Mom was right. Her admonition to “Turn out the lights when you leave the room!” is as valid today as it was a generation ago. And yet many co-op and condo buildings, while energy-conscious in so many ways, seem to feel it’s better to just …
With today’s condo and HOA residents much more conscious of their impact on the environment and looking for ways to reduce it, smart boards and property managers are looking to help. Simple tasks like turning down thermostats, shutting off…
It’s hard to believe that recycling was a pretty novel concept not too long ago, especially for municipalities. In the 1970s and ‘80s, local governments started to establish recycling programs due to rising energy prices and a growing conc…
There are two ways—and only two ways—to balance a budget: increase revenue or decrease spending. Whether you’re the treasurer of a co-op board or the President of the United States, those are the only two levers at your disposal. Ene…
There are a number of consultants out there that are “pretending” that they can prepare the energy audit and energy efficiency reports required by Local Law 87. Local Law 87 of New York City's Greener, Greater Buildings Plan re…
As winter looms, property owners can cut costs and save on their heating bills with preventive maintenance and upgrades to their steam systems. Here are some suggestions for savings from Con Edison. Optimize Steam Piping Syste…
According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), New York City currently has the largest unfiltered surface water supply in the world. Every day, some 1.3 billion gallons of water are delivered to more than …
Saving energy does a lot more than just reduce a building’s carbon footprint and toxic emissions—going green can save a building some green too. The steps a co-op or condo building can take to reduce energy consumption and save money ran…
We as a culture produce a lot of trash—and not just in the form of reality television shows, late night infomercials, and bad romance novels. Whether it’s the candy wrappers we toss into the trash bins outside on the sidewalk, the newsp…
Going green doesn’t have anything to do with choosing a natural paint color for your kitchen, or planting herbs in your community garden. But the phrase can have many different meanings and can be done across a broad spectrum. Turning o…