Page 9 - NY Cooperator November 2020

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Th e overall picture is multi-layered, involving both initial construction, main- tenance aft er the fact, and the impact of climate change on existing buildings. “I’m not certain what eff ect current building construction has had vis-à-vis climate change,” says Goldner. Rather, he says, it may be more instructive to ask, “What have current operational practices done to compound the problem? While building components, type of construc- tion, and equipment can have an eff ect on energy use—and that in turn has an eff ect on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change—the way one operates a build- ing has a much greater impact than any of the hardware. We’d all like to think we are doing better construction today than years ago. However, I think most profes- sionals would agree that buildings built many years ago were made to last—per- haps more so than today, though perhaps not intentionally. If you look at a 100-year- old building,” and compare it to something built within the last few decades, Gold- ner says, “I’m not sure new buildings will stand that test of time. Old buildings are thermally heavy. Th ey have a lot of physi- cal mass: thick walls, multiple layers. Th ey retain heating and cooling better. Th ey are for all intents and purposes more energy- effi cient. So in that respect, newer is not necessarily more effi cient or better.” Goldner goes on to say that while our goal should be to build buildings better, “Current operational practices are what’s important. Not the buildings, but what we do with them. It’s a matter of having appro- priate independent third parties do tests— combustion effi ciency tests for boilers to keep them running at optimum effi ciency, for example. What we need to do diff erent- ly is that we actually need to do it. One of the contributing factors that brought us to this point is that people don’t take care of their buildings. As much as we preach, the number of buildings actually doing \[ade- quate, consistent systems testing\] is small.” He says that even if every building adopt- ed and adhered to a rigorous inspection/ testing calendar, the problem of a warm- ing climate wouldn’t simply disappear; it’s both more systemic and more complex than that. “But had this been done consis- tently and correctly,” he says, “the problem wouldn’t be as bad as it is now. An ounce of prevention, as the saying goes. A greater participation rate would slow the climate problem and buy time to come up with more alternatives.” Kevin Keating, an associate partner with international architecture fi rm Sel- dorf Architects, takes a similar view. “Bad maintenance habits have hurt our climate,” he says. “If there’s no sealed thermal en- CLIMATE CHANGE... continued from page 1 continued on page 10 will make the apartment be at a higher pres- sure and force air into the corridor, and may- be to adjacent spaces as well.” If it seems counter-intuitive that fresh air would be a vector for the virus, it’s because open windows can have a mitigating eff ect on virus transmission as well, according to Sher- man. “Of course,” he continues, “opening a window can help dilute the amount of virus in that given apartment, so it is not so simple.” Th e issue is simpler for window-mounted A/Cs, Sherman says. “Generally speaking, these things recirculate air—they don’t venti- late. Some units have a damper that allows for some outside air to come in, but that amount is rather small and does not have the risks of \[over-pressurization\], so is not a problem and could be a benefi t.” Also, according to ASHRAE’s Technical Resources for Multi- family Buildings, “Strategic window fan place- ment in exhaust mode can help draw fresh air into room via other open windows and doors without generating strong room air currents.” Since ventilation is one of the keys to both maintaining indoor air quality and reducing the chances of viral spread, needing to keep windows open or A/C running this winter might not be such a bad thing, in spite of the ineffi ciency and energy cost. (Again, desper- ate times …) Simple Is Best As the New York Times detailed in a recent article, fancy, high-tech, expensive products promising super-clean surfaces and particle- free air are being marketed as panaceas for a public concerned about indoor transmission of the coronavirus—especially as winter ap- proaches and fewer activities can be enjoyed outdoors. But, as the Times indicates, most of those products are overkill and may even have un- intended harmful consequences, including respiratory hazards and production of “dan- gerous hydroxyl radicals that may injure cells.” Th e Times cites a number of experts who ad- vise against their use, recommending instead the simple risk-reduction measures of hand- washing and mask-wearing. Th e recommendations for multifamily buildings and communities are the same as they’ve been since this mess started: Limit in- teraction with people outside of your house- hold. Wear a mask in common indoor areas and anywhere that six-foot separation cannot be maintained. Wash hands with soap and water or use a sanitizer with 60% alcohol con- tent if those aren’t available. And—lest we for- get—remember to breathe. Keeping common indoor air and surfaces clean in a pandemic should not add too much stress, complexity, or expense to an association’s or a coopera- tive’s daily operations. n Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and Staff Writer for Th e Cooperator.