February 2016 Tour

On Saturday, February 27th, CCETC hosted a tour of three commercial buildings in Ithaca. These buildings have each creatively implemented green building methods and renewable energy options to earn a LEED Gold or Platinum rating. These actions have saved business owners everywhere thousands of dollars while helping the environment. The tour provided architects, engineers, and business owners with a unique opportunity to learn first hand about how they could save energy and use natural resources efficiently too.

If you missed it, here are a few highlights from each of the sites we visited:

Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center

1 Plantations Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850

• Evacuated tube solar collectors on the roof provide about 40% of the building’s heat.
• Wood louvers allow light to pass through and provide warmth, serving as external solar control during the winter. In the summer, they shade the interior.
• The green roof has sedum plants on it, insulating the building in the winter and lowering its temperature in the summer.
• Ceiling vents and low open windows assist with cooling and reduce energy costs.
• 30% of the building’s materials are made from recycled content.

Maguire Family Auto Dealership

370 Elmira Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850

• The showroom uses 45% less energy and 64% less water than a typical showroom of the same size.
• One fifth of the energy used in the showroom is supplied by the solar panels on top of the building.
• The white roof reduces heat gain, lowering the amount of energy used in cooling.
• Daylight sensors turn off lights when rooms are naturally lit.
• Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in two tanks, used to refill toilet tanks and wash cars. This saves over 8,500 gallons of water a year.

Taitem Engineering

110 S. Albany St, Ithaca, NY, 14850

• Energy use is 37% less than the national average for a building of its type.
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water consumption by 31%.
• Solar panels general 17% of the energy used in the building.
• Interior storm windows are on the inside of stained glass windows to improve efficiency while preserving character.
• A geothermal heat pump in the attic is used for heating, along with eight 250 foot wells buried in the driveway.
• Their goal is to continue getting closer to net zero. The next steps they take will be to put a second geothermal heat pump in the basement and install more LED lights.

Last updated July 26, 2019