Introducing the Green Energy Innovation Powering NYC

Published on September 24, 2018 - By Gemma Church

• Green energy supplier Drift offers 100% renewable power supply to NYC businesses
• Passes cost savings of 10% to flexible workspace operators by cutting out the middleman
• NYC coworking operator The Farm is one of the first to adopt the service

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. But there could be a way to cut your space’s energy bill, help renewable power producers earn more, and save the planet at the same time – and without any expensive or intrusive equipment installations.

This may sound like a lofty ambition but that’s the business model behind green energy supplier Drift. The company has been operating in the New York region for more than a year and claims to be the best option for businesses that want a 100% guaranteed renewable power supply.

So, how is this all possible?

Carmen Cano, chief product officer at Drift, explained: “Because Drift sources power directly from a growing network of independent renewable energy producers, this lets us cut out the middleman and pass savings of 10% or more on your total energy spend along to you while still paying renewable providers a well-deserved premium for their power.”

Drift was recently named as one of the world’s most innovative companies, by Fast Company. Cano added: “We spent four years aggregating hundreds of energy producers into a single, fully-renewable grid all while working hard to make it simple for companies to join Drift. It takes just minutes to sign up and make one of the biggest single improvements to your environmental footprint while simultaneously encouraging the development of even more renewable power into the future. No RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates). No nonsense. Just full transparency and real impact.”

Drift has seen a significant interest from two industries in the NYC area: restaurants and coworking spaces. “But our customer base is quite diverse, from design firms, to pharmacies, repair shops, etc,” Cano added.

Green Pastures at The Farm

The Farm’s Coworking Space in NYC is currently using Drift at its SoHo location, with plans to roll out the service to its other locations before the end of the calendar year. It claims the Drift service is “affordable compared to the traditional Coned supplied energy”.

Lucas Seyhun, co-founder and CEO at The Farm, said: “The Farm believes in a sustainable renewable environment. Granted, we cannot change the world, at the least we can only hope to influence individuals whom we have direct access to (our members). We already do this by using reclaimed wood, metal, and other decoratives during our constructions. This is our small but fulfilling contribution.

“We think that Drift is a great preparatory technology with a strong brand messaging, which we would like to affiliate with. The Farm is currently in an exponential growth stage, therefore, it is important for us to work with other comparable companies that we can grow with.”

It’s a savvy move from The Farm, as sustainable practices was recently identified as a key competitive strategy for coworking spaces. The operator is also integrating a range of other green energy practices into its spaces.

Seyhun explained: “We are working on donating venue and desk space to certain NPOs (Non-Profit Organisations) whose missions are aligned with sustainability. We will reach out to All Good Work and start taking applications as of this month.”

“This summer, we have also implemented motion sensor lighting on low traffic areas. During the following months, we will add motion/timed switches through all of our spaces. Lastly, we only use LED lighting while we are building out our new spaces. The rooftop at our Nolita location is in the planning phase with the architect build a green space,” he added.