Empire State Plaza

The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is a unique architectural masterpiece which houses 11,000 New York employees in a complex of ten buildings. The Plaza offers a world-class modern art collection, New York State’s Museum, Library and Archives, a distinctive performing arts center, convention center and more. It serves as a monument to the diversity and significance of New York, and also as a testament to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, whose determination and vision brought about its creation.

http://www.ogs.ny.gov/esp/

Albany Co-Gen Plant

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I found this to be an interesting about a potential new Empire State Plaza Co-Generation plant to replace the existing steam plant downtown …

“The [State Executive] Budget includes $88 million in new appropriations for the construction of a cogeneration plant and microgrid to power the Empire State Plaza and surrounding municipal buildings in Albany. In furtherance of the Governor’s goal to accelerate energy efficiency in State buildings through the Build Smart NY program, the cogeneration plant will simultaneously produce electricity and provide a heating source for State buildings. Through the development of microgrid installations, an important component of the Governor’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) strategy, New York State is moving toward decentralizing its power grid, providing enhanced reliability, interconnection with existing utility systems, and optimized energy efficiency. These cogeneration plant and microgrid projects are innovative and transformative energy solutions that will reduce CO2 emissions by 25,600 tons/year, reduce annual utility costs, and provide additional protection against severe weather events and emergencies.”

https://www.budget.ny.gov/pubs/executive/eBudget1718/fy1718littlebook/Environment.pdf

“The microgrid to serve downtown Albany could include the following facilities: the Empire State Plaza (ESP), the Alfred E. Smith Building, the New York State Capitol Building, the New York State Department of Education, the Times Union Center, the Albany Capital Center, the New York State Comptroller’s Office (110 State Street), an Albany County office building (112 State Street), City Hall, the Albany County Courthouse, and the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant (SASP). An aerial map of the proposed microgrid is included in Appendix A. This location was highlighted in the Opportunity Zones map provided by NYSERDA on the NY Prize website. 1 Each of the microgrid customers will be electrically connected behind the ESP meter.”

“It is the intention that a 16 MW Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant will be installed by the Office of General Services (OGS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) on Sheridan Avenue at the decommissioned Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) building. The CHP Plant will be comprised of two (2) 8 MW Gas Turbine Generators (GTGs) that will operate on natural gas during normal operations but have dual fuel capabilities in times of natural gas curtailment. The existing backup No. 2 Fuel storage at the SASP has enough capacity to run the CHP system for a week without any refills or daily deliveries.”

“Electricity will be generated at the CHP Plant on Sheridan Avenue, and then be distributed to the additional microgrid customers through either existing infrastructure (OGS utility tunnels or Times Union Center walkway) or new underground concrete encased duct bank. Steam generated by the CHP Plant will serve the Empire State Plaza existing steam distribution system. The microgrid is anticipated to produce 118,850,000 kWh or 81.38% of total electricity annually for these ten facilities with the remainder of power imported through National Grid. This system will remove 15 MW of demand from the utility system. With an electric reduction of this magnitude on the distribution system, the utility will have more capacity for other customers on the National Grid utility system.”

“The microgrid to serve downtown Albany could include the following facilities: the Empire State Plaza (ESP), the Alfred E. Smith Building, the New York State Capitol Building, the New York State Department of Education, the Times Union Center, the Albany Capital Center, the New York State Comptroller’s Office (110 State Street), an Albany County office building (112 State Street), City Hall, the Albany County Courthouse, and the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant (SASP). An aerial map of the proposed microgrid is included in Appendix A. This location was highlighted in the Opportunity Zones map provided by NYSERDA on the NY Prize website. 1 Each of the microgrid customers will be electrically connected behind the ESP meter.”

“It is the intention that a 16 MW Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant will be installed by the Office of General Services (OGS) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) on Sheridan Avenue at the decommissioned Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) building. The CHP Plant will be comprised of two (2) 8 MW Gas Turbine Generators (GTGs) that will operate on natural gas during normal operations but have dual fuel capabilities in times of natural gas curtailment. The existing backup No. 2 Fuel storage at the SASP has enough capacity to run the CHP system for a week without any refills or daily deliveries.”

