SUSTAINABILITY

There has been a series of advances in the way electricity usage is measured and priced. New “smart” meters measure electricity consumption in time intervals, which enables billing systems to encourage usage when prices are low and discourage usage when prices are high. Apartment buildings must, however, receive electric service through a master/submeter configuration to take advantage of these technologies. Instead most are direct-metered, which means that residents receive individual bills directly from Con Edison – and pay the highest electricity rate of all utility customers. Owners are only able to save by using less or by purchasing through a time-of-use structure.

Many buildings are solely master-metered. In these buildings, individual apartments are billed for electricity charges as part of rent or maintenance rather than being billed for specific usage. Building wide electricity service is purchased in bulk, which generally translates into lower rates. However, because there is no price signal to alert individuals to their usage, they tend to use far more electricity than if they actually paid for their actual usage.

Regardless of the billing method or cost, electricity is an essential element of our lives – and new electrically-powered products come out each day to save us time, help us cook or clean more efficiently, or expand our entertainment options. Home office equipment has expanded beyond the desktop computer to include increasingly more powerful hardware such as scanners, fax machines and copiers.

By using smart meters with feedback and two-way communications, residents can reduce costs by using energy more efficiently and at times when prices are low. Smart metering systems even allow buildings to earn money by selling the promise to use less electricity when a power emergency looms. Alternatives in electricity service are described in terms of energy, sustainability and cost effectiveness.

A systematic study of the building’s common area lighting fixtures and bulbs is also completed as part of the process. Evaluating the building’s lighting system allows for management to recommend and implement the most energy efficient and cost effective system

Heat and hot water are also essential to the functioning of any apartment building. New York City buildings supply heat to living spaces and public areas through a variety of methods and fuels. Systems are ranked according to their ability to satisfy a building’s needs with respect to energy efficiency, cost, reliability and environmental quality.

The highest-ranked systems are the most economical, with top ratings going to buildings that satisfy domestic hot water needs during non-heating seasons with small-sized water heaters. Special bonuses are provided for buildings that can burn both oil and gas, which assures greater reliability and opportunities for lower costs.

The most expensive and inefficient way to heat space and water is with electricity or Con Edison steam. Although the use of electricity or steam as the heating source eliminates a building’s need to combust fuel and vent gases, the switchover to building-produced heat can be quite cost effective, provided that a building has adequate space for the new system.

The most efficient and sustainable systems on the spectrum are renewable solar heating systems or those that capture heat used to generate electricity on site. They are not usually able to supply a full heating load, but can often satisfy a significant portion of a building’s hot water needs.

Windows are one of the most important items to be addressed when buildings consider an upgrade. An excellent energy efficiency tool, they retain heat in the winter; they keep heat out of air-conditioned apartments during summer.

An obvious architectural element on a building’s façade, windows usher in a host of aesthetic and design considerations. Buildings that have Landmarks designation or are on the roster of the National Registry of Historic Places face strict guidelines to assure that replacement windows are visually consistent if not identical to the originals. All buildings, whether landmarked or not, can and should establish a design criteria for new windows. Landmarked buildings should establish master plans, which when approved, allow for the most efficient window design to be incorporated in the master plan.

Window technologies have evolved rapidly over the past quarter century, making the modern double-paned aluminum windows of the 1970’s and 1980’s (with no thermal break between the inside and outside window frames) practically obsolete.

Roofs are more impacted than any other component of a building’s envelope by weather conditions. Essential in protecting residents from the elements, roofs must be impermeable to the heaviest rain, strong enough to withstand the weight of accumulated snow and able to withstand scorching heat and direct solar radiation without melting. Over the years, new and improved materials and methods have sought to enhance roof performance as an insulator, to keep heat in during winter and reflect summer sunlight to reduce heat build-up and building penetration.

A roof can also be the site of renewable resources, such as solar electric and hot water systems that capture the sun’s energy for building use. Although not yet feasible today, small wind turbines may grace our rooftops in the years ahead.

The Rudd gradation analysis is limited to flat roof treatments that satisfy conventional protection needs. The color index does not address the use of roofs for energy provision. Neither does it consider roofs as locations for placement or structural support of building improvements such as water towers, cooling towers and mechanical rooms.

Elevator technology has improved in stages over the 150 years since their invention. The earliest elevators were powered by steam and those rising above 6 stories used large steel drums in basements to wrap and un-wrap cables to pull the elevators up and unwind them down. Many original elevators still exist in our multifamily buildings, including car switch handles which can use AC or DC power and are manually operated by pushing a handle which starts and stops the elevator. The most advanced technologies are computer controlled and the newest technology captures electricity generated when an elevator goes down for building use or back to the grid. Elevators with this advanced capacity are called regenerative elevators. Also some new systems do not require oily lubricants for their glide rails, and are therefore greener.

Elevators fall into a series of categories. They operate on either direct or alternating current electricity (DC or AC), they use geared or gearless motors and they are lifted hydraulically or with ropes and cables. The ascendance is primarily based on advances in technology which would usually be adopted when the elevator system or one of its major components are replaced. Since new technologies are often expensive elevator service companies are proficient at maintaining existing elevators by replacing parts and rebuilding motors. The most efficient elevators utilize computer technology and black boxes to minimize electrical surges and travel time.

Clean air and water are considered by our team of experts equally important to the buildings sustainability profile as all of the previous categories. Most building management companies ignore essential quality of life issues such as purity of the interior air and water. We pay as much attention to this area as the rest of the building, knowing full well that the building’s resident’s health and well being are directly correlated to this vitally important quality of life concern.

RECSS is an ever-evolving process and plan of action that utilizes the most up to date technology that is available today. We pride ourselves at Rudd Realty for being on the cutting edge allowing our managers and boards alike to take a proactive approach to conservation and sustainability. If you would like to speak with one of our executive directors for more information regarding the RECSS program and how it can be implemented in your building please contact us.