New England Condominium September 2020

Multifamily Energy Saving Solutions Part 1: Incremental Upgrades BY DARCEY GERSTEIN September 2020 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM the minute it is available, even if the one we have is perfectly func- tional. When it comes to upgrades in the home, however, many of us are reluctant, even though the stakes can be much higher—we’ll patch and repair a furnace or roof as long as we possibly can before even considering a replacement, running the risk of paying more in the long run. Luckily, when it comes to energy, there is a wide range of prod- 205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED continued on page 8 THE CONDO, HOA & CO-OP RESOURCE CONDOMINIUM NEW ENGLAND While pockets of disagreement still linger in some quarters, climate change—and the science explaining it— is very real. And while fluctuations in seasonal weather are normal, the general trend toward a hotter planet is clear, evi- denced by melting ice caps, dwindling glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasing incidences of extreme weather world- wide. Environmental scientists warn we are reaching a critical ‘point-of-no-re- turn’ past which the everyday social and economic qualities of life we’ve become accustomed to in the developed world will no longer be possible. While interest groups argue about how to respond to this existential threat, others are finding ways to acclimatize their communities to the changes that have already arrived, and to ready them- selves for what’s to come. Real estate pro- fessionals, boards, and condo, HOA and co-op residents are all making changes in everything from how their buildings are insulated to how they generate or consume electrical power. Urban vs. Suburban Gautam Tarafdar is the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s) Mid-Atlantic and New England regional director, and is at the forefront of plan- ning for climate change. “The challenges of climate change for residential com- munities differ greatly based on location and whether it’s an urban or suburban community,” he says, “but at its core the conversation is about resilience plan- ning. How do you create a space that is better able to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a catastrophic event, such as flooding, a hurricane, drought, wildfires, etc.? Green building strategies serve as the cornerstone for enhancing Whether you reside in, manage, or serve on the board of a condo, co-op, or HOA, examining your building’s energy efficiency from top to bottom, inside and out, will have enormous implications for individual and communal costs, energy conservation, and en- vironmental conditions. And in the current unprecedented global viral pandemic, it is more important than ever to consider that making changes to power sources and systems can have collective health effects as well. So where to begin? In this two-part investigation of energy innovations for multifamily properties, we will help you understand the latest products and systems, how to navigate the slow-moving channels of energy bureaucracy, and even find ways to help pay for en- ergy upgrades. Additionally, we will cover the question permeating every aspect of life these days: How does the coronavirus crisis affect all of this? This first part explores new energy-efficient products and updates that can be installed in individual units. These innovations have varying costs and levels of complexity, but all of them will pay for themselves in terms of reduced utility bills, lower environmental impact, and comfort and quality of life. Some states even have programs and incentives to defray the uptake expenses. Part two will delve into broader changes at the building-wide and community level, including how local and federal legislation is impacting the future of clean energy. Low-Hanging Fruit Living as we do in the Digital Age, technology seems to develop so quickly that what was just recently cutting-edge is now obsolete. Nevertheless, we continue to look for and find ways to invest in new concepts or products, even if they’re destined to be replaced with something newer and better. Think about how we line up for the latest smartphone COVID-19 has caused more far-rang- ing, persistent anxiety than any other event in recent history. It has affected our jobs, our living situations, and the way we interact with others, and it’s not done with us yet. Scientists and public health experts are still refining their un- derstanding of the way the virus spreads, but one thing they have determined for certain is that the novel coronavi- rus spreads through the air—especially within enclosed spaces—and does so far more easily indoors than outdoors or via surface contact. “Outside is better than inside” has become a refrain among health ex- perts. And fortunately, in these summer months most of us can go outside safely on most days. We can maintain social distancing to provide protection from infection. We can wear a mask. But the dog days of late summer still lie ahead. What happens when the weather is just too hot for outdoor activities or open windows? And what happens after that, when the weather turns cold, and open windows and outdoor forays become im- possible for the opposite reason? Among the seemingly endless questions we all have about the virus is how it behaves in more or less enclosed spaces when HVAC equipment is running to either heat or cool those spaces. Air Conditioning and COVID-19 Transmission of the novel coronavi- rus is thought to happen mainly through large droplets expelled from a carrier’s mouth and nose during coughing, sneez- ing, or talking. Evidence also suggests that at least some cases of COVID-19 occur via airborne transmission. That happens when virus particles contained in smaller droplets don’t quickly settle out and fall to the ground within six feet of the carrier who expelled them, and instead hang in the air and drift around on currents—posing a threat to anyone who happens to walk through one of those currents. Airborne transmission is thought to have been a factor in the A Change in the Air How Developers, Managers, and Owners are Responding to Climate Change BY A J SIDRANSKY Securing Air Quality in the COVID-19 Era HVAC, HEPA Filters, and UV Disinfection BY A J SIDRANSKY continued on page 11 continued on page 8