Business Specialties

The United States can learn a few lessons in energy-efficient buildings and green jobs from Europe and Australia, according to a new study by the Rand Corporation. The research shows that steps taken by the two continents to inspect, rate, and publicly disclose the energy efficiency of buildings indicate the structures use less energy and are worth more when sold or leased.

Given the sheer number of structural, mechanical and electrical components within a typical multi-family structure, it’s easy to overlook a building’s plumbing system when major problems aren’t evident. Yet low water pressure, leaky pipes and stained, discolored water are all signposts to larger issues – potentially even system-wide failure. The longer these linger, the worse they can get.

New York City is flooded with some major events this week: the U.N. General Assembly, the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative and Climate Week N.Y.C., which falls just a few months before the international climate meeting slated to take place in Copenhagen this winter.

“Every penny counts” may sound like a tired cliché, but in the new economic order this mantra has more resonance than ever. By happy coincidence, energy management presents apartment community owners with an opportunity to improve their financial performance while addressing another area of growing significance: their properties’ environmental performance, particularly as it relates to energy consumption.

“Every penny counts” may sound like a tired cliché, but in the new economic order this mantra has more resonance than ever. By happy coincidence, energy management presents apartment community owners with an opportunity to improve their financial performance while addressing another area of growing significance: their properties’ environmental performance, particularly as it relates to energy consumption.

To get the most out of green construction or renovation, developers need to think about a project as an integrated whole whose value can far exceed the sum of its parts. That’s the promise of green design as exemplified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process of the United States Green Building Council. LEED is quite effective at delivering energy-saving performance within budgets comparable to those for traditional construction.

Does it matter how green your buildings are if the people responsible for their daily operations don’t know how to properly maintain their sustainable lifestyle?

Over the past several years, developers and owners of multifamily housing have been the targets of numerous lawsuits filed by government enforcement agencies, including the United States Department of Justice, private disability rights organizations, and individuals alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act (the “FHA”) and Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”). The “damages” and attorneys’ fees claimed by plaintiffs in these lawsuits, including the cost to modify existing buildings to comply with applicable accessibility guidelines, as well as the enormous costs in defending such lawsuits, have created significant financial exposure to the multifamily housing industry.