Page 8 - New England Condominium September 2020

8 NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM ucts and technologies that can be imple- mented to achieve savings in cost, con- sumption, and climate impact. Many of the pros we spoke to for this article refer to such implementations as the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of energy upgrades—the easily achievable and relatively inexpensive conversions that any consumer can achieve in the home. Don’t Suck—Unplug No matter where you live, the easiest and quickest adjustment, says Terrence Cullen, Communications Director for New York City Councilman Costa Constantinides, who chairs the city’s Environmental Protec- tion Committee, is to “Be conscious of the so-called ‘energy vampires’ that pull in elec- tricity if they’re plugged in but not switched on.” Cullen explains that as households add more and more electronic devices and ap- pliances to their power load, they might not be aware that those like televisions, com- puters, and their related equipment—cable boxes, routers, printers, and so forth—con- tinue to consume electricity if connected to an outlet, even when turned off. Other common energy suckers include entertain- ment devices like DVRs, DVDs, and video game consoles; electric grooming products like hairdryers, curling irons, and electric shavers; small kitchen appliances like coffee makers, toasters, and blenders; and comfort or ambiance devices like sound machines, portable fans, and Bluetooth speakers. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that 5% to 10% of a typical Ameri- can household’s annual energy bill is from electrical appliances consuming energy on stand-by. Unplugging these devices when not in use can save a household $130 to $230 a year on utility expenses, and can re- duce their building’s or association’s total energy emissions as well. Let There Be LED Another relatively easy energy adjust- ment with a big impact is swapping out in- candescent and compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. Robert Plichta, forensic architect with Energy Systems Inc. (ESi) based out- side of Chicago indicates that both the cost and versatility of LED lighting have im- proved over the years. They now offer a va- riety of lighting “moods,” including “warm,” “cold,” and “daylight,” he says, as well as dif- ferent applications like strip lighting and even color-changing options. Because LEDs are about 75% more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs and emit one-tenth of the heat of CFLs, replacement can reduce costs while limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, all while providing a more com- fortable and flexible lighting solution. “Cost savings \[with a switch to LEDs\] can be substantial, both in the electric bills and in the replacement costs,” says Tim Schaake, Sales Engineer for USA LED Lighting Solu- tions based in Southbury, Connecticut, and offering services in the tri-state area as well lights are off until someone opens the door,” as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “LEDs adding that automated systems have the use only a fraction of the energy of an in- candescent or even a CFL, and will last 25% them helpful in the context of the pandemic longer, without the wasted heat of either an by reducing the spread of coronavirus. incandescent or a CFL.” Some cities and states already have a any owner or shareholder in a building sense of the impacts and quality that LED heated by steam radiators (as much of Bos- lighting provides, since the passing and up- holding of laws mandating energy-efficient stock is) is a new product called The Cozy. lighting in both government and private Designed in New York City and manufac- sector buildings. New Jersey and Utah tured in the U.S., The Cozy is an energy so- passed legislation to phase out old-fash- ioned incandescent light bulbs in 2007, and can reduce heating costs up to 45%, based other states, including California, Connect- icut, Colorado, and a few others have fol- lowed suit. Cities have taken up the conver- sion call as well; New York City’s Local Law thermostatic radiator enclosure (TRE)—an 88 requires all buildings larger than 25,000 insulating cover that is installed over exist- square feet to transition to LED lighting ing radiators and includes a temperature- by 2025. While the law exempts individual sensing system as well as a small fan—a dwellings, residents will still feel the effects desired temperature can be set either in a that upgraded common area lighting have, centralized system controlled by manage- both on their environment and on their ment or by individual users via mobile app, wallet. “When you talk about common tential,” he says in a recent webinar on the spaces that must be lit continuously, and subject. Both Farber and Plichta therefore that take time and manpower to constantly maintain that optimizing controls building- change bulbs, that somewhat minor change wide requires significant buy-in from both can amount to major savings for a co-op or staff and residents. condo,” Schaake continues. Buildings might also investigate government-sponsored in- centive programs based on the amount of energy efficiency and emissions reductions energy reduction they’re able to achieve, as involve building-wide upgrades that