As gasoline prices rise with increasing summer demand, building administrators' attention has turned sharply to the cost of energy, and ways to trim fat from their overall energy budgets. Yet for the nation’s nearly 60 million…
Gone are the days when living green meant dwelling in a geodesic dome-house in the woods somewhere with a sofa and love seat made out of tree stumps. Today, living green doesn’t look much different than traditional interior design—even …
The big secret regarding energy efficiency in co-ops and condos is window glass, which compared to insulated walls and ceilings, can be a source of serious energy waste. While we expect that energy-conserving walls and ceilings will dr…
Mom was right. Her admonition to “Turn out the lights when you leave the room!” is as valid today as it was a generation ago. And yet many co-op and condo buildings, while energy-conscious in so many ways, seem to feel it’s better to jus…
The buzzword in energy today is “sustainability.” More than the installation of the sexiest new technology, sustainability is a melding of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It’s a blend that forms the foundation of the Northeast Su…
Energy efficiency and green improvements to existing buildings have often received less public attention and political play than “sexier” green initiatives such as renewable energy generation with solar panels and windmills or LEED-cert…
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 m…
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 yo…
Despite the heavy rains, which kicked off this summer season, the thoughts of beaches, vacations, barbecues, family picnics and ball games still permeate the air. The last thing on most people’s minds is the icy chill of winter. However…
Taking the plunge and renovating an existing multi-family building to be more energy-efficient is an important and exciting endeavor. The long-term financial payback from increased energy efficiency in a building is well documented. Th…