In the Green: NYIT Conference Explores Sustainable Solutions

It was a meeting of the greenest minds.

Industry professionals and academics joined together for “Green Buildings: Sustainability, Innovation, and Performance,” NYIT’s annual energy conference—now in its 11th year. Held at NYIT de Seversky Mansion on the Old Westbury campus, the event featured discussions on the latest sustainable technology and its applications across healthcare, residential communities, public facilities, and more.

Associate Professor Robert Amundsen, Ph.D., director of NYIT’s graduate program in energy management, kicked off the conference with a welcome and introduction of conference speaker Neil Rosen. As director of sustainability at Northwell Health, Rosen has a unique perspective on the challenges of implementing green technology solutions into healthcare organizations. For example, since hospitals are open 24/7 and filled with patients who often require life-saving medical services, they demand an operational structure that is resilient with multiple redundancies.  

Sustainability, Rosen noted in his talk, is not just about energy; it also impacts how an organization addresses its transportation, waste management, supply chain management, water, air quality, food service, and other environmental needs. He added that implementing solutions that incorporate green designs requires building a culture that embraces sustainable innovation, particularly within institutions such as hospitals.

“Find successes and keep them going,” he advised attendees. “If you try for the perfect solution, you’ll never get anywhere.”

Later in the conference, NYIT energy management graduate student Samuel E. Cooper, manager of engineering systems for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, discussed how micro-grids that operate independently from traditional, centralized grids provide clean, reliable power. Alumnus Paul Cataldo (B.S. ’04), principal of Paul Cataldo Architecture and Planning, explained how green technology, such as geothermal heating and cooling, is being incorporated into the LGBT Network Center in Patchogue, N.Y., which offers healthcare, support, advocacy, and community programs for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

Additional topics at the energy conference included:

• Disruptive Technology in Commercial Buildings by Jory Scwach, CEO of Andium
• Sustainable Design: Rating Systems and Policies by Wolfgang Werner, faculty, CPHD, and principal at Urban Fabrick Inc.
• Actionable Information for Achieving Performance in Innovative Buildings by Michael Bobker, CEM, director of the Building Performance Lab at the CUNY Institute for Urban Systems
• Wyandanch Rising Project by Martin S. Dettling, senior vice president for Albanese Organization Inc.
• Residential Fuel Cells by Sammy Chu, chief innovation offer for Enerlogic LLC and chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council Long Island Chapter
• Storage Impact on Green Energy Systems by Assistant Professor Shaya (Shawn) Sheikh, Ph.D., of NYIT School of Management
• Panel discussions on Green Design and Construction moderated by Frank Mruk, FAIA, RIBA, associate dean of NYIT School of Architecture and Design, and Green Operations and Innovation, moderated by Gregory Banhazl, director of business development at NYIT
• An overview of NYIT’s Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center presented by Nada Anid, Ph.D., dean of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences

“It’s amazing to learn how healthier lifestyles, housing affordability, environmental concerns, and economic incentives are transforming our buildings and neighborhoods,” said Amundsen. “It’s important for industry and academia to work together in conferences like this one so we can collaborate on developing innovative technologies which promote sustainability and enhance our quality of life.”

For more information, visit nyit.edu/energyconference.