5 began working with The Museum of Modern Art, New York by providing services that helped the museum capitalize on energy-related tax rebates that are available to non-profit institutions in Con Edison’s service territory. Recently, with rising energy prices, MoMA contracted 5 to help develop a new and proactive procurement strategy for the museum’s natural gas and electricity requirements. 5’s energy team worked with the museum to develop a plan that makes incremental purchases in a rising and volatile energy market. Applying these best practices enables the museum to reduce its exposure to volatile prices while also lowering energy costs over time.
5 also assisted MoMA in processing and submitting an application to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to obtain an allocation of low-cost hydroelectricity through the ReCharge NY program. The successful electricity allocation from this program, which is available to qualified businesses and non-profits throughout the state, materially lowers MoMA’s energy costs over the seven-year term of this award.
5 is privileged to work with an institution like MoMA that is committed to preserving, promoting, and inspiring the arts today and for the next generation of artists.
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Client Spotlight: Museum of Modern Art
By 5 on May 31, 2022
Topics: Clients Procurement
Client Spotlight: Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT)
By 5 on April 29, 2022
For the second year in a row, 5 is spotlighting one of our most innovative and iconic clients, Empire State Realty Trust. Earlier this month, ESRT announced their groundbreaking Empire Building Playbook: An Owner’s Guide to Low Carbon Retrofits. This publication, co-supported by NYSERDA and the Clinton Global Initiative, will help existing commercial buildings implement step-by-step carbon reduction processes with proven methodologies. 5 is proud to be among the core project team that helped ESRT with this game-changing playbook.
Topics: Clients Sustainability Education Renewables Resiliency
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Client Spotlight: MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church
By 5 on March 31, 2022
MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church is a large church community in Irving, Texas with many families throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The church campus consists of two large, interconnected buildings that support worship services and many other activities related to both youth and adult faith formation. Energy expenses are a significant operating expense, given the large campus and the numerous services offered by the church.
Topics: Clients Procurement Sustainability Renewables
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Client Spotlight: Black Rifle Coffee Company
By 5 on February 28, 2022
Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a Veteran-owned business that was founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret, Evan Hafer. Through the company’s tremendous growth, they have committed to hiring 10,000 Veterans to provide opportunities to the military community to help build and support the brand. Additionally, the company also launched the BRCC Fund to support Veterans, first responders, and their families while helping to conserve the great American outdoors.
When companies experience fast-paced growth, several energy-related issues usually appear. That was certainly the case with BRCC when they first engaged the team at 5 for help. The first issue that needed to be addressed was the high rates that some of the BRCC locations were paying after simply calling a supplier’s 800-number to turn on service using a utility default price. In many cases, the supply rate for off-the-shelf pricing could be anywhere from 30-60% higher than competitive market rates obtained through customized pricing. The procurement team at 5 worked alongside BRCC to secure better rates while also selecting better contract terms and conditions based on the power market conditions. The result was dramatic savings for the client over an extended contract term.
In addition to obtaining better rates, BRCC also turned to 5’s Construction Services Team to handle new meter installations, temporary power, and permanent power cut-overs for each new store opening. The team at 5 delivered with accuracy and consistency as BRCC locations are no longer experiencing the frustration of delayed openings due to utility hurdles and extended lead times.
5’s Construction Services Team provides construction-related services to both general contractors on design-build construction projects and to clients that are expanding and building new facilities. In both instances, 5 is brought in as a part of the construction management team to provide the necessary planning and to serve as a liaison with the local utility. 5 works directly with architects, engineers, and general contractors to establish utility services that are coordinated with construction project timelines and in compliance with municipal inspection requirements.
