196 NYCHA Staff Received Energy Efficiency Training at Sustainability Boot Camp this Summer

August 29, 2016

The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, REBNY, BOMA NY, and Urban Green Council partnered with NYCHA and the Mayor’s Fund to provide training for NYCHA building personnel

Sustainability Boot Camp complements Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050

NEW YORK––This summer, 196 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) staff members from more than 100 developments throughout the city received energy efficiency training at Sustainability Boot Camp, a program led by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, Urban Green Council, NYCHA and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. The program is designed for New York building managers, superintendents, operators and engineers with the goal of helping buildings become greener and more sustainable, while also bringing down energy costs. Sustainability Boot Camp complements Mayor Bill de Blasio’s OneNYC commitment to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050 (80X50). The program will help NYCHA staff engage communities in creating energy efficient and resilient neighborhoods.

Nearly 500 building professionals in New York City have received training through Sustainability Boot Camp since its inception in Spring 2016 – this includes the additional 196 NYCHA staff trained this summer.

“Sustainability Boot Camp has trained 196 NYCHA staff members to make our City’s buildings more energy efficient, fighting climate change and driving down energy costs. I thank our partners, the Real Estate Board of New York, Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, and the Urban Green Council for supporting our goal to make New York City more sustainable and resilient by reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“As the largest public housing authority in North America, NYCHA presents a unique opportunity to scale up reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across its portfolio of buildings,” said Daniel Zarrilli, Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs and Chief Resilience Officer for the Office of the Mayor. “We are pleased to have worked with REBNY to provide the necessary tools and training to NYCHA staff to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings in support of our ambitious OneNYC 80x50 goal.”

"NYCHA seeks to be sustainable at every level. This includes investing in our staff, the leaders of NextGen NYCHA," said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “Thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the Real Estate Board of New York, this energy-efficiency-focused program will give our staff the tools they need to help us move towards a more sustainable future.”

“Property managers and building staff are on the front lines when it comes to sustainability,” said NYCHA Vice President for Energy and Sustainability Bomee Jung. “This program is a great resource for our staff as we work to meet our Sustainability Agenda commitment to train property managers in practices that promote healthy homes and improve energy management.”

“This training for our public housing employees is one more way New York City is leading a path towards a more sustainable future. The Mayor’s Fund is incredibly proud to support this public-private partnership, which wouldn’t be possible without the support of REBNY and the program’s sponsors. With initiatives like Sustainability Boot Camp, we’re better prepared to tackle the big challenges facing our city like climate change,” said Darren Bloch, Executive Director of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. 

“Our spring Sustainability Boot Camp program was a great success, training nearly 300 property managers and building staff on how to improve energy efficiency and conservation in their buildings,” said John H. Banks, III, REBNY President. “Providing this educational offering to NYCHA staff was a natural next step in our goal of making New York City’s building systems better suited for the future.”

“Working with NYCHA means we can affect the health and energy use of the 600,000 New Yorkers who live in their buildings,” said Russell Unger, Executive Director of Urban Green Council. “Building operators are at the front lines of improving building energy, air quality, and water use. Through our training program they will be equipped with the knowledge to make changes tomorrow.”

“Educating the professionals that manage and operate our buildings is critically important to meeting our climate mitigation goals. Providing the efficiency and conservation skills to NYCHA’s staff builds on Sustainability Boot Camp's great success, and provide NYCHA's residents with access to the better quality and healthier spaces that building energy efficiency measures can provide. The Building Energy Exchange strongly supports this important program by providing attendees with the tools and resources they need to maximize the impact of this important education,” said Richard C. Yancey, Executive Director of Building Energy Exchange.

Council Member Costa Constantinides, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, said, “The summer Sustainability Boot Camp brings us closer to our goal of reducing our carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. NYCHA developments are one of our city's largest landlords and increasing their energy efficiency will make a significant impact. Building managers have learned how to make their buildings greener and how to reduce energy costs. We must all work together to combat the effects of climate change. I commend REBNY and the Mayor's Office of Sustainability for leading the charge on this issue.”

