The Culinary Institute of America

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority presents college with significant rebate for environmentally-sound student lodging

Contact:

Stephan Hengst
Media Relations Coordinator
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu

Salvatore Graven, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3331
sg2@nyserda.org

Hyde Park, NY, November 29, 2007 – The Culinary Institute of America announced today it has received $337,571 in incentives through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) New Construction Program. A check for the full amount of the funding was presented to Dr. Tim Ryan, President of the CIA, in recognition of the energy reduction measures that the college has implemented in designing six new high-efficiency student townhouses on its Hyde Park, NY campus.

Comprised of six separate buildings - Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Juniper, Clove, Ginger, and Cayenne – the lodges house 420 students currently enrolled in the CIA's Bachelor of Professional Studies degree programs at the college's Hyde Park campus.

One of the most notable features incorporated into the design of the CIA's new townhouses is the use of geothermal heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings. They transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in winter and reverse the process in the summer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control.

NYSERDA President and CEO, Paul D. Tonko said, "The cornerstone of Governor Spitzer's energy plan is to reduce electric consumption 15 percent by 2015, and today's announcement is a tremendous step in that direction. By making smart, innovative design and construction decisions, the Culinary Institute of America is not only fulfilling its commitment to excellence in the kitchen, but to the environment as well. The state-of-the-art townhouses will use significantly less energy than typical buildings, without sacrificing comfort, safety, or amenities students need to live, learn, and train at the CIA."

In addition to energy-efficient windows and high-performance roof insulation, the townhouses also feature a specially designed exhaust air energy recovery ventilator, known as a heat enthalpy wheel. When air is vented out of the buildings, this device captures the heat contained in exhaust air, and through the use of a heat exchanger, recovers the lost heat while transferring it to the incoming air. During the heating season the heat wheel warms the incoming outside air, while during warmer weather it pre-cools the incoming air.

The CIA partnered with NYSERDA to complete this project, and their technical advice and incentives benefited the college by helping to offset the added capital cost of the project. Preliminary reports indicate an impressive annual energy usage reduction of 52%, when compared to the Northeast annual averages for student lodging.

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Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in the culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. A network of more than 37,000 alumni in foodservice and hospitality has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. Courses for foodservice professionals are offered at the college's main campus in Hyde Park, NY and at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA. CIA at Greystone also offers baking and pastry, advanced culinary arts, and wine certifications. For more information, visit the CIA's Web site at www.ciachef.edu.

About NYSERDA
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) was established by law in 1975 as a public benefit corporation. NYSERDA provides energy-related technical and financial packaging assistance to businesses and institutions to promote energy efficiency and economic development, as well as providing energy research and development programs that promote safe and economical energy production efficiency technologies in New York State. NYSERDA also analyzes the effect of New York's energy, regulatory and environmental policies on the State's business, institutional, and residential energy consumers. More information about NYSERDA can be found at www.nyserda.org.

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