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September 2020                                   COOPERATOR.COM  continued on page 10   to upgrades in the home, however, many of us are reluctant, even   though the stakes can be much higher—we’ll patch and repair a fur-  nace or roof as long as we possibly can before even considering a   replacement, running the risk of paying more in the long run.   Luckily, when it comes to energy, there is a wide range of prod-  ucts and technologies that can be implemented to achieve savings in   cost, consumption, and climate impact. Many of the pros we spoke   continued on page 2   COVID-19 has caused more far-rang-  ing, persistent anxiety than any other   event in recent history. It has affected our   jobs, our living situations, and the way we   interact with others, and it’s not done with   us yet. Scientists and public health experts   are still refining their understanding of   the way the virus spreads, but one thing   they have determined for certain is that   the novel coronavirus spreads through the   air—especially  within  enclosed  spaces—  and does so far more easily indoors than   outdoors or via surface contact.     “Outside is better than inside” has   become a refrain among health experts.   And fortunately, in these summer months   most of us can go outside safely on most   days.  We  can  maintain  social  distancing   to provide protection from infection. We   can wear a mask. (And to the city’s great   credit, the vast majority of New Yorkers   do wear them.) But the dog days of late   summer still lie ahead. What happens   when the weather is just too hot for out-  door activities or open windows? And   what happens after that, when the weather   turns cold, and open windows and out-  door forays become impossible for the op-  posite reason? Among the seemingly end-  less questions we all have about the virus   is how it behaves in more or less enclosed   spaces when HVAC equipment is running   to either heat or cool those spaces.   Air Conditioning and COVID-19  Transmission of the novel coronavirus   is thought to happen mainly through large   droplets expelled from a carrier’s mouth   and nose during coughing, sneezing, or   talking. Evidence also suggests that at   least some cases of COVID-19 occur via   Whether you reside in, manage, or serve on the board of a co-op, condo, or HOA,   examining your building’s energy efficiency from top to bottom, inside and out, will have   enormous implications for individual and communal costs, energy conservation, and en-  vironmental conditions. And in the current unprecedented global viral pandemic, it is   more important than ever to consider that making changes to power sources and systems   can have collective health effects as well.  So where to begin? In this two-part investigation of energy innovations for multifamily   properties, we will help you understand the latest products and systems, how to navigate   the slow-moving channels of energy bureaucracy, and even find ways to help pay for en-  ergy upgrades. Additionally, we will cover the question permeating every aspect of life   these days: How does the coronavirus crisis affect all of this?  This first part explores new energy-efficient products and updates that can be installed   in individual units. These innovations have varying costs and levels of complexity, but   all of them will pay for themselves in terms of reduced utility bills, lower environmental   impact, and comfort and quality of life. Some states even have programs and incentives to   defray the uptake expenses.   Part two will delve into broader changes at the building-wide and community level,   including how local and federal legislation is impacting the future of clean energy.   Low-Hanging Fruit  Living as we do in the Digital Age, technology seems to develop so quickly that what   was just recently cutting-edge is now obsolete. Nevertheless, we continue to look for and   find ways to invest in new concepts or products, even if they’re destined to be replaced   with something newer and better. Think about how we line up for the latest smartphone   the minute it is available, even if the one we have is perfectly functional. When it comes   While pockets of disagreement still lin-  ger in some quarters, climate change—and   the science explaining it—is very real. And   while fluctuations in seasonal weather are   normal, the general trend toward a hotter   planet is clear, evidenced by melting ice   caps, dwindling glaciers, rising sea lev-  els, and increasing incidences of extreme   weather worldwide. Environmental scien-  tists warn we are reaching a critical ‘point-  of-no-return’ past which the everyday   social and economic qualities of life we’ve   become accustomed to in the developed   world will no longer be possible.   While interest groups argue about how   to respond to this existential threat, others   are finding ways to acclimatize their com-  munities to the changes that have already   arrived, and to ready themselves for what’s   to come. Real estate professionals, boards,   and co-op and condo residents are all mak-  ing changes in everything from how their   buildings are insulated to how they gener-  ate or consume electrical power.   Urban vs. Suburban  Gautam Tarafdar is the United States   Green Building Council’s (USGBC’s)   Mid-Atlantic and New England regional   director, and is at the forefront of plan-  ning for climate change. “The challenges   of climate change for residential commu-  nities differ greatly based on location and   whether it’s an urban or suburban com-  munity,” he says, “but at its core the con-  versation is about resilience planning. How   do you create a space that is better able to   prepare for, respond to, and recover from   a  catastrophic event,  such as  flooding,  a   hurricane, drought, wildfires, etc.? Green   building strategies serve as the cornerstone   for enhancing 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 repercussions—  but it’s also a way to improve their assets.”   One indicator of the real estate indus-  try’s environmental concern is the Leader-  Multifamily Energy    Saving Solutions   Part 1: Incremental Upgrades   BY DARCEY GERSTEIN  A Change in the Air  How Developers,    Managers, and Owners   are Responding to    Climate Change  BY A J SIDRANSKY  Securing Air   Quality in the   COVID-19 Era   HVAC, HEPA Filters, and    UV Disinfection  BY A.J. SIDRANSKY  205 Lexington Avenue, NY, NY 10016 • CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED  continued on page 12 


































































































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