“Electricity will be generated at the CHP Plant on Sheridan Avenue, and then be distributed to the additional microgrid customers through either existing infrastructure (OGS utility tunnels or Times Union Center walkway) or new underground concrete encased duct bank. Steam generated by the CHP Plant will serve the Empire State Plaza existing steam distribution system. The microgrid is anticipated to produce 118,850,000 kWh or 81.38% of total electricity annually for these ten facilities with the remainder of power imported through National Grid. This system will remove 15 MW of demand from the utility system. With an electric reduction of this magnitude on the distribution system, the utility will have more capacity for other customers on the National Grid utility system.”

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/-/media/NYPrize/files/studies/48-City-of-Albany-Empire-State-Plaza.pdf

December 16, 2016 9 AM Update

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Good morning! 15 days until New Years Eve! Three weeks to Epiphany. Mostly sunny and six degrees in Albany. See we are warming up. There is a west breeze at 6 mph. The windchill isn’t that significant now and with the sun feels quite nice. 

The ravioli is baked and ready to go, sitting on my lap nice and warm. It was a lot of cooking this morning but it took the chill off my apartment. Four cheeses on meat ravioli with breadcrumbs, meatballs, corn, mushrooms, jalapeños and sauce. Should be good. I accidentally made up too much ravioli but I refroze that. 

Today will be mostly sunny, with a high of 18 degrees at 4pm. 18 degrees below normal. Wind chill values as low as -4. West wind around 6 mph becoming south in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly cloudy skies and a high of 46 degrees. The record high of 55 was set in 1971. 9.5 inches of snow fell back in 1981.

The sun will set at 4:22 pm with dusk around 4:55 pm, which is 19 seconds later than yesterday. Today will have 9 hours and 3 minutes of daylight, a decrease of 20 seconds over yesterday. Next week we throw that in reverse! 

Tonight will snow after 10pm. Low of 17 degrees at 6pm. Not as cold. Five degrees rbelow normal. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Warming through Sunday, turning to rain in the afternoon. Rain on Sunday. 

Last year tonight in 2015, it got down to 44 degrees with periods of fog and rain. The record low of -8 occurred back in 1942.
As previously noted, there are 3 weeks until Epiphany when the sun will be setting at 4:37 pm with dusk at 5:09 pm. On that day in 2016, we had mostly sunny skies and temperatures between 34 and 5 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 31 degrees. We hit a record high of 71 back in 2007.

December 16, 2016 Morning

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Good morning! Talk about a cold late autumn morning with temperatures around three above but quite clear. There is a northwest breeze at 8 mph. Math wizards would tell you that the current wind chill is -11.

Next Wednesday is the first day of Winter. 

Today will be mostly sunny, with a high of 18 degrees at 4pm. 18 degrees below normal. Wind chill values as low as -11. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. 

December 15, 2016 Evening

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Good evening! Light snow and 17 degrees in Albany. There is a west breeze at 11 mph. The current wind chill is 4. The roads are mostly just wet but watch for a glaze on bridges and the secondaries. 

Not having a winter coat yet, I am totally undressed for the weather. But between my smartphone giving me real time bus info and running out just im time for the bus, I’ve been fine. Of course if the bus slides off the road and I’m stuck in the cold, I’ll be screwed. But the hot seat on the bus is fine tonight. I like stretching out on it because the 5 pm is less popular than earlier busses. 

Tonight will have on and off snow showers. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low of 4 degrees at 5am. 17 degrees below normal. In other words, cold arctic blast like.  Wind chill values as low as -13. Windy, with a northwest wind 24 to 29 mph decreasing to 11 to 16 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Fast enough that they can give it a speeding ticket on the Delaware Turnpike. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. 

In 2015, it got down to 35 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. More than thirty degrees warmer. But nowhere near record breaking cold. The record low of -11 occurred back in 1917. The sun will rise at 7:19 am with the first light at 6:47 am, which is 42 seconds later then yesterday.

Traffic is all backed up going northbound but is moving well southbound on the old 787. Assuming that the roads aren’t bad in the suburbs, I should get home relatively quickly. 

