<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  When we think about energy use, it&amp;#039;s hard to overlook buildings. In New York City, for example, 80% of energy is consumed by buildings alone. While NYC doesn&amp;#039;t necessarily represent the entire US, a shift toward urban living in recent years is noticeable. In fact, 2006 was the first year in world history when more people lived in cities than rural areas.  NYC recently pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Considering the fact that 90% of current buildings will still be around in 2040, the redesign of older building can have a far greater effect on the environment than the design of new buildings in the long term. Empire State Building Redesign: The Empire State Building, perhaps the most famous office building in the world, is an icon of productivity. It was constructed in 1930, in the middle of the Great Depression, in only 14 months. However, it&amp;#039;s inefficient- consuming eleven million dollars worth of energy each year. With utility bills like that it made sense to try and reduce the energy the building consumes. A number of groups, including the Clinton Climate Initiative helped to put together a plan to cut usage by nearly 40%. How did they do it? They started by refurbishing all 6,514 windows, installing radiator shields to retain heat, as well as light dimmers, and occupancy sensors. They also redesigned the air conditioning systems and put tenants of the building in co   ntrol of their consumption by letting them see in real time the amount of energy they&amp;#039;re using. The upgrades made by the Empire State Building cost a total of thirteen million dollars but will save 4.4 million dollars a year, paying for itself in just 3 years. Recently, the building, which now receives all of its energy from renewable sources, was granted LEED Gold certification (also see the Hearst Tower) and an Energy Star rating in the top 10% of buildings. The work done on the Empire State Building shows us that common sense improvements to buildings and homes can make environmental and economic sense. What once was a beacon of productivity and inspiration is now a model for sustainability and forward thinking that the rest of the US and the world can follow. For more information on green initiatives at Good Housekeeping, read about the recently launched Green Good Housekeeping Seal, or schedule a tour of the Research Institute. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a20338/empire-state-building-renovation/>