Built during the Great Depression, as a message of American grandeur and optimism, the Empire State Building does it again, this time under the auspices of the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Rocky Mountain Institute.  

In an effort to lower its carbon footprint, the green innovations include measures to also noticeably lower energy consumption. The project  is being carried out  via a breakthrough process to retrofit existing structures for environmental sustainability  The green refab will neighbor $13.2 million dollars, while reducing its energy consumption by 35 to 40 percent and saving $4.4 million annually in energy costs. 

RMI’s newly created website, esbsustainability.com, showcases the tools and processes that resulted from the project, and includes a video, interactive model, and information on best practices for future building retrofits.

While emerging green building codes tend to address new construction, the plat de resistance really lies in retrofitting the huge inventory of existing buildings, the well-known culprits of energy squandering. Let this innovation achieve two things: setting up the well-needed blueprint for eco-fitting while documenting financial benefits that are so needed by green building advocates.

Credits: RMI, Serengreenity, photo: flickr