“Improving sustainability programs and green efforts at NYCHA developments can help ensure public housing remains strong for future generations – and that starts with proper training of NYCHA staff and grounds managers. The extension of the Sustainability Boot Camp to NYCHA professionals is a laudable progression of the program and provided NYCHA staff with the skill-set they need to bring greening and conservation efforts to developments,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres, Chair of Committee on Public Housing.

Sustainability Boot Camp is one of many tools the City provides to support building owners and staff in reducing emissions and meeting vital OneNYC sustainability goals, including the NYC Retrofit Accelerator, NYC Benchmarking Help Center, the NYC Carbon Challenge, the Green Housing Preservation Program, and a new building operators training through NYC Small Business Services.

Sponsored by CodeGreen Solutions, ConEdison Solutions, National Grid, NORESCO, and Zones, Sustainability Boot Camp this summer offers Urban Green Council’s existing GPRO Operations & Maintenance Essentials (O&M) certificate with courses taught by a combination of trained instructors and industry experts. NYCHA and the Mayor’s Fund sponsored the heavily discounted fee of $30 per NYCHA participant.

Following the training of NYCHA staff, Sustainability Boot Camp will offer BOMA’s International Energy Efficiency Program: BEEP® Version 2.0 this fall, which reflects the latest industry trends, new technologies, and best practices to help the commercial real estate industry reduce energy consumption and improve the energy performance of real estate assets. Taught by NORESCO, the eight-hour course will be offered at a discounted cost of $45 per person. Commercial building superintendents, operators, facility and property managers, and operating and stationary engineers can register for courses online here.

To-date, many of the largest commercial and residential owners and managers in New York City have participated in Sustainability Boot Camp programs, including: ATCO Properties and Management, Boston Properties, Brookfield, CBRE, Inc., Cushman & Wakefield, Durst Organization, Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Empire State Realty Trust, Fisher Brothers, Forest City Ratner Companies, Jack Resnick and Sons, Jones Lang LaSalle, Related Companies, Rockefeller Group Development Corporation, Rockrose, Rudin Management, RXR Realty, Silverstein Properties, Tishman Speyer, Trinity Real Estate and Vornado Realty Trust New York.

About the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
The Mayor's Office of Sustainability executes responsibilities mandated by Section 20 of NYC Charter. The Office provides daily support to City Hall on sustainability issues, policy, and research. In addition, the Office also oversees overall citywide sustainability policy development, oversight and implementation in coordination with relevant city agencies. The Office of Sustainability also works with City agencies to coordinate relevant policy with federal, state and local environmental stakeholders.

About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 328 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.

About the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City
The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, chaired by First Lady Chirlane McCray, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to promoting partnerships between the City and the private sector in support of high-impact public programs. The Mayor’s Fund is focused on serving as a vehicle for the generous business and philanthropic communities to contribute to City programs and enhance the lives of New Yorkers in areas ranging from mental health, to youth workforce development, to immigration and citizenship. To learn more about the Mayor’s Fund, visit nyc.gov/fund.

About The Real Estate Board of New York
The Real Estate Board of New York is the City’s leading real estate trade association with more than 17,000 members. REBNY represents major commercial and residential property owners and builders, brokers and managers, banks, financial service companies, utilities, attorneys, architects, contractors and other individuals and institutions professionally interested in the city’s real estate. REBNY is involved in crucial municipal matters including tax policy, city planning and zoning, rental conditions, land use policy, building codes and legislation. In addition, REBNY publishes reports providing indicators of market prices for both the residential and commercial sectors. Please visit us online at www.REBNY.com.

Follow REBNY on Twitter | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on YouTube

About Urban Green Council
Urban Green Council is the New York affiliate of the U.S. Green Building Council. Its mission is to advance the sustainability of urban buildings through education, advocacy and research. A nonprofit organization established in 2002, Urban Green’s in-house experts and a dedicated network of volunteers are helping to transform the built environment in New York City with models that can be replicated in urban centers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.urbangreencouncil.org.

About Building Owners and Managers Association of New York
The Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York (BOMA/NY) represents more than 750 owners, property managers, and building professionals who either own or manage 400 million square feet of commercial space. We are responsible for the safety of over 3 million tenants, generate more than $1.5 billion in tax revenue, and oversee annual budgets of more than $4 billion. BOMA/NY is the largest Association in the BOMA International Federation, the world’s largest trade organization.