Condo Media - June 2013 - 38

ENERGY SAVINGS
continue to decline, these fixtures offer
an increasingly attractive alternate to
incandescent lights and CFLs.
For further savings in lighting, associations can invest in motion sensors
and controls. Motion sensors automatically turn off lights when a room
or area is not occupied. Controls are
capable of dimming the lighting based
on the time of day and available natural
light. This technology is especially useful when installed on outdoor lights,
but can produce significant savings in
clubhouses and common hallways.

Reducing Energy Waste

In addition to using equipment that
uses less energy, associations can go
green by reducing energy loss/waste.
Communities can reduce energy loss
by increasing building insulation,
sealing air leaks, and weatherproofing
windows. Although they cannot make
these changes within individual units,
associations can use these methods for
making their clubhouses and other
common areas green. Properly insulating attics and wall spaces can reduce
the amount of heat escaping from the

building and save significantly on heating and cooling costs. Sealing air leaks
means filling in the gaps around windows, doors, and air ducts so that heat
cannot escape in cold months and cool
air is not lost in summer months. Sealing air leaks will reduce drafts, make
the building more comfortable for the
occupants, and can result in energy savings of 5-30 percent per year.
Windows are one of the largest sources
of heat loss because of their low insulating ability and high air leakage rates.
Likewise, in summer, windows are a major source of unwanted solar heat gain.
In some cases, windows are responsible
for up to 50 percent of the property’s
heating and cooling energy costs. An
association can retrofit single-glazed for
double-glazed low E windows, which can
cut heat loss and gain in half. Another
option is to invest in window shades,
such as blinds, shades, and curtains.
These shades block sunlight, reducing the need for air conditioning in the
summer, and serve as added insulation
against outside temperatures in winter.

Renewable Energy

Lastly, community associations can go
green by investing in a renewable energy
source such as solar paneling, geothermal heat pumps, or wind turbines.
Federal, state, and local rebates have
made renewable energy sources a viable
option with reasonable payback periods.
Photo voltaic has become especially
practical, as there are opportunities to
lease solar panels rather than purchasing
this expensive equipment outright.
Going green is often viewed as an
idealistic and expensive endeavor.
However, these cost effective methods
of reducing your carbon footprint illustrate how easy and inexpensive going
green can be. To top it off, going green
can drastically decrease an association’s annual expenditures, often saving
thousands of dollars over the life of the
energy-efficient equipment. CM
Allan Samuels, LEED AP is managing
partner of Energy Squared, LLC, a sister
company of Kipcon Inc.
38

Condo Media • June 2013
Condo Media - June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - June 2013