Tonight I got to get to the store and buy pasta to make the dish for tomorrow holiday potluck at work. I’m not that worried about the roads because I live in the store a few miles from the grocery. After rush hour, there shouldn’t be much traffic. Cleaned off the truck earlier in the week.  

Looking ahead, Obama’s Last Day is in 5 weeks, Ground Hog Day is in 7 weeks, Ides of March is in 3 months and Start of June is in 24 weeks. I think I’m most states in America you can get pregnant tonight and still get a legal abortion before the start of June. In other words, June is a long ways off. 

December 9, 2016 Evening

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Good evening! Happy Friday. Currently 28 degrees but with that breeze it feels more like 17 degrees. Definitely a cool evening. I grabbed the hot seat on the bus intentionally. 

Tonight we have a Waxing Gibbous Moon to the east in between the clouds. Partly to Mostly Cloudy tonight with a low around 20. Or maybe a bit less, we will see. 

Tomorrow will be cold. Looking only at high of 32 degrees with plenty of sun. The wind chill with that wind whipping around will make it feel much colder. Sunrise tomorrow is at 7:14 pm. 

The express bus was running about five minutes late but traffic is light so we are making up time. I was worried that the bus was late because it wasn’t in the GPS system. 

Staying in town this weekend. Probably just stay mostly indoors in the cold. I do need to get a battery for the remote control for the DTV adapter box. Well I’ll see. 

December 1, 2016 Evening

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Good evening! Mostly cloudy and 46 degrees in Albany. There is a west breeze at 10 mph. A bit chilly with that breeze this evening. The skies will clear Saturday around 11 pm.

Lately I’ve gotten into listening to the Guess Who, that early 70s Canadian soft rock  band most famous for American Women. I hadn’t heard She’s Come Undun in almost a decade but then I heard it ON XM Radio’s free preview and I got hooked on it.

Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 36 degrees at 6am. Nine degrees above normal. West wind 6 to 10 mph. In 2015, it got down to 41 degrees with periods of rain. The record low of -2 occurred back in 1875.

Look towards the west for beautiful  the Waxing Crescent Moon tonight with 17% illuminated. At times it will be hidden by clouds. The moon will set around 8:30 pm. The First Quarter Moon is on Tuesday night with a chance of rain orsnow expected. The Full “Cold” Moon is on Wednesday, December 14th.

Another evening in soon to be Donald Trump’s America. All I can say is that the bus is running on time, and traffic wasn’t that bad. I really should go to Sears tonight but I really don’t feel like going anywhere tonight.

“Too many mountains and not enough stairs to climb / Too many churches and not enough truth / Too many people and not enough eyes to see / Too many lives to lead and not enough time” – She’s Come Undun, The Guess Who

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of showers after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high of 47 degrees at 1pm. Six degrees above normal. West wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had rain and a high of 50 degrees. The record high of 66 was set in 1998. 6.2 inches of snow fell back in 1949.

Looking colder and generally nastier for Saturday but Sunday still looks nice if I don’t get stuck in the office. Much like most of America.  Saturday, a slight chance of rain and snow showers before 10am, then a slight chance of rain showers between 10am and 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 40.Typical average high for the weekend is 41 degrees. I’m increasingly looking at staying in town this weekend because I think Saturday could be cold in the wilderness, even if it is snow free. I’ll make a decision tomorrow. I might have to go into the office on Sunday. On the other hand, it might be nice to get away before it gets super frigid outside with the blast of cold air certainly on its way.

In four weeks on December 29 the sun will be setting at 4:30 pm, which is 8 minutes later then tonight. In 2015 on that day, we had rain, snow and temperatures between 35 and 24 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 32 and 17 degrees. The record high of 71 degrees was set back in 1984. It must have been nice on that late December day to get up to 71. I’ll have to check the record book to see see if it was sunny on that warm day a few days before 1985 rolled around.

After doing extensive research I found that the problem I was having with my PyQGIS script is that the SIP module that ships with Python 2.7 is broken and not properly allowing methods to be called through their parents. Nothing I can do to easily fix it unless I want to re-compile Python 2.5 and QGIS. For now, I’m just going to disable the problematic code.