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Energy Conservation
Green is Gorgeous
Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's not easy being green."¯ In truth, New York-area co-ops and condominiums are discovering that "going green"¯ is easier and more cost-effective than ever before. No, you won't be seeing a rash of high rises with elaborate landscaping or emerald paint jobs. In common language, to be "green"¯ is to be ecologically and environmentally conscious. Green buildings conserve resources, minimize pollution, and in many cases save their residents money. Thanks to both private and government programs, residential buildings can develop strategies for greening their property, and then get the funds to pay for program implementation. Read More
Turning On the Lights
Once upon a time, like many cities across the nation, New York City had a government-regulated energy market. There was one number to call to make all the lights come on: Consolidated Edison of New York (or, more familiarly, Con Ed). This streamlined - if limited - way of doing things persisted until the summer of 1998, when the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) began implementing a deregulation plan the commission had been formulating since 1996. Read More
Choosing an ESCO
Saving money is always a top concern of any co-op or condo board, so when energy deregulation first offered customers the opportunity to choose their energy provider in 1998, it seemed that lower energy bills were on the way. But in the time since deregulation first came into effect, many companies have not survived, and many customers have not realized the savings they'd hoped for. So what's the best way to choose a new energy service company (ESCO) and find a good deal, if you're still looking to switch? Read More
Gaslights to Generators
In 1863, when a tenant at 97 Orchard Street came home from work, he entered a pitch-dark hallway and had to feel his way up the stairs to his apartment. He most likely felt his way with one hand while carrying a bucket of coal for the stove, or a pail of water to wash with, in the other. There was no central lighting in the hallways, and his apartment was lit by candles or oil lamps. There was no running water. To use the toilet, he went out back to the six privies that the building shared with the patrons of the saloon that occupied the street level. Read More
Window Repair and Replacement
In the depths of a New York winter, few things are as uncomfortable and uneconomical as drafty, rattling windows. Icy wind howling around your building is one thing–you can always appreciate the austere beauty of the drifting snow from a cozy perch on a window seat or armchair–but icy wind howling around inside your apartment is another matter entirely. Aside from the heartbreak of chilly feet and goosebumps, rickety windows can drive your heating costs through the roof. After all, it’s costly enough to heat the inside of the building without paying to heat the courtyard and sidewalk as well. Read More
Energy-Efficient, Environment-Friendly
It’s difficult to imagine life without the appliances and technological perks to which we’ve become accustomed. But the scores of appliances found in a typical home create a huge demand for energy and costs for both the consumer and the environment can be significant. According to the New York State Energy Planning Board, New Yorkers spend more than $33 billion each year on energy–roughly $1,800 for every person living in the state. Becoming aware and integrating energy-saving appliances in your home can help defray the cost of modern conveniences, lowering your energy bills and helping to preserve the environment. Read More
The Energy Star Program
Government spending may get a bad rap, but there is one federal program that saved consumers $4 billion last year and benefited the environment as well. It’s called Energy Star, and it’s a voluntary labeling effort that identifies both products and buildings that exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption. Purchase of Energy Star-labeled appliances and use of the program’s analysis tools has already helped many consumers save up to 30 percent of their utility costs. Read More
Heating Efficiency
T he Cooperator’s readers follow the news. Therefore, I need not say too much about the fact that despite petroleum quotas by the Saudis and President Clinton’s attempt to build up a heating oil reserve for our region, the predictions say the cost of gas and oil will be quite high this heating season. Hence, it benefits co-op and condo boards, their managers and superintendents to operate their heating and domestic hot water systems as conservatively as possible without making building occupants uncomfortable. In 90 percent of the buildings, this is quite feasible. Read More
It is Easy Being Green
The phrases have grown familiar to all of us. Global warming. Ozone depletion. Greenhouse effect. As recycling, composting and other eco-friendly activities become more common, the time seems right to start asking what else can be done to keep our planet clean and green. Read More
Fuel Prices Taking Their Toll?
