REAL ESTATE WEEKLY, By Richard Cherry

Published on October 25, 2006
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Is it possible in this tough marketplace to design a residential building - new construction or conversion - that is energy efficient and environmentally “friendly” and yet not prohibitively expensive? Sure it is!

Community Environmental Center (CEC), a not-for-profit professional organization, has been showing owners, developers, architects and contractors how to be energy efficient and “green” since 1994.

High performance (or “green”) buildings, once the realm of idealists, are eminently practical now. While upfront construction costs can be somewhat higher to go green, we’ve found that green buildings add about $3 to $7 per square foot to development costs - but generate many times that amount in life-cycle savings. And, as the market adjusts to the demand for green buildings, these incremental costs will fall steadily.

CEC’s engineers and planners are commissioned to audit existing building sites, or consult during the design stage of new construction, on introducing energy-efficiency equipment and green building strategies. They will also oversee implementation during the construction phase.

As I always tell builders and owners, there are “many shades of green.”

Accordingly, for owners and developers exploring green initiatives for the first time, CEC will help them tailor the most cost-effective program.

The basic objectives of such a program are increasing the energy efficiency of HVAC and lighting systems, improving indoor air quality and selecting appropriate building materials. In planning for new construction, site selection also can be important in advancing green objectives.

Strategies to achieve these objectives include such targets as waste water management and water use reduction, insulation, “green” roofing and the elimination of ozone and other pollutants.

How effective are these strategies? Take energy efficiency as one example. As compared to a conventional gas-fired boiler, the installation of a high-tech condensing boiler will increase the efficiency of fuel conversion to energy by more than 95% by condensing and recycling exhaust gases.

Furthermore, simply by switching from incandescent to compact fluorescent lighting fixtures and bulbs will save owners some 25% in energy consumption. And they last ten times as long as incandescent bulbs.

“Green” Certification

For owners who want the badge of honor in “green” buildings, we can help them achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. This adds prestige and is a great marketing tool for buildings.

CEC will also help owners to identify various government subsidies, low-interest loans and income incentive programs which pay owners who implement green building strategies. We will guide owners through the application and compliance process.

Similarly, CEC also offers homeowners and apartment building owners assistance in weatherizing and improving the energy efficiency of their buildings. We also help the owners of low-income buildings to qualify for government-sponsored energy-related income incentives and subsidies.

Build It Green!

In rehabs and conversions, a major headache and cost is getting rid of demolition material. CEC’s Build It Green! program was organized to salvage the many materials and components at a deconstruction site that are reusable or recyclable. These materials, which otherwise would be trashed, are sold at our warehouse and retail center in Astoria for costs ranging up to 70% less than purchased new.

Warehouse customers typically are small apartment building owners and homeowners who find bargains among goods including doors and windows, cabinetry, flooring, plumbing and lighting fixtures, carpeting and paneling, among other items. Because CEC is non-profit, donations of these building materials earn tax deductions, and you save on dumping fees. Net profits from Build It Green! help support environmental education programs we conduct.

New York City produces each day about 19,500 tons of landfill material and 13,500 tons of non-fill construction and demolition materials. The more CEC salvages and takes away, the less donors spend in demolition time and dumping fees. And that much less a burden on the city’s landfill and waste export operations.

Only one year old, our Build It Green! program has salvaged for reuse in mint condition more than 148 tons of materials, and saved our customers over $100,000 in material costs.

As in everything the Community Environmental Center does, the goal with our various initiatives is to demonstrate to builders and owners that developing environmentally responsible habitats is not only far-sighted but down-to-earth practical from a dollars-and-cents standpoint.