Garth Essex, a five-building, 346 unit co-op apartment complex on Garth Road in Scarsdale, NY, had been heated and cooled with the original duel fuel system and steam air conditioners since its building in 1967. The Garth Essex board approached Stillman Property Management to coordinate an inventory and audit of the heating and cooling plants with the goal of modernizing equipment to reduce costs.

The engineering team that was recommended by Stillman changed the entire Garth Essex energy plant, including boilers, pumps, and the air conditioning system. This energy plant modernization reduced average energy use from approximately 110 therms/degree day to 65 therms/degree day and cut annual usage by 50 percent. The new energy plant is also less prone to breakdowns and requires less maintenance – the maintenance budget dropped over 40 percent. Stillman also guided Garth Essex toward NYSRDA grants for energy saving conversions.

The conversion from a steam-powered air conditioning system also benefited water conservation efforts. By utilizing the direct fire system to heat domestic water used for showers and dishwashers, Garth Essex was able to reduce consumption of water by 25 percent, driving water costs down by 50 percent and eliminating the need to purchase expensive additional water units.

Upon inspection the energy savings far exceeded original anticipated projections. Due to higher performance of the new energy system, NYSERDA incentives increased over 200%.