Page 2 - CooperatorNews NY April 2021

2 COOPERATORNEWS — APRIL 2021 COOPERATORNEWS.COM compliance. Then they should have the build- ing analyzed by a professional energy consul- tant, engineer, or architect who specializes in ings.” exterior envelope strategies to better under- stand their emission score. This professional newable energy sources simply isn’t possible it has a high carbon emission. Getting to a will identify strategies for the reduction of for most buildings. “We speak about renew- consumption of fossil fuels.” It is the reduction able as solar panels,” he explains, “which won’t is something you want to do. It will change system to run on more efficient, economical, and more efficient consumption of these fossil support a whole building, or provide heating your carbon footprint. Sometimes equipment and environmentally friendly fuel, there are fuels that the law aims to achieve. Areas for Improvement & Compliance Stuart Halper is vice president of Impact fuel configuration, using both gas and light configurations as part of the fuel conversion.” Management. Impact has offices in New York heating oil such as Number 2 oil. “Most con- City, Long Island, and Westchester, and man- ages more than 110 buildings. “The first ques- tion,” Halper says, “is where the building is at now, you can burn Number 2 or 4 oil, but in with air conditioning systems may have dif- in terms of the kind of fuel they are burning. a few years Number 4 will be phased out as ferent types of chiller technologies, installed Significant savings can be achieved by burn- ing natural gas rather than oil. A switch from elimination of heating oil will force conver- oil to gas can lead to achieving compliance for sion of heating systems to gas. Local Law 97 and also bring about major sav- Halper stresses that conversion to full re- for a multiple-family dwelling.” At a mini- mum, though, he suggests conversion to dual You may need to change some equipment or efficiency that should be analyzed, calibrated, versions today are dual fuel,” he says. “Even- tually oil will be phased out altogether. Right tral chillers for HVAC systems. Buildings “Get your heating system running efficiently,” Number 6 was previously.” Essentially, the when oil was cheap. These buildings should Goldner adds, “As a general rule, the cautions that these properties need to look at change that makes the biggest difference is space issues as well. Upgrading may be signifi- fuel switching. If you’re on Number 4 oil now cantly impactful. combination of Number 2 oil and natural gas may need to be switched or upgraded as well. components of your system that monitor its Goldner also observes that some larger at peak performance. These components in- buildings may have steam absorbers or cen- consider conversion to new, more economi- cal and environmentally friendly systems. He Fine-Tuning Your Energy Usage Aside from reconfiguring your heating and sharpened to keep the system operating clude fine tuning boiler/burner operations. says Goldner. “Setting controls up effectively and reducing cycling saves on both cost and emissions. You reduce cycling through boiler controls and other monitoring technologies. Reducing boiler cycling can save substantial money. This problem exists in about 70% of buildings.” Another area for investigation is heating distribution and system balancing, Goldner continues. “Stop throwing BTUs and carbon out the window. You don’t want to see open windows in the winter—so don’t overheat the building. Proper balancing can help with this. Reduce waste. Buildings with proper system balancing can save about 20% over costs.” Other Areas to Look At—and a Word on Solar Alimonti suggests doing a survey of the exterior façade to look for energy loss. “Make it more solid, so nothing leaks. Façades can be overclad to prevent heat loss. Install an ad- ditional finish on the exterior wall, a metal panel with an insulation core covered with aluminum.” It does look different from the original brick, but will save energy and help with compliance. Halper suggests looking for ‘low-hanging fruit’ to achieve savings without necessarily spending a mint. For starters, take a look at the lightbulbs in your building and grounds, and switch any incandescent bulbs to LEDs immediately. “Many buildings have lagged on this,” says Halper. “Boards often say they have too much on their plate, so they let it go—but LED bulbs are now very cheap. They burn much less energy and the bulbs last 5-10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.” Window replacement is another area to be considered. While it is a very expensive undertaking, window systems have a useful life of about 25 years and need to be replaced on that schedule in any event. According to Alimonti, “New windows with thermo-panes will not only save money by reducing energy loss, but will also provide acoustical benefits by reducing exterior noise.” They also dramat- ically reduce UV radiation—to the point that she says she often uses them for apartments with expensive furniture and art to prevent fading. 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