OMNI RESIDENCES
The Omni Organization is a real estate development corporation that acquires, renovates, builds and manages affordable housing throughout the United States, using environmentally friendly solutions whenever possible.
CHP: A ‘Round the Clock Energy Solution for the City that Never Sleeps
The Omni Organization is a real estate development corporation that acquires, renovates, builds and manages affordable housing throughout the United States, using environmentally friendly solutions whenever possible. Omni New York LLC, as the name implies, is the New York-based arm of the organization. Perpetuating the corporate mission, when the cost-effective and clean energy solution of Combined Heat and Power presented itself, Omni immediately began researching its viability, ultimately selecting and integrating Dalkia Aegis, EDF Group’s Yanmar CHP technology into three of its properties with plans to follow suit at additional locations in the near future.
It’s all in the design
In 2017, The New York Housing Conference awarded Omni the “2017 Developer of the Year Award,” recognizing innovative design and technological advancements in the properties, including the use of cogenerated heat and power. In addition to being clean, cogeneration, also known as Combined Heat and Power, or CHP, is energy-efficient, and this was music to management’s ears.
“We pay for each tenant’s heat and electricity so finding a solution that could save us money definitely caught our attention,” explained Arkadiy Yadgarov, Omni vice president of building maintenance. “With 180 properties to manage, one can appreciate the savings potential and attractive payback after the capital investment.”
Yadgarov, who also serves as an in-house engineer, approached the solution as he does most every project: with reservations. Methodical and calculated, Yadgarov extensively researched CHP, Dalkia Aegis and various CHP systems, in addition to preparing his own cost-savings analysis. It was only when the numbers all ‘checked out’ as he said, that he proceeded with the first installation.
It made ‘cents’
“We hired an energy consultant who informed us of some incentives that could potentially reduce our installation costs,” continued Yadgarov. “The team at Dalkia Aegis was not only aware of these programs, they handled our application from start to finish and saw to it that we took advantage of all options available to us.”
Almost one year after their installation, the systems are on track to meet their projected return on investment—and what’s more—they are likewise as reliable.
Yanmar’s CP35 were chosen for their output and ability to offer standby power, an important factor for consideration for any facility, particularly for one square in a large city such as New York known for a large energy draw and sometimes unreliable grid. By making the transition to CHP, Omni property managers need not worry about calls from angry tenants or a magnitude of service calls during taxing energy months throughout the summer.
“The decision to make the switch to CHP was a sound one,” said Yadgarov. “We’ve installed Yanmar units at three of our properties to-date and plan to integrate the same technology into our other properties throughout the city. With more free cash, we are able to make renovations more expeditiously. CHP has ultimately improved our bottom line and changed our business plans for the better—not to mention our sustainability goals.”
Ready to get off the grid?
Dalkia Aegis, EDF Group has successfully designed and installed Combined Heat and Power systems in numerous multi-unit residential facilities including large apartment buildings, condominiums, dormitories, assisted living facilities and co-ops, reducing energy costs by up to 50%. Interested in learning more about CHP or how Dalkia Aegis can design a system to meet your facility’s unique needs?
Contact a Dalkia Aegis representative today for an in-depth energy analysis and comprehensive plan to learn how a Dalkia Aegis CHP system can integrate with your existing building infrastructure and save energy costs.