may well as upgrade incentives for multifamily require access to individual units. (More on buildings offered by utility providers. Take Control Being that this is a relatively simple and shareholder in a multifamily building or low-cost retrofit, a lot of multifamily build- ings and communities have already imple- mented this change. To take it one step access to the unit when management or its further, say the experts, boards should con- sider upgrading the lighting controls as well. ments or implementing upgrades. While it “Automated systems have the advantage of may take a concerted communication and shutting off lights or HVAC in areas that education effort on the part of the board don’t get a lot of traffic or that are less used at and management, resident participation certain times of day,” says Plichta. He gives and compliance are key to the success of any the example of Chicago’s O’Hare Interna- tional Airport, which recently automated the lighting controls in its parking garage. “It’s great,” he says. “The lights stay off when no one is in the area. Motion sensors de- tect when a person or a vehicle comes into range, like in \[some\] hotel rooms when the added benefit of being touchless, making Another energy fix that is sure to please ton’s, New York’s, and Chicago’s housing lution that, if implemented building-wide, on a 2018 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) study. Using new technology called the computer, or on-board controls. If a room falls below the set temperature, the fan turns on to circulate warm air until the de- sired temperature is reached. While the fan is off, the insulating cover traps heat, allow- ing the room to stay comfortable. Adam Farber of MG Engineering in New York indicates that, like any function- ing system, for these automated systems to work, compliance is key. If you’re going to spend the time and money upgrading to automatic controls in your building, he says, they have to be used properly. “If the lights are set to stay off in the basement, but the maintenance worker on the night shift overrides the controls because he doesn’t want to enter a dark room in the middle of the night, then it’s not being used to its po- Let ‘Em In The retrofits with the biggest impact on this topic in the next installment.) Perhaps the simplest thing that every unit owner or community can do to achieve energy ef- ficiency is to be reasonable about granting hired professionals are conducting assess- energy initiative. n Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and Staff Writer for New England Condominium. “Automated systems have the advantage of shutting off lights or HVAC in areas that don’t get a lot of traffic or that are less used at certain times of day.” — Robert Plichta MULTIFAMILY.. continued from page 1 a building’s resilience. It’s a concept that more owners, developers, and investors are becoming aware of, because it helps these properties address climate risks that have potentially costly repercus- sions—but it’s also a way to improve their assets.” One indicator of the real estate in- dustry’s environmental concern is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program—an interna- tionally recognized green building certi- fication system that provides third-party verification that a building or communi- ty was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across the energy and environmental metrics that matter most. These include energy and water conservation, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor air quality, stewardship of natural resources, and sensitivity to human impacts. Improv- ing assets—and hence value—is really what good management and steward- ship are all about. After all, what board member isn’t proud to say that improve- ments made under their watch helped to increase the value of the community and the individual units? Tarafdar goes on to explain that resil- ience planning is key to helping buildings adapt to climate change. “In 2015, LEED introduced a series of resilient design credits in an effort to bring the issue to the forefront of project design,” he says. “In 2018, those credits were revised to improve effectiveness and reflect feed- back.” How Green Building Changes the Landscape Heating and cooling are among the biggest expenses residential buildings incur—so an efficient system not only can reduce a building’s emissions while maintaining tenant comfort, but also can help lower operating costs. Condos and co-ops must consider upgrades and changes as part of a larger energy ef- ficiency strategy in order to determine how these changes will have the greatest impact. Energy efficient options exist for HVAC, water heating systems, and light- ing, but even if a building isn’t ready to invest in a major HVAC system upgrade, just changing all the lighting to LED would be a meaningful step. “There is no single solution to making a building sus- tainable,” says Tarafdar, “and that’s why LEED is so comprehensive. It’s a combi- nation of decisions and a commitment to continually improve.” Landscaping is another area where owners can find cost-saving opportuni- ties, as well as make contributions to im- prove the environment and community around their building. By prioritizing A CHANGE IN THE AIR continued from page 1 continued on page 10