Sustainability Initiatives Save CUIMC more than $1 Million in Project Costs

In 2020, CUIMC Facilities Engineering’s sustainability efforts paid off when CUIMC saved a total of $1,214,537.75 in various energy projects.

How were these savings accomplished? According to Jeet Viswanathan, director of Energy & Sustainability, “the two largest local and state energy companies, NYSERDA and Con-Edison, encourage institutions and organizations to reduce their energy consumption. As a reward for saving energy, these companies provide monetary incentives for every project implemented that reduced energy.”

CUIMC Facilities Engineering was definitely up to the task of reducing the medical center’s energy consumption. In the last three years, CUIMC received on average $264,108 in incentives. In 2020, that number increased to 4.5 times more than usual!

Several lighting projects were accomplished in collaboration with Engineering and Capital Projects. “I remember an energy saving lighting replacement project overseen by Capital Projects team members. They approached me to collaborate in saving dollars to CUIMC,” recalls Jeet. “We were able to reduce the price of the project from $123,578.00 to $ 68,508.00 by receiving an incentive of $55,470.00 from Con-Edison.”

CUIMC Facilities Engineering also received past due incentives from the years 2015-2016. The plan is to continue saving the medical center money by receiving more incentives and, most importantly, get us closer to a more sustainable campus.