Page 2 - NY Cooperator September 2020

2 THE COOPERATOR — SEPTEMBER 2020 COOPERATOR.COM ROSENWACH TANK THE FIRST NAME IN QUALITY CEDAR WOOD TANKS WE ARE CERTIFIED and IT MATTERS! 718.729.4900 43-02 Ditmars Boulevard, 2nd Fl., Astoria, NY 11105 www.rosenwachgroup.com Rosenwach is proud to announce that Rosenwach’s tanks are certified to NSF/ANSI 61 by NSF International, a leading global independent public health and safety organization. NSF/ANSI 61 addresses crucial aspects of drinking water system components such as whether contaminants that leach or migrate from the product/material into the drinking water are below acceptable levels in finished waters. To receive certification, Rosenwach Tank submitted product samples to NSF that underwent rigorous testing to recognized standards, and agreed to manufacturing facility audits and periodic retesting to verify continued conformance to the standards. The NSF mark is our customers’ assurance that our prod- uct has been tested by one of the most respected indepen- dent certification organizations. Only products bearing the NSF mark are certified. to for this article refer to such implemen- tations as the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of energy equipment—cable boxes, routers, printers, not in use can save a household $130 to upgrades—the easily achievable and rela- tively inexpensive conversions that any con- sumer can achieve in the home. Don’t Suck—Unplug The easiest and quickest adjustment, says DVDs, and video game consoles; electric Terrence Cullen, Communications Direc- tor for New York City Councilman Costa irons, and electric shavers; small kitchen candescent and compact fluorescent light Constantinides, who chairs the city’s Envi- ronmental Protection Committee, is to “Be blenders; and comfort or ambiance devices or LEDs. Robert Plichta, forensic archi- conscious of the so-called ‘energy vampires’ like sound machines, portable fans, and tect with Energy Systems Inc. (ESi) based that pull in electricity if they’re plugged in Bluetooth speakers. but not switched on.” Cullen explains that as households add more and more elec- tronic devices and appliances to their power ican household’s annual energy bill is from load, they might not be aware that those like electrical appliances consuming energy on televisions, computers, and their related stand-by. Unplugging these devices when and so forth—continue to consume elec- tricity if connected to an outlet, even when reduce their building’s or association’s total turned off. Other common energy suckers energy emissions as well. include entertainment devices like DVRs, grooming products like hairdryers, curling ment with a big impact is swapping out in- appliances like coffee makers, toasters, and (CFL) bulbs with light-emitting diodes, The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that 5% to 10% of a typical Amer- $230 a year on utility expenses, and can Let There Be LED Another relatively easy energy adjust- outside of Chicago indicates that both the cost and versatility of LED lighting have improved over the years. They now of- fer a variety of lighting “moods,” includ- ing “warm,” “cold,” and “daylight,” he says, as well as different 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 comfortable 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 Solutions based in Southbury, Connecticut, and offering services in the tri-state area as well as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “LEDs use only a fraction of the energy of an incandescent or even a CFL, and will last 25% longer, without the wasted heat of either an incandescent or a CFL.” New Yorkers might already have a sense of the impacts and quality that LED light- ing provides, since the city’s Local Law 88 requires all buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to transition to LED lighting by 2025. While the law exempts individual dwellings, residents will still feel the ef- fects that upgraded common area lighting have, both on their environment and on their wallet. “When you talk about com- mon spaces that must be lit continuously, and that take time and manpower to con- stantly change bulbs, that somewhat minor change can amount to major savings for a co-op or condo,” Schaake continues. Their building might also take advantage of New York State Energy Research and Develop- ment Authority’s (NYSERDA’s) Multifam- ily Performance Program (MPP) that offers incentives based on the amount of energy reduction a project achieves, as well as up- grade incentives for multifamily buildings offered by utility providers like Con Edi- son. Take Control Being that this is a relatively simple and low-cost retrofit, a lot of multifamily buildings and communities have already implemented this change. To take it one step further, say the experts, boards should consider upgrading the lighting controls as well. “Automated systems have the ad- vantage 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,” says Plichta. He gives the example of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, which re- cently 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 detect when a person or a vehicle comes into range, like in \[some\] hotel rooms when the lights are off until someone opens the door,” adding that au- continued on page 10 MULTIFAMILY... continued from page 1