Polygraph

A study of nine high-rises in New York found the Chrysler Building from 1929 was the most energy efficient.

Posted by The Headlines, Checked

Polygraph verdictCan’t tell
Sources
4 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
40%
The HeadlinesOct 26, 2026
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The claim faithfully extracts the passage's statement about a recent study of nine New York high-rises, but no source identifies that study or reports its findings.

The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.

What was said

… And architects say we could learn from looking to the past. Tall buildings used to be mainly built out of heavy masonry, with only little windows, which made a difference heat wise. One recent study compared nine high rises in New York, including one of the city's oldest skyscrapers, the famous Chrysler Building from 1929, and found the vintage building was by far the most energy efficient. And finally, what's happening to me? It was an epic clash at the box office this weekend between a comic book villain and why would I deceive you, Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos. …
The Headlines · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Context. The 2012 NYC city ranking reported by Construction Dive gave the Chrysler Building an Energy Star score of 84, ahead of the Empire State Building (80) and 7 World Trade Center (74). It is not described as a nine-building study and is not recent.[2]

Context. A 2013 Trellis article reports the same scores (Chrysler 84, Empire State 80, 7 WTC 74) and says older NYC buildings can outperform LEED-certified ones. It cites the same comparison rather than a separate recent nine-building study.[3]

Context. A 2025 EPA publication lists the Chrysler Building among the nation's most energy-efficient buildings, but it does not describe a nine-building comparison or rank it as most efficient.[1]

Context. A 2023 conference paper compares a simulation tool against actual data from nine New York skyscrapers. It is a methods validation study, not a ranking that names the Chrysler Building as most efficient.[4]

Sources

4 sources: 1 primary, 3 not rated

  1. 1CELEBRATING A DECADE OF ENERGY STAR BUILDINGSenergystar.gov · primary source · cited for: context
  2. 2Age proves nothing as NYC ranks the energy use of large commercial buildingsconstructiondive.com · not rated · cited for: context
  3. 3Why some NYC buildings are more efficient than LEED-certified onestrellis.net · not rated · cited for: context
  4. 46th International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism (ICCAUA-2023) 14-15 June 2023journal.iccaua.com · not rated · cited for: context

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