particular challenges in the city’s work to control CSOs. The waterways tend to concentrate a disproportionate share of sewer outfalls with a history of industrial use and contamination, which makes them incompatible with conventional stormwater mitigation strategies. These two characteristics have overlapped in recent years with a growing drive to recover the waterfront for recreational purpose, which makes finding a solution to improve water quality imperative.

Creating public connections to the water and improving its quality are essential. From this dual challenge emerged the Swale Trail, a richly planted rill that forms the backbone of the project, connecting the wider Gowanus neighborhood to the canal and overlaying the structure of the project’s public space with its hydrology. Along the way, it collects water from streets, green roofs, rain gardens and play areas before arriving at Canal Park in a wet meadow Meditation Garden—the last stop before joining the Gowanus Canal.

The design integrates the need for active and passive recreational space of a dense urban neighborhood with the areas required to handle stormwater. Each aspect of the water management plan responds to complex site constraints and public jurisdictional issues. Site engineering will be coordinated with a complex plan for brownfield remediation to be evaluated through the EPA Superfund review process. Site design constraints include underground parking structures and contaminated substrates that limit the desirability of infiltration strategies. The site, presently in public control, will be parceled into private sites, public streets, and public parks. The intended flow of stormwater from private to public lands will require overflow controls and new agency agreements.

The outdoor spaces of Gowanus Green will comply with newly revised design standards of New York City’s Waterfront Zoning. Accessible from three entrances, Canal Park will be a 1.6-acre city-owned space, featuring an undulating lawn, a waterfront esplanade, an outdoor amphitheatre and a series of native woodland and meadow gardens. These landscapes are framed by residential buildings with a ground floor gallery, restaurant and community center opening onto expansive terraces with flowering trees and ample seating. The dynamic relationship of the ground floor uses and the parkland contribute to an engaging, active public space.

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