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 | Sep 12, 2019
Meet the masters of offsite construction
Prescient combines 5D software, clever engineering, and advanced robotics to create prefabricated assemblies for apartment buildings and student housing.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 10, 2019
Carbon-neutral apartment building sets the pace for scalable affordable housing
Project Open has no carbon footprint, but the six-story, solar-powered building is already leaving its imprint on Salt Lake City’s multifamily landscape.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 4, 2019
Peloton to multifamily communities: Drop dead
Peloton will no longer sell its bikes to apartment communities.
| Sep 3, 2019
Top 10 indoor amenities in multifamily developments for 2019
In-unit washer/dryer heads our ranking of the top indoor amenities in multifamily housing developments.
AEC Innovators | Aug 27, 2019
7 AEC industry disruptors and their groundbreaking achievements
From building prefab factories in the sky to incubating the next generation of AEC tech startups, our 2019 class of AEC Innovators demonstrates that the industry is poised for a shakeup. Meet BD+C’s 2019 AEC Innovators.
AEC Tech | Aug 25, 2019
Deluxe parking: A condo building in Philadelphia offers its owners a completely automated parking service
This is the first “palletless” system that Westfalia Technologies has installed.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 22, 2019
40-story residential tower to rise near Seattle’s Pike Place Market
Hewitt architects is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 19, 2019
Affordable, senior development rises in the Bronx
RKTB Architects is designing the project.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 19, 2019
Top 10 outdoor amenities in multifamily housing for 2019
Top 10 results in the “Outdoor Amenities” category in our Multifamily Design+Construction Amenities Survey 2019.
Market Data | Aug 19, 2019
Multifamily market sustains positive cycle
Year-over-year growth tops 3% for 13th month. Will the economy stifle momentum?