Forty-five Columbia Residential operations and maintenance staff completed the 30-hour New York City Building Operator Training program to help improve energy efficiency of residential buildings and reduce operating costs.
The curriculum provides participants with energy and resource conservation techniques related to a building’s heating, electrical and water systems that can result in an energy savings of between 5 and 20 percent without any major capital expenditures. The training provided an overview of critical building systems with an emphasis on preventative maintenance and energy efficiency. Among the topics covered were building systems, including heating, electrical, and water systems; preventative maintenance of equipment; best practice energy efficiency measures; and safety, compliance, and emergency management.
The ten-week program is part of New York City’s OneNYC commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050 and is conducted in partnership with the CUNY Building Performance Lab. The city provides the training free to supers, operators, and maintenance staff of all multifamily buildings in New York City. The Human Resources department at Facilities and Operations organized the trainings at Columbia for Columbia Residential directors, assistant directors, resident managers, and superintendents.
All participants received a certificate upon the program’s completion.