Topics: Clients Case Studies Procurement
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Client Spotlight: Brightview Senior Living
By 5 on January 27, 2022
Brightview Senior Living was founded in 1999, built on the idea that a great place to work is a great place to live. Today Brightview builds, owns, and operates 45 senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Brightview communities offer residential apartments for active seniors who are independent and those seniors who require varying degrees of assistance due to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Topics: Clients Case Studies Procurement Resiliency
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Client Spotlight: The Highlands School
By 5 on December 21, 2021
The Highlands School, located in Irving, Texas, has been educating and forming future leaders since the school’s humble beginnings in a Dallas family’s home in 1986. Having moved to a more permanent location long ago, the school’s size and reach have both expanded and they now serve over 300 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school’s motto, Semper Altius, is Latin for “Always Higher” and speaks to the school’s steadfast resolve to provide “education to face the world and formation to change it.”
Topics: Clients Case Studies
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Client Spotlight - Consumer Power Advocates
By 5 on November 30, 2021
Consumer Power Advocates (CPA) serves as a regulatory advocate for non-profit institutional organizations in New York. Launched at the onset of electricity deregulation by Luthin Associates, a leading energy advisory company acquired by 5 in 2019, CPA continues to advocate for its members and intervene in key energy legislation today.
Topics: Clients Sustainability Renewables Resiliency
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Client Spotlight: Liberty Science Center
By 5 on October 28, 2021
Liberty Science Center is a 300,000-square-foot learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty. It houses 12 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, hurricane- and tornado-force wind simulators, and the Western Hemisphere's biggest planetarium—the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater. More than 750,000 students, teachers, and parents visit Liberty Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center's off-site and online programs.
Proactively controlling energy expenses and consistently reducing energy usage has always been a top priority for Liberty Science Center. The facilities and operations staff have looked to the team at 5 as a trusted partner to advise on best practices for electricity procurement and the implementation of a purchasing strategy that takes their existing solar arrays into account. Through a competitive procurement process, electricity contracts were recently put in place that leveraged 5’s proprietary energy market platform to identify strategic purchasing opportunities. Liberty Science Center has also aggressively participated in Demand Response programs and taken steps to reduce electricity usage to parts of the museum during periods of peak demand, which has provided an additional revenue stream to the museum over the last decade.
Liberty Science Center has also relied on 5 to provide regular updates on regulatory issues that are shaping energy markets in New Jersey. 5’s advisory services have helped Liberty Science Center to take both regulatory and market forces into account as they plan and forecast their energy costs into the future. Paola Amato, Director of Facilities at the Liberty Science Center said, “At a nonprofit like ours, keeping energy use efficient and reducing costs is a big part of the job. 5 has always been a terrific partner in these efforts.” Additionally, Chief Engineer Ronald Taglieri said, “We have faced a lot of unpredictable challenges in the past two years. 5’s partnership as we navigated our institution’s future was invaluable.”
5 is privileged to support and partner with an institution that is committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers through the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology.
Topics: Clients Procurement Demand Response Sustainability Renewables
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Client Spotlight: Celestial Beerworks
By 5 on August 31, 2021
The Celestial Beerworks taproom and brewery provides an otherworldly experience for visitors in more ways than one. Since its opening in 2018, the Celestial team has skillfully combined their favorite things: art, science, and delicious, fresh beer…and space. Their inspiration is manifested throughout each aspect of the company, from their wide variety of beers and meticulous obsession with hops to their masterpiece can-art and onsite décor. Bartenders are replaced by Startenders and flights of beers are ordered by their more Celestial name, Missions. Co-owners Molly and Matt Reynolds bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, including Matt’s history as a brewmaster for Malai Kitchen and his time making homebrews for his friends and family.
Topics: Clients Procurement Demand Response Resiliency
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Client Spotlight: The Washington Tennis & Education Foundation
By 5 on July 30, 2021
The Washington Tennis and Education Foundation’s (WTEF) mission is to build life champions, giving children and youth a safe environment where they can excel. WTEF empowers them to achieve their highest potential by developing meaningful values and critical skills that lead them to life-long success through a pathway of continual academic, life skills, and tennis instruction during after-school and summer camp hours.