Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

In all cases, we balance recommended investment in renewable energy with conservative cost-payback analysis. We define an energy source as ‘renewable’ when it can be regenerated without combustion or pollution. Our practice specializes in three types:

Energy from the Sun-

• Solar Thermal:  Water captures the sun’s thermal energy very effectively and enables us to lower demand on a multitude of space heating and hot water applications.  We use solar-heated water, domestic hot water, space heating, and absorption heat exchange systems.

• Solar PV:  For roof-mounted, thin film, or other photovoltaic power production, we size solar systems for a building’s needs based on utility bill analysis, reinforce roof structures, and integrate the DC power into a building’s existing electrical panel.

• Solar Building Orientation:  Window orientations bathe living areas in natural light with passive shading in summer.

Earth – 

Harvesting energy from the earth’s natural ability to cool in the summer and heat in the winter, we use ground-source applications for hydronic climate control systems, domestic hot water, snow & ice-melt, and to temper ventilation air.     In whole-building design, we strategically place heavy earthen materials to retain thermal mass.

 Wind –

Wind powered systems are not recommended at street level in New York due to ambient noise, and low sustained wind speeds.  However, at the rooftop level these concerns disappear.   We measure available wind speed using our anemometers and integrate aesthetically pleasing systems to work both day and night to produce renewable energy.