The high-rises in the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site will incorporate energy and environmental measures that use of state-of-the-art technology, renewable energy resources and enhanced energy efficiency.
The Freedom Tower, World Trade Center Office Towers 2, 3, and 4, and the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum will all be designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold certification requirements and will be built to a standard 20 percent more efficient the New York Energy Conservation Construction Code, according to the Lower Manhattan Web site. WTC 7 has already received the LEED Gold certification.
Also announced is an agreement with developer Larry Silverstein to increase energy efficiency and provide on-site power generation through the use of fuel cell installations. Under the terms of the agreement, renewable energy resources will be purchased to supply any base building electricity not provided by the fuel cell installations.
The new design measures also call for reduced reliance on Hudson River water for cooling, resulting in a more than 80 percent reduction in the number of aquatic organisms taken in from the river as compared to pre-9/11 cooling systems.
The 2006/07 New York State Budget designated $25 million for projects included as part of the new energy package, and the New York Power Authority will provide an additional $30 million toward increased energy efficiency measures, according to the Web site.
