EN-POWER GROUP was featured in Habitat Magazine for its engineering role in a comprehensive ventilation equipment upgrade at One Grand Army Plaza, a 15-story condominium in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights.

Context: Old Ventilation and Summer Discomfort

Board members and residents at One Grand Army Plaza were facing longstanding indoor air quality and humidity problems that made hallways uncomfortable during warm months. The building also carried a “D” energy efficiency grade, signaling significant opportunity for improvement.

EN-POWER GROUP’s Role

EN-POWER GROUP was engaged to evaluate the building’s rooftop ventilation system and recommend a modern solution. The firm’s analysis found that:

  • The fresh air intake unit was poorly designed and undersized for the building’s needs

  • The rooftop fresh air intake was positioned near the cooling tower discharge, drawing hot, humid air back into the system

  • Oversized exhaust fans worked inefficiently against these conditions

EN-POWER GROUP’s Amalia Cuadra, Senior Director of Engineering, led the holistic redesign, right-sizing the fresh air intake, coordinating the cooling tower and exhaust fan upgrades, and improving system balance to better serve building loads.

Results: Comfort and Energy Savings

Rather than replace equipment on a like-for-like basis, the board followed a comprehensive upgrade strategy recommended by EN-POWER GROUP. This included replacing the rooftop intake unit, cooling tower, and exhaust fans in a coordinated plan that also reduced airflow where appropriate — cutting fan airflow from 400 CFM to 200 CFM, improving efficiency.

The $1.1 million project is expected to deliver approximately $40,000 in annual energy savings while addressing humidity, comfort, and long-term equipment performance — a tangible step forward for both resident experience and efficiency.

Why This Matters for Co-op and Condo Boards

This upgrade demonstrates how strategic, system-level thinking can turn a persistent operational problem into a capital project that improves comfort, reduces waste, and lowers operating costs. Ventilation systems may not be the most visible equipment on a building — but when they’re optimized, the payoff can be wide-ranging.

Media Attribution

This project was originally featured in Habitat Magazine’s Bricks & Bucks section in the March 2025 issue.
[Read the full article on Habitat Magazine →]

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