Energy Investment Systems

EIS can assist your building to meet annual energy benchmarking requirements that went into effect last year. Required of all buildings 50,000 square feet or larger, the benchmarking reports are helping to build a database on energy consumption citywide. More importantly for you and your building, value-added EIS benchmarking reports provide the information you need to address the financial and environmental impact of your building’s energy consumption.

Let EIS manage compliance for your building and assist  you to start thinking about how you can use this information to profit your building.  Contact us to find out how EIS benchmarking services can work for your building or management portfolio.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) launched its Green Jobs/Green NY Financing Program earlier in 2011. Designed to assist multifamily buildings with implementing energy efficient upgrades, the program works alongside NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program (MPP). Buildings must complete an Energy Reduction Plan (ERP) through the MPP, which identifies cost-effective energy efficiency improvements that reduce the building’s energy use by 15%.

After approval of the ERP buildings are eligible for Green Jobs/Green NY Financing. NYSERDA advances 50% of the principal of the loan to support installation of the identified improvements, up to $500,000 at an interest rate of 0%. Buildings are eligible whether or not they elect to implement measures to achieve the 15% savings identified in the ERP. They can drop out of the program after ERP approval and can choose to implement only select measures. Buildings can work with a commercial lender of their choosing, and most lenders in NY are eligible to offer loans through Green Jobs/Green NY.

As a designated Multifamily Performance Program Partner, EIS can help your building navigate the MPP program to unlock this attractive financing option. Call EIS today at 212-966-6641 to find out more about NYSERDA financing and incentives available for multifamily buildimgs.

Perhaps the only task more daunting than choosing between the multitude of incentive programs available is finding a partner to work with. Luckily, many incentive programs develop lists of companies that have demonstrated proficiency in facilitating energy efficient improvements. EIS has been an approved partner for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program since 2008. We have helped buildings throughout New York City and State navigate the MPP to obtain maximum incentives and achieve astounding energy and cost savings.
As a new Market Partner for the Con Edison Commercial and Industrial Program, we will be able to extend our services to a larger range of clients, while still maintaining our high standards of customer service and performance. EIS has already partnered with residential buildings in New York City to facilitate feasibility studies through the C&I program, and would be happy to talk with you about opportunities to plan and implement new energy saving technologies in your building.
For more information on our services, or how your building could benefit from partnering with EIS, call or email us today.

EIS, in partnership with the C.V. Starr Foundation at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Scinece and Art, has submitted a petition to New York’s Public Service Commission to include regenerative drives as a renewable resource in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Regenerative drives, or regen, as it is called in the industry, capture the energy produced by traction elevators and turn it into useable electricity for the building. If regen is approved as an RPS resource, buildings will be able to seek public subsidies for installation of the new equipment.

The elevators generate energy when in the braking mode, when a full elevator car descends or when an empty elevator cab ascends, as shown in the graphic below.

Traditional systems without regen not only dissipate this energy as heat, but then must consume additional energy to cool the machinery. Regen should achieve peak energy generation at the end of the afternoon as workers leave their office buildings for home, which is when air conditioning use is at a peak and electricity is most expensive and most needed in New york City. Read the petition (PDF) for yourself for more about regen’s potential and check out the coverage it received from Forbes blogger William Pentland.

New York City Local Law 84 – Energy Benchmarking

All New York City buildings over 50,000 square feet, or buildings on the same lot or condo board totaling 100,000 square feet, are required to submit their first annual energy benchmark as of May 1, 2011.

The benchmarking requirement (Local Law 84) is a part of New York City’s Greener Greater Buildings Plan, and is the first part of a series of three laws applying to large buildings’ energy use. Beginning in 2013, large buildings will be required to undergo an energy audit and retro-commissioning process every ten years.

Let us help. EIS has helped multifamily buildings reduce their energy costs and carbon footprints since 1983. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have about what the new laws mean for your building or portfolio. Contact us for benchmarking pricing information at 212-966-6641 or lmk@eisincorp.com.

