The giant Christmas tree in New York City’s Rockefeller Center will be a little greener this year – a testament to the city’s increasing environmental awareness under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s watch.
A new solar installation on the roof of Rockefeller Center will help power the tree’s new energy-efficient LED lights and supply power to the buildings during times of peak demand. The solar energy roof, will be the largest privately owned solar energy generation station in Manhattan.
The lights on this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree are the latest in energy-efficient LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. The tree’s 30,000 LEDs, on five miles of wire, will draw a fraction of the power that is traditionally required by the tree, reducing energy consumption from 3,510 kilowatt hours to 1,297 kilowatt hours per day.
Also – believe it or not – for the first time this year, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was cut with a handheld saw to reduce energy use. Tishman Speyer owner of Rockefeller Center says it is replanting the land where the tree came from and recycling all appropriate materials used during the cutting event. Upon completion of the holiday season, the tree will be milled and treated and made into lumber to be used by Habitat for Humanity.
Bloomberg said, “The tree at Rockefeller Center is one of New York City’s most beloved and iconic landmarks, and with the environmental steps that Tishman Speyer has implemented this year, the 500,000 New Yorkers and tourists that visit the tree each day can dream of a ‘green’ Christmas.”
He added, “When we developed PlaNYC, we hoped that public leadership would inspire private- sector creativity and investment in a greener, greater New York, and I want to commend Jerry and Rob Speyer for stepping up and meeting that challenge.”
The Mayor and Tishman Speyer also announced the installation of a “green roof” atop Radio City Music Hall, home to the city’s most popular holiday show, and an ice chiller plant to help cool the entire complex and reduce energy consumption.
The 18,000 square foot roof will be converted using desert plants that require little water in summer and go dormant in winter.
It is estimated the roof will save approximately 566,000 gallons of water in one year from the combined wastewater/stormwater system in New York City, reducing the overflow of wastewater into the rivers on rainy days.
Green roofs also have a cooling effect in the immediate vicinity, helping to reduce overall energy demand in the hot summer months and providing habitats for certain migrating species.
Cooling systems, like the one being installed at the massive complex are essentially large ice making and storage plants. The system creates ice overnight when energy demand in the city is lower. Then during business hours, water used in air conditioning for the office spaces is redirected through the ice for cooling. The system offers significant energy efficiency during warm months of the year.
To top it all off Tishman Speyer announced it will power the ice storage refrigeration plant with energy purchased through wind generated facilities.
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