Energy Efficiency Upgrades Made Easy

The Kings County Hospital Center is one of only three Level 1 trauma centers in New York’s most populated county. Built in 1837, the hospital has undergone several projects to expand its capacity and improve the clinical facilities. In May 2016, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation initiated energy-efficient upgrades to improve the aging infrastructure of the Kings County Hospital through the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Energy Services Program. CDM Smith served as both the design engineer and construction management firm for this $12.4 million comprehensive energy project, and managed the subcontractor procurement process, identifying the most-qualified and cost-efficient sub-contractors. Our work included designing and overseeing sub-contractor work for upgrades to various lighting, heating and ventilating, and window systems to provide energy savings and improve building operations for the hospital. 

CDM Smith’s team used an integrated design and construc­tion management at risk (CMAR) approach, tapping into our robust energy efficiency design experience, while staying mindful of cost. Armed with a detailed project schedule, CDM Smith coordinated energy efficiency upgrades to steam and cooling water systems while managing limited seasonal shutdown oppor­tu­ni­ties and around-the-clock hospital activity. For windows and lighting scopes, our team coordinated replacement of 650 windows in about 300 rooms, upgraded thousands of light fixtures in eight buildings, and added motion sensors in four buildings. 

With hospital occupants in most of the subject rooms, coor­di­nat­ing construc­tion activities was critical and depended highly on stakeholder engagement and detailed schedule management. CDM Smith worked well in advance of construc­tion to document existing conditions and understand the roles of occupants and func­tion­al­ity of spaces. Our team streamlined facil­i­ta­tion of multiple stake­hold­ers, including NYC Health + Hospitals, Kings County and NYPA, by identifying key players ahead of construc­tion and including them in daily commu­ni­ca­tions. Involving stake­hold­ers early gave facility users a thorough under­stand­ing of work sequencing to anticipate potential impacts to their operations. Upholding the schedule was further reinforced by incor­po­rat­ing permitting during design so construc­tion could begin promptly upon notice to proceed. To minimize disruptions to hospital activities, CDM Smith coordinated just-in time delivery of materials and arranged night/weekend utility shutdowns at multiple buildings for instal­la­tion of in-line steam equipment and a portion of the cooling water equipment.

Cost management was also critical as the client’s plan was to primarily use funds from NYPA’s Energy Services Program and the New York ACE program. As such, CDM Smith provided in-house construc­tion cost estimates throughout design milestones, which led to better sub-contractor control through more informed change management. CDM Smith also provided third-party cost estimates to confirm contractor bids and negotiated on the client’s behalf to achieve a reasonable final cost. Completing this project under budget was made possible because of the effi­cien­cies born from using the CMAR method.

The project was completed under budget and nearly a month ahead of schedule in June 2017, allowing Kings County to consider other energy savings measures, such as additional insulation or heat exchanger cleaning, and realize an estimated annual savings of $1.5 million.