What is the process?
1. Give us a call. We’ll need to get some information about your building.
2. Let us work for you. Give EIS permission to access your energy bills, and we’ll contact Con Ed, National Grid, and any other energy providers directly.
3. Understand your results. Benchmarking information is required to be entered into the EnergyStar Portfolio Manager online tool, which is not yet able to provide multifamily buildings with an energy score. EIS will translate your benchmark into a practical and accessible analysis of your building’s energy use.
4. Get ahead! Buildings that complete their energy audit by 2013 can skip their next one. EIS can provide complete compliance with the new laws, from benchmarking to retro-commissioning.

Don’t wait. Buildings must comply by May 1, 2011. The process can take up to a month to complete – Contact EIS today.

On November 14th, Lewis Kwit, President of EIS moderated a panel discussion at the Council of New York Cooperative and Condominium’s Annual Conference. Being Green is Not a Spectator Sport focused on current State and Utility energy programs currently offered to multifamily buildings in the New York City area.



Lewis Kwit introduced the discussion by presenting top priorities in the industry and sustainable opportunities in the multifamily housing sector; you can view his powerpoint presentation here.




Rebecca Craft, Director of Energy Efficiency Programs for Con Edison, spoke about the latest developments in Con Edison efficiency programs and how buildings can participate. You can view her powerpoint here.





Michael Colgrove, Director of Energy Programs for the New York State Energy Research and Development Administration New York Office, presented recent developments in the Multifamily Performance Program, offered different options for buildings to participate in, and explained incentive levels buildings could reach. You can view his powerpoint here.



Isabelle Silverman, Attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, presented on the importance of switching from fuel oil to natural gas and enumerated the benefits of switching building tenants and the greater New York City environment. You can view her powerpoint here.

New Yorkers are bombarded by noise.  A 2005 New York Magazine survey investigated the sounds we encounter on a daily basis.  While a regular conversation is about 65 decibels, the sound of traffic on the Upper West Side is 79 decibels, with honking horns reaching 90 decibels.  Each increase of 10 decibels makes noise sound twice as loud, and prolonged sounds above 85 decibels can permanently damage hearing.  More than mere annoyances, noises can significantly impact quality of life.

Several new books have emerged on the topic of sound and silence:  Zero Decibels, by George Michelsen Foy; The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want, by Garret Keizer; and  George Prochnik’s In Pursuit of Silence.  In looking at silence, they inevitably dissect noise and its impact on people, places, and cultures.  To all of these authors noise is more than a nuisance.  It prevents people from hearing and being heard; it disrupts calm and breeds irritation and anger.  Silence separates an individual from the rush and chaos of the city.  A quiet space is private.

Noise pollution is being investigated on many fronts.  Scientists, engineers, and urban planners have developed techniques and tools for enhancing and controlling the quality of sound.  Soundscaping is a concept used in urban planning.  It is focused on maintaining sound quality and diversity in human environments.  Engineering techniques like quiet concrete and quiet steel are efforts to dampen sound by modifying traditional materials.  Researchers in Spain are developing an acoustic cloak, which will make objects impervious to sound.

Of course, there are solutions to noise pollution at an individual level as well.  Many energy efficient appliances are quieter than older, less efficient versions.  New double glazed and energy efficient windows can block noise better than single paned windows, and also save money on heating and cooling costs through improved insulation.


Learn how Energy Investment Systems, Inc. can help improve indoor air quality and address other sustainable objectives through our sustainability audit.

As the sustainability movement grows, its aim, focus, and overall mission is solidifying. Amidst the hype, there is development of ambitious, but achievable goals and new leaders are emerging to head up local and global efforts to promote change.

The article Reinventing the City to Combat Climate Change is especially prescient to New Yorkers as Mayor Bloomberg has been selected to head C40 cities climate leadership group, an organization of cities worldwide to promote sustainability objectives.

EIS views these issues at the specific building level and has established a unique sustainability audit for our clients. The audit provides specific information to save energy, save money, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance value. we have recognized that our recomendations must also provide a healthier indoor environment and enhance lifestyles. Issues of quiet enjoyment and wellness need to be integrated within the typical energy audit methodology. The article Reinventing the City to Combat Climate Change tackles this issue head on – throwing down a gauntlet that must resonate if implementation of energy saving recommendations are to occur. The authors state “there can be no sustainability without livability.” It is our job to advise buildings of how to turn this simple axiom into reality.

Read more about C40 cities here.

Read about how you can make your building more sustainable with EIS here.