It seems as if many of us have been here before. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, fuel prices escalated faster than any professional forecasters in the field thought were imaginable, with heating oil soaring faster than gas, electricity, or steam. Owners and managers of buildings snapped into action by demanding a reduction in prices, while others made prescriptive improvements in their buildings that were highly influenced by product salespeople. New windows, new boiler, switch fuels. Not many saw a reduction in bills from these misdirected improvements designed to save energy. Prices stabilized, and the problems seemed to go away. Read More
De-Regulation Still Rolling Forth
With electric de-regulation well underway in New York City, increased focus is shifting toward how well the competitive system is serving customers. The phased-in process, which began in 1998, has gradually allowed customers to get their electricity from alternative energy suppliers, or ESCOs (Energy Service Companies); historically, Consolidated Edison was the sole energy supplier in New York City. In the new de-regulated market, Con Ed still delivers electricity, but customers get to choose whether Con Ed or an ESCO actually supplies their electricity. Read More
Save On Utility Costs
So, it’s the holiday season again and everyone is feeling generous, even you. You seem to have gotten past your Scrooge-stage and feel like splurging on someone else for a change. You don’t mind going the extra mile for your neighbor or running some errands for a friend. But when it comes to picking up the tab for utility charges that aren’t your own, you suddenly aren’t feeling so generous. However, odds are that you are paying for unfair charges on your utility bills, not only in the winter, but all year round. Due to increased awareness that estimated billing often contains a high percentage of error, many boards and property owners have turned to utility monitoring to alleviate the problem of overpaying for their utilities. And because most utility monitoring companies can obtain credit for such mistakes, dating back up to six years, an inquiry into your own utility usage via utility monitoring may be a very appropriate holiday gift to yourself. Read More
Electric Deregulation Has Come
Electric deregulation is fast becoming a reality in New York. Adhering to the historic 1996 decision of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), utility companies throughout the state such as Con Edison, LILCO, Central Hudson and Niagara Mohawk are on schedule in opening up electric supply choices for their customers, beginning with pilot programs, says Edward Collins, a spokesperson for the PSC. Changes to the state's electric market will allow customers at last to choose their suppliers of electricity. Read More
Green Building Certification is Growing in Popularity
Real estate professionals, developers and builders are all reporting the same
thing: today’s homebuyers who are looking for maximum value are asking for more than granite
countertops and hardwood floors—they want energy savings and green buildings.
Read More
Citywide Green Initiatives
New York City officially became a leader of “green” initiatives when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced his “PlaNYC 2030” initiative in 2007, although many elements of this omnibus serious of measures were public policy in the city well before it. Read More
Inspiring Buildings to Save Energy
Ever since An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's eye-opening documentary on global warming opened in 2006, the level of awareness among the general public on environmental issues has skyrocketed. Since then, there have been sobering nationwide conversations about what can we do to lessen the impact we have on our planet and its resources. Read More
New Recycling Initiatives in New York City
The environmental challenges facing our planet are so big and so complex that they often feel far beyond our individual control. But the simple fact is, if we all step up to the challenge and do our part, together we can make a big difference. Nowhere is that more true than in the area of recycling. It's simple and easy—and not only does it reduce our impact on the Earth's natural resources, it also reduces the amount of trash we have to ship out of state. Read More
Saving Money While Saving the Planet
You know that when one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers goes green, the future of energy efficient buildings
has been changed forever. Earlier this year, it was announced that the Empire
State Building would begin a $20 million retrofit of its iconic structure,
leading to a 40 percent reduction in energy usage.
Read More
Leading More Buildings to Co-Generate
The energy crisis of the 1970s created long lines of cars, with drivers waiting
to fuel up at gas stations. These days, increasing fuel demands and rising
prices are forcing the cost of everything from groceries to construction
materials and other everyday expenditures ever upward. Heavy demand on the
overtaxed utility grid has resulted in periodic blackouts in some major cities
during summer months. Since utility costs comprise part of a building’s maintenance budget, maintenance costs for residential buildings also have been
affected.
Read More
Demand Response Energy Systems Pay Off
Apartment owners and homeowners have come to expect our utility bills to increase from year to year, though rarely do we have a chance to significantly reduce those bills. This quandary provides opportunities for savings, though. High utility costs and decreasing energy availability have dictated that building managers and board members pay closer attention to the bottom line when considering their building's utility costs and needs. Necessity, in the form of skyrocketing utility costs and widespread power outages, has fueled the increased use of alternative energy systems and alternative ways to save energy. Read More
Harvesting Winds of Change
Thirty-three years ago, during the summer of 1976’s energy crisis, 40 people gathered on the rooftop of 519 East 11th Street in
Manhattan’s East Village, beers in hand, determined to create their own power source. With
enthusiasm, flavored with leftover 1960s activism, plus a good bit of pushing
and hoisting, the group erected a windmill fashioned from a 30-foot farm
turbine on the roof of their building.
Read More
How Far Can You Go on the Green Scale?
Talk of “green” homes and buildings these days often evokes images of roof gardens, solar
panels, and even wind turbines humming in the background. For most co-ops and
condos however, “going green” comes incrementally, in much smaller measures.
Read More
A Look at Energy Cost Savings Strategies
By now, we’ve all heard about rising oil prices—and are seeing their impact on our energy bills. Co-op and condo owners in New
York have seen their energy bills climb to record highs and there’s no relief in sight, so buildings and their owners are looking for ways to
lower their energy bills.
