Many New York City co-op and condo boards had been resistant to the idea of approving green retrofits and energy-efficiency upgrades, but that reluctance might be in retreat.
A principal at Urbanstrong, a green building consultancy, says the attitude of board members has shifted recently, according to a Habitat report. First, boards are realizing that they will have no choice but to comply with recent New York carbon-reduction laws.
They are also hearing from other boards that solar panels can be a welcome source of income as well as an effective carbon-reduction strategy. In addition, a sustainability-enhancing feature such as a green roof can increase property values, particularly if it includes an attractive lounge space.
The city’s one million buildings have 40,000 acres of roof space. Just a tiny fraction of those spaces accommodate solar panels or resident amenities. Some properties are making plans to green up HVAC by replacing old, inefficient heating and cooling systems with a combination of heat pumps and efficient gas boilers.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Aug 16, 2020
TCA Architects specifies Engineered Floors products for 304-unit apartment complex in Tracy, Calif.
TCA Architects specified Lewis Rigid Stone Polymer floating plank and Lewis Gold 100% Solution-Dyed high-performance fiber carpet for Harvest in Tracy, Calif.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 3, 2020
71-unit 100% affordable housing development breaks ground in Mountain View, Calif.
Van Meter Williams Pollack is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 2, 2020
Stantec-designed 17 West mixed-use development completed in Miami Beach
Stantec-designed 17 West mixed-use development completed, with first Trader Joe's in Miami Beach.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2020
Railings manufacturer VistaPro launches its new website
VistaPro Architectural Railing Solutions launches new website.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 29, 2020
Multifamily construction proposal activity sees modest rebound in Q2 2020
Among the firms that work in the multifamily sector, 31% said that proposal activity increased in the second quarter, while 24% said it decreased.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 29, 2020
San Francisco’s Millennium Tower fix approved, moving forward
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger will be the engineer-of-record for the fix.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2020
Putting 'home' at the heart of affordable housing
Home is a powerful thing. It’s the place that forms you, a guiding set of relationships, memories, and experiences that, for better or worse, make you who you are.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 20, 2020
Abandoned 15-story high-rise becomes mixed-use luxury apartment building
Kimmich Smith Architecture designed the project.
Coronavirus | Jul 20, 2020
Student housing amid the pandemic, infection control in buildings, and future airport design on "The Weekly"
Experts from Core Spaces, Bala Consulting Engineers, and Populous were interviewed in the July 23 streaming program from Horizon TV.