HABITAT
Energy is one budget item that NYC co-ops and condos can lower, and the articles here will give you ideas on how to do that. Plus, New York City has passed an ambitious set of laws that requires buildings to reduce their carbon emissions over the next decade, and all buildings will have to comply. For co-ops and condos, this means taking action now.
A READER ASKS: My board wants to replace the flooring in our lobby, and possibly in the hallways. With all the focus on going green and being environmentally friendly, are there green floor options?
HABITAT ANSWERS: Some flooring options are environmentally friendly because they come from so-called rapidly renewable resources, such as cork and rubber, where trees don't have to be chopped down to harvest materials. Others, such as natural wool, are biodegradable and are also naturally flame-retardant, So additional chemicals are not needed.
It's an issue that's been getting more and more attention since Habitat's 2012 expose of false disability claims and shady "certification" mills unscrupulous pet-owners use in order to scam their way to having dogs in a pet-free building. The New York Times covered the issue in 2013, and a new featurette at BrickUnderground.com encapsulates three do's and don'ts for landlords and co-op and condo boards. No one wants to discriminate, obviously, and likewise no one wants fakers who abuse the system, so take these tips to heart — before your pet-free building goes to the dogs.
The Carnegie House, at 100 West 57th Street, is a fairly traditional co-op. Complicated in 1962, the grey-brick beauty was named after nothing less than Carnegie Hall. Yet even such an old-school cooperative wants to keep up with the times, and if it can lower its electricity bills by 15 percent, so much the better. Thus, the more than 300-unit, 21-story building did a top-to-bottom overhaul of its energy systems — a $788,000 project that will recoup its cost in six years, thanks to $197,000 in incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a loan at about half the market rate and the aforesaid electric-bill savings. Amy Zimmer of DNAInfo.com covers the Carnegie and other buildings, and offers five energy-savings tips.
The Solarscaping of Georgetown Mews: A 32-Building Co-op Goes Green
Written by Ronda Kaysen on July 21, 2014
The sprawling, 60-acre Georgetown Mews co-op in Kew Gardens, Queens, spans a full four-block lot and has six bus stops and 930 garden apartments. Because of its ample roof space, the co-op may soon be able to install a 1,026kW solar-power system spread out over 32 separate buildings. The system will produce more than 35 percent of all the electricity consumed by this middle-class community. The price tag: $3.5 million. However, a load of incentives and a credit from Con Edison will shave the price down to a modest $458,000.
The Energy Detective: The Case of the Rebellious Radiators
Written by Tom Sahagian on July 08, 2014
It was May, and my friend Benny the super was catching heat from the residents of his building. Despite the mild weather, the radiators in the apartments were frying everyone to a crisp, and no one knew why.
Benny ventured down to the sweltering boiler room and soon found the cause: The heating hot-water circulator was pumping full blast even though the heating season was virtually over. Problem solved: Shut off the pump.
Initially, all seemed well, but within a day the complaints began anew.
Solar energy is poised to grow New York State in a big way, thanks to planned new legislation extending property-tax breaks for installing power-generating solar panels. The bill has been passed by both the Senate and the Assembly and awaits only Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's signature.
The bill extends to 2017 the tax-abatement program built into the existing solar-incentive program, which helps residential buildings, including include co-ops condos, offset the high cost of installing solar panels.
Look Out Below! How to Install a Window Air-Conditioner Safely
Written by Stephen Varone and Peter Varsalona on June 05, 2014
Summertime heat is fast approaching and the sound of air-conditioning hum will soon fill the air. Co-op and condo apartment owners have to pay attention to how their units are installed, as unsafe conditions can cause all kinds of problems.
From solar panels to cleaner boilers, green efforts seem to be cropping up everywhere. But are wind turbines going to be New York’s (energy-)saving grace? Two new installations – one on top of Pearson Court Square in Long island City and one in Brooklyn at 388 Bridge Street – are hoping so. The New York Times reports that while the turbines can only power small portions of the building (for example, the common areas of Pearson Court Square), the manufacturer of the turbines is in talks with five other developers and just completed an additional installation at a Whole Foods in Gowanus.
New Jersey's Carlton Tower Condominium Is Being Paid to Perform
Written by Kathryn Farrell on May 22, 2014
The building systems at Carlton Tower in Passaic, N.J., were on life support. Longtime superintendent Felix Rivera carefully maintained everything, including the condominium’s two boilers, for as long as possible, but it was clear the end was near.
So the Carlton board of managers took a side step. They hired an engineering firm to help them rethink simply replacing or repairing. They were after rewards, and they wanted to invest in building systems that offered these.
Panel Urges Boards to Take Advantage of Expiring Greening Incentives
Written by Frank Lovece on May 21, 2014
A five-member panel comprised of a condo-board president, a management-company executive and representatives of Con Edison, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York City Mayor's Office last week warned co-ops, condos and other residential buildings that incentives for green upgrading have limited lifespans, and that boards intending to participate in any particular program should do so before that incentive expires.
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