By HFT Staff

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) announced the completion of a large-scale energy efficiency upgrade at NYC Health + Hospital/Queens. The project marks the latest milestone in both agencies’ ongoing efforts to optimize energy use and decarbonize building operations by implementing technologies that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. These upgrades enhance the hospital’s sustainable infrastructure and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, creating a healthier environment for patients and staff while transforming the facility into a greener, more energy-efficient healthcare hub. 

The $8.2 million energy project is expected to save 1.4 million kWh of electricity and 218,000 therms of natural gas annually, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,500 metric tons of CO2e per year—equivalent to removing the emissions of over 300 cars. Additionally, these upgrades will generate more than $400,000 in annual energy savings. 

As part of the latest project at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, key improvements include the installation of an advanced chiller plant optimization system, modern exterior lighting systems, Wi-Fi enabled window AC systems and boiler burner control upgrades. Additionally, as part of efforts to electrify thermal loads, a heat pump domestic water heater was installed, capturing ambient heat in the air and transferring it to the water. These upgrades to the hospital’s HVAC system allow for improved control over heating, cooling, and ventilation functions. 

The project was completed in partnership with DCAS’ Energy Management division (DEM), which provided $6 million in funding, as well as technical support. DCAS plays a critical role in supporting agency partners in their energy reduction and emissions goals. Projected to save over $413,000 on energy costs each year, the Queens Hospital upgrade will help the city government meet its mandate to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030 through investments in over thousands of efficiency projects each year. 

The Queens Hospital upgrade is part of DCAS’ Accelerated Conservation and Efficiency (ACE) Program, which provides funding, and facilitates energy efficiency, emission reduction and distributed generation capital projects through partnerships with city agencies. Other projects include solar panel installations, boiler retrofits, fuel oil conversion projects and lighting upgrades. This initiative highlights the City’s dedication to implementing sustainable technologies that work to reduce the carbon footprint of municipal buildings and safeguard the environment. Over the past decade, DCAS and partner agencies have contributed nearly $1 billion in funding across over 14,000 completed energy conservation projects, leading to a reduction of 372,000 MTCO2e—an impact equivalent to removing 80,000 cars from the road. These projects are estimated to have reduced annual energy costs by $128 million.