Read More
New Developments Offer Eco-Conscious Savings
If one wants to ascertain the state of the green building industry, shared—or “fractionally owned”—vacation condos might be a good place to start.
Read More
Buildings Go Green for Savings and More
We all know that famous anatomical ditty: “The head bone’s connected to the neck bone”—and so on. ( I imagine that those indelible lyrics have pulled more than a few aspiring doctors through their biology exams). But when it comes to co-op and condo buildings, there’s no such song to educate board members about the physical skeleton of their building structures. Perhaps there should be. Read More
Long Island CIty Comes Into its Own
There was a time when Long Island City’s waterfront area wasn’t exactly a hot residential neighborhood. With its looming industrial buildings
with a few small residential buildings thrown together near the East River, the
area was more On the Waterfront than Sex and the City.
Read More
The First Step to Energy Efficiency
New York City is actively pursuing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
citywide. Achieving this goal will take the combination of numerous
initiatives, but in order to make significant strides, the city must address
its biggest source of carbon emissions—residential and commercial buildings—head-on. Buildings produce the most CO2 emissions in the city, and residential
buildings are the worst offenders, producing 30 percent of the citywide total.
That’s more than both transportation and industry, which are normally perceived as
the major culprits in global warming.
Read More
Making the Case for Eco-Friendly Living
Change is good, as the saying goes. And it’s even better when that change both saves money and helps the environment.
Sometimes, though, change can be difficult. That’s especially true when it affects the places we live and possibly impacts our
wallets. This is why residents can be a bit reluctant when their board or
management announces a shift to greener living, a change that inevitably will
help save energy and improve living conditions but may also cost a few dollars
to get the ball rolling. Read More
How To Go Green in Hard Times
Saving money by going green sounds great, but who has that initial capital in
these tough economic times? The average person may not be able to afford a hybrid car or a solar panel
array, however, there are many energy-saving changes you can make that are
relatively inexpensive and have a fast return on investment. Below are ten strategies for cutting your utility bills and reducing your carbon
footprint that have a payback period of less than two years.
Read More
Alternative Energy Sources
Whether you consider yourself environmentally-minded or not, green is fast becoming the new black. Everywhere you look, from billboard ads to the Academy Awards, the nation is becoming preoccupied with renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gases. As gas-guzzling SUVs are eagerly traded in for gas/electric hybrid cars, the move to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil is also heating up the political arena, and when government incentives come to the table, money does all the talking. Read More
Energy Efficiency Isn't the Only Consideration
When it comes to the windows in your building, like most people you’re probably focused on energy conservation—keeping the air conditioning inside in the summer and the cold air outside in
the winter. While you’re probably aware that not all replacement windows are created equal, when it
comes to energy savings, there are other “green” alternatives that your board may wish to evaluate when selecting replacement
windows.
Read More
Without Breaking the Bank
Looking to save the planet—or just a few bucks—more and more New Yorkers are looking to “green” their lifestyles. Environmental watchdogs are quick to point fingers at gas
guzzling automobiles as prime contributors to climate change, but according to
the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, residential buildings
account for 21 percent of all carbon emissions in the United States. That makes
housing almost as big a culprit as transportation, which surprisingly generates
only about 27 percent of the country’s harmful emissions.
Read More
When Negotiating a Rooftop Antenna Contract
As the trilogy of real estate values rising, building usage changing, and
cellphone and Internet communications became universal, wireless
telecommunications companies became popular defendants in the Commercial Part
of New York’s Civil Court. Owners began examining their rooftop antenna agreements to
determine means to terminate them. Many of these owners wanted to demolish the
buildings or convert from commercial to residential buildings or add multiple
uses for their rooftop property. Battles for control over the rooftops of these
buildings became a high stakes game. This article attempts to arm building
owners with a few tools to negotiate a better and more lucrative rooftop
agreement.
Read More
Steam-to-Boiler Plant Project Pays off for Kips Bay Towers
Steam was once considered the lifeblood of Manhattan, providing heat to
thousands of apartments and buildings. Even today, Con Edison provides steam
for heat and hot water to approximately 1,800 buildings in New York City.
However, upkeep and an aging infrastructure has made steam a more costly
utility for many buildings. Kips Bay Towers in Murray Hill is one of many high
rise apartment buildings in the city that recently reconsidered its dependence
on centrally-supplied steam.
Read More
Understanding What You Use Helps to Conserve
With the constant rise in energy costs, the use of “peak generating plants” and increased individual energy consumption, we are seeing a direct impact on
our monthly electricity bill. According to Con Ed, July 2008 set a new record
of 6.7 billion kilowatt hours, or approximately 350 kWh hours per customer.
Going forward it will cost more and more to light, heat, cool, and live in our
homes. What can we do to lower our bill, become more energy efficient in our
homes and essentially become more “green”? Read More
