2010 Sept

Choosing Your Energy Source

 Public utility companies like NSTAR and National Grid are going the way of Bell  Telephone, which for over a century was simply “the phone company,” the sole provider of telephone communications delivered over its vast infrastructure. Now, of course, we buy  our service from any of a number of telephone providers which use the lines Ma  Bell laid.   Read More

Getting Away from Gas

 When it comes to being green, New England’s condos have gone far beyond recycling bins. They’re doing everything from recycling water and switching to cleaner  propane-powered gasoline lawnmowers to installing bike racks and walking  trails. Read More

Green Myths

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 condominiums today, while energy-conscious in so many ways, seem to feel it’s better to just leave the lights on – sometimes, 24/7.

Seeing the Light

 Lighting in the U.S. alone accounts for approximately 22 percent of all  electricity used, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It is no wonder  that in the current economic and environmentally-sensitive climate a lot of  effort is going towards finding, improving and engineering new and improved  light sources. Enter light-emitting diodes, better known as LEDs. Read More

Hanover, New Hampshire

 Perched on the banks of the Connecticut River and a stone’s throw from Vermont rests the town of Hanover, New Hampshire. With an Ivy  League college, a hospital and the Appalachian Trail all finding their place in  or their way through the community, Hanover has distinct privileges and  responsibilities that make it both an unusual and desirable place to live. Read More

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

 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 Sustainable Energy  Association (NESEA). Read More

Environmental Issues

 My last column discussed how the approach to greening your individual  condominium unit is different from greening a single-family home. To complement the efforts private unit owners may be taking in their homes to reduce environmental impact, there are a number of  stepsa condominium association can take that address sustainability on a larger,  whole-building scale. Read More

Q&A: Must Errant Condo Boards be Corrected?

 Do professionals such as attorneys and managers under contract to my condominium  have any obligation to see that the boardoperates under the guidelines of the Rhode Island State Condominium Act and our  condominium documents? Read More