Empire State Building Sustainability
Since its construction, the Empire State Building has been a symbol of technology, imagination, and ambition. Through our industry-leading deep energy retrofit and replicable playbook, we proved the economic viability of investments in energy efficiency and sustainability. To back it up, Empire State Building sustainability is independently certified and re-measured every year.
Featured Videos
Empire State Building Makeover Brings New Views
Empire State Building: Leadership in American Progress in Sustainability
Our Commitment
The Empire State Building's deep-energy retrofit reduced the building's energy use by 38%since 2007, through the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding restoration program. The project refurbished all 6,514 windows onsite and reused more than 96% of existing materials. The building has earned ENERGY STAR certification every year since 2010, which places it in the top 20% of Class A commercial buildings nationwide.
A Sustainable Transformation
Innovation, engineering, and experience powered our energy efficiency retrofit, which transformed the Empire State Building into one of the world’s most efficient historic landmarks and is in the top 20% or better of all Class A commercial assets in the nation.
innovation and engineering
With efficiency as a top priority, we completely overhauled our systems to optimize energy use. Everything – from our elevators, which recapture energy that would be lost as heat, to our radiators, which use reflective barriers to reduce heat loss into the air – is designed to reduce our total carbon footprint.
One of the innovations is the transformation of the building's lighting system, which included an adaptive dimming system that adjusts according to the natural light. In addition, much of the building's original lighting was replaced with energy efficient fixtures.
The Empire State Building has an incredible 6,514 windows. During the retrofit, we refurbished every single one of them to quadruple the energy performance through reuse of over 96% of existing materials all onsite.
After nearly a year of extensive studying and evaluation at the Empire State Building, development of a replicable process and the tools to support the process, the project team implemented one of the most successful deep energy retrofits of existing buildings in the world, with a proven a payback of three years for a guaranteed energy reduction of 38%, which has been validated and exceeded every year since 2010 implementation.
Our work has been the source of New York City, New York State, and federal programs to drive energy reduction and economic growth across the U.S. and globally.
The US EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager program is used to measure and track energy and water consumption and greenhouses gas emissions. Billions of square feet of all types, sizes, and ages of buildings are tracked, with only the most efficient buildings in the nation with ENERGY STAR certification.
The Empire State Building has earned ENERGY STAR certification every year since 2010. In 2025, the building also advanced from LEED Gold to LEED Platinum under Version 5 of the Existing Buildings: Operations + Maintenance standard, the largest project in the country to hold it and the first in New York State.
Health, Indoor Environmental Quality and Wellness
Alongside energy, the Empire State Building manages the air, the light, and the materials inside the building.
- No/low VOC materials only
- No Red List materials allowed
- MERV 13 filters
- Regular IEQ testing for the whole building
- Access to daylight and views on every tenant floor
- Green cleaning
- Integrated pest management
- Private Fitness Center discounted for all occupants
Sustainability in the News
Empire State Building Retrofit on Discovery Channel's Green Room
Star Wars dynamic lightshow at the Empire State Building
Star Wars and Lego Experience at the Empire State Building
Greening the Empire State Building
Star Wars Empire State Building Takeover
OUR VALUED PARTNERS
FAQ: Empire State Building Sustainability
Yes, the electricity the Empire State Building buys is 100% renewable, purchased as part of Empire State Realty Trust's portfolio-wide renewable supply. That sits alongside the efficiency work. The retrofit cut how much power the building uses, and renewable energy covers what it still needs.
The Empire State Building's deep energy retrofit was contracted to cut its energy use by 38%, and it has met or beaten that figure every year since 2010. Empire State Realty Trust now reports a 49% reduction against a 2007 baseline, which covers the tuning and operational work that followed the retrofit and the further energy savings it produced. The two figures measure different things: what the project promised, and where the building stands now.
The Empire State Building's energy retrofit paid for itself in three years. The work sat inside the $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program, a wider Empire State Building renovation that covered far more than energy, so the energy measures account for part of that figure rather than all of it. The process the team developed was built to be repeatable by other owners. New York City, New York State, and federal programs have since drawn on it.
Yes, the Empire State Building holds LEED Platinum certification under Version 5 of the Existing Buildings: Operations + Maintenance standard, awarded in 2025. It is the largest project in the United States certified at that level and the first in New York State. The building had held LEED Gold for more than a decade before the upgrade.
No, all 6,514 of the Empire State Building windows were refurbished on site rather than replaced. The retrofit reused more than 96% of the existing glass and other material instead of ordering new windows, to quadruple their energy performance. That is what makes the project a model for other older skyscrapers.
No, the Empire State Building doesn't claim that title. No official ranking awards it to anyone. What sets this building apart is where it started: it reached LEED Platinum as a 1931 landmark, as it refurbished what it already had rather than replace it.
Yes, you can see the Empire State Building's sustainability work in the Modern Marvel exhibit. The exhibit sets out the specific measures behind the building's sustainability and energy efficiency record. It is included with every observation deck ticket, so you can explore it on the way up.
Experience the View
60K+ Five-Star Ratings
More than 60,000 five-star reviews from visitors around the world.
Top U.S. Attraction
#1 Top Attraction in the U.S. in Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things to Do.
World’s Best 2024
Named the #1 Attraction in the World by Tripadvisor's 2024 Travelers' Choice Awards.