12B — September 26 - October 9, 2014 — Green Buildings — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
G reen B uildings Renovation team includes Fusion Architects, Majestic Solar, Schwing Electric and ELS EPIC Long Island provides innovative services in newly renovated green space building
AST MEADOW, NY — EPIC , Extraordinary People in Care of Long Island provides a wide range of clinical, community, habilita- tion and residential services to those with epilepsy, develop- mental disabilities and mental health challenges. EPIC purchased and com- pletely “green-ovated” the build- ing at 1500 Hempstead Tpke. in East Meadow, formerly oc- cupied by Snapple and Lukoil. The move to the new location took place over Memorial Day weekend of this year. Environmentally friendly E
initiatives were incorporated inside and out, from the un- derground parking garage up to the roof. The decision to go greenwasmotivated by several factors. Paul Giotis , chief oper- ating officer of EPIC, focused on the social responsibility aspect. “We are in the business of helping people, so the concepts of social responsibility and go- ing green go hand in hand with that. When the opportunity to go green presents itself, it’s backed by government incen- tives and it results in saving dollars to support more people, I call that a no-brainer.”
Compliance with updated ASHRAE (formerly the Ameri- can Society of Heating, Refrig- erating and Air Conditioning Engineers) lighting codes and available government incen- tive programs also factored into EPIC’s decision. Giotis and EPIC’s facilities manager, Charles Pulver , put together a team for the renovation, including Fu- sion Architects of Plainview, Majestic Solar of Medford, Schwing Electric of Bohemia and Enterprise Lighting Sales (ELS) of Hicksville. Ram Hemraj , of ELS, was instrumental in advising EPIC on the best lighting options for its needs. The first step was upgrad- ing the lighting in the under- ground parking garage from “old school” fluorescent tube lighting to new energy efficient lighting. Lighting throughout the building was replaced to take advantage of “daylight harvesting,” a new standard in the field of green initiatives. Energy efficient LED light- ing fixtures and controls were installed in each room and area of the building, so that the lights automatically dim and/ or shut-off based on occupancy and available natural light. These lights require no main- tenance for ten to fifteen years, and should pay for themselves within two years. Moving upward, amajority of the energy efficient renovations weremade to the roof. The heat intensity of the sun can raise the temperature of a black tar roof by ninety degrees, which canmake the interior of a build- ing much hotter. The old roof was replaced with a “Cool Roof” which re- flects sunlight and significantly decreases the surface tempera- ture. EPIC chose to use “Acry- max” – a liquid acrylic roofing system, which is extremely durable and provides moisture and thermal protection. Once the “Cool Roof” was in place, a 50,000 watt solar panel system consisting of 204 panels mounted via a ballast system was installed, alongwithfive in- verters. The “Cool Roof” reflects sunlight onto the solar panels, increasing the energy efficiency and cost savings. EPIC’s green initiatives put energy back into the grid, earn- ing it credits from PSEG Long Island, literally “giving back” to the community in another way. n
EPIC grand opening
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