Steam Traps at The Cezanne Save Energy, Eliminate Emissions

A small but mighty device — the steam trap — is making a big impact on energy efficiency at The Cezanne, a 261-unit co-op at 61 Jane St. in the West Village. Combined with new heating controls for the boiler and a pump replacement, the traps have successfully eliminated carbon emission penalties for the building until at least 2035. “The controllers reduced our annual emissions by 67 metric tonnes and the steam traps by 82 metric tonnes,” says Ritu Chattree, the co-op’s board treasurer. 

Too much heat. When steam traps work correctly, they hold steam in the radiator until the heat is released. At that point, the steam cools and changes to liquid condensate. “The steam trap then opens to allow the condensate back to the boiler,” explains Faisal W. Taha, principal at Lawless + Mangione Architects and Engineers, who oversaw the upgrades. The challenge at The Cezanne was an oversized boiler combined with very old steam traps. “Between the size of the boiler and the lack of controls, you had people with their windows open with the heating on,” he says. 

Replacing the steam traps took six weeks. “It’s a very involved process where you have to go into each apartment to switch out the traps,” Taha says. Now, more efficient traps work in conjunction with new controls, sending more accurate information to the boiler about actual temperatures in the building. As a result, the boiler cycles on less frequently, saving money and making residents more comfortable.

A good deal. The combination of improvements has also proven to be the most affordable among a series of efficiency upgrades, including an elevator modernization project and upcoming roof and facade repairs. The steam traps and boiler heating controls cost $21,550, with Con Edison incentives covering nearly 90% of the expense. The vacuum pump replacement — a component of the system that helps steam travel faster — was $44,500.

The board learned about the incentives by tapping into resources provided by NYC Accelerator, the city-funded sustainability assistance program. “We knew we had to do this, but the quotes we originally received from three different vendors were between $350,000 and $715,000,” Chattree says. 

The relative low cost of the upgrades allowed the board to put other reserve funds towards urgently needed elevator repairs. “There were a lot of capital improvements that had been kicked further down the road and they were all coming to roost at the same time,” Chattree says. The elevators, she adds, were constantly breaking down and beyond their useful life. The newer elevator technology reduces emissions at the co-op by five metric tonnes annually. 

Money management.  The roof replacement and facade repairs, however, can’t be postponed and come at a cost of $4.3 million. Fortunately, the co-op is in the unique position of being debt-free with no mortgage as of May this year. The co-op is now due to close on a $4.5 million 10-year loan to help fund these additional projects. “The funding we have is very flexible for our needs, allowing prepayment each year, and we got a rate of 6.16%,” Chattree says. 

The next phase of heating improvements at the co-op will include the installation of a heat pump for domestic hot water, allowing the boiler to be switched off in summer. “That will come at a later point,” says Chattree. With the building’s emission penalties eliminated until 2035, it also makes sense to wait and see how the technology in this area improves.