New York City Housing Authority – Yang (Jane) Chu – 2017

Goals 

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the nation’s largest public housing authority has committed to reduce its energy use by 20% over 10 years and its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% over 10 years as part of its NextGeneration NYCHA Sustainability Agenda. NYCHA, which is currently implementing various energy efficiency measures in its buildings, hired EDF Climate Corps fellow Jane Chu to streamline its energy data collection process. 

Solutions

Chu turned NYCHA’s manual data collection process into a fully automated SQL platform with streaming capability. First, Chu mapped the existing database schema and interviewed Energy & Sustainability staff to create a metadata repository. She then normalized and optimized the existing database to create a new schema that presents all NYCHA’s energy data in 1/4 the space, using fully automated connectors. In addition to automating connectors, Chu recommended alleviating bloat and migrating the old paper-and-spreadsheets database onto a SQL platform to save time from manual inputs and reporting errors.  To develop a timeline for deploying the new schema as an automated SQL database, she met with NYCHA’s Information Technology and Performance Analytics departments. 

Potential Impact

The new database now meets the technical criteria for tools NYCHA could not access before, like data streaming. This is critical for energy saving measures (like smart meters) that depend on timely insights and feedback. Chu’s work will allow NYCHA to manage its utilities at a much more granular level, improving energy and water efficiency of its buildings over time.