Page 13 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Fall 2021

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Est. 1989
vice Energy, the energy management and a solar system should fi rst review the gov-
advisory subsidiary of national property erning documents of their association to
management company FirstService Resi-
dential, points out that buildings and com-
munities looking to reduce their carbon ment company and board of directors is the
output should focus fi rst on their heating appropriate next step. Th ere may be review
and domestic hot water systems—because and approval requirements associated with
that’s where carbon mainly comes from. the project. In the event that the homeown-
“So at the end of the useful life of your er feels they have been denied in violation
boiler,” she gives as an example, “you’re of the law, they can contact the Association
getting ready to replace it—what are your Regulation Unit in the New Jersey Depart-
options for the rooft op unit that runs on ment of Community Aff airs for guidance:
gas?” Doherty echoes other experts in that www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/offi ces/ari.
it is not a one-size-fi ts-all approach. “Every html.
building is going to have to create their own
master plan of how they’re going to get to
that threshold,” she continues.
Th is is an important point. Boards and address moving to a new system. If they
their professional managers need to be stra-
tegic as they map out their goals and pro-
cesses for reaching them. Th inking about to go. While likely a huge undertaking, the
any upcoming projects or capital needs with move to electric systems in general is where
one eye on carbon reduction solutions will we are headed, and Doherty is “a big fan of
allow boards and managers to integrate effi -
ciency and savings as they move forward. A utes heating and cooling from a non-fossil-
holistic approach is also key. Boards should burning ground or air source. An added
think about interdependencies of systems benefi t of such a system is that buildings
and components, and how projects might be that lacked central cooling will now be able
completed simultaneously or in sequence to to provide it. Additionally, it will make it
achieve the best bang for the buck in terms easier to charge back individual unit own-
of both overall costs and long-term savings.
If You Build It ...
So the technology exists and it’s cost-ef-
fective … but what can a multifamily build-
ing or HOA community do if it doesn’t al-
low such installations? According to Solar however. Says Doherty: “Some buildings are
United Neighbors, a non-profi t based in going to have issues with power, and have to
Washington, D.C. that serves 12 states in bring power to the building and then to the
addition to the District, New Jersey was one apartments. Th ere’s going to be issues with
of the fi rst states to pass a law (P.L. 2007, c. buildings as to where to put the condensers
153) that protects homeowners’ right to go and where to put the units themselves. And
solar from HOA interference. While the law other buildings are gonna just have issues
“would likely not apply to individuals living with the costs associated with doing that
in a condominium or co-op arrangement, conversion. Th ere are some new technolo-
where the roof is a common element and gies that are coming, and there are some
not ‘owned’ by individual unit owners,” says demonstration projects that are happening
the organization, owners of stand-alone in New York City right now through NY-
units in New Jersey HOAs have the statuto-
ry right to install solar technology on their search and Development Authority—“and
property.
Th ere are caveats, however. While a ing multifamily buildings to heat pumps. So
community association cannot completely I am hopeful that we’ll have more data on
deny a request to install a solar system, they how well those buildings are doing.”
can enforce “reasonable restrictions.” Solar
United Neighbors indicates that these re-
strictions include “qualifi cations, certifi ca-
tion, and insurance requirements of install-
ers; location where solar collectors may be last minute,” warns Doherty. “Th at is when
placed on roofs; concealment of solar col-
lectors’ supportive structures, fi xtures, and also might have problems getting incen-
piping; color harmonization of solar collec-
tors with the colors of structures or land-
scaping in the development; and aggregate to capture. But you need to have a plan fi rst.”
size or coverage or total number of solar
collectors.” Taken together or separately, You will be saving headaches, money, and—
none of these restrictions can increase the oh, yeah—the planet.
installation cost by more than 10%, and no
rule can inhibit a system from operating at
its maximum capacity.
Solar United Neighbors indicates that
any New Jersey homeowner considering
understand the exact ownership rights that
apply. Contacting the association’s manage-
Pumping It Up
Doherty notes that older buildings that
still run on oil are really going to have to
don’t have access to gas, a transition to elec-
tric heating and cooling might be the way
heat pumps”—the technology that distrib-
ers or tenants for their usage—which could
be a motivator for usage reduction, which
in turn reduces carbon emissions, as well as
costs.
It’s not necessarily an easy transition
SERDA”—the New York State Energy Re-
other agencies that are looking at convert-
The Time Is Nigh
No matter where you are, what type of
building you are in, or which sustainability
projects are on the list, “don’t wait ‘til the
you’re going to run into problems—and you
tives, because there’s going to be a ton start-
ing in 2020 and through 2025 that you want
Follow the Scout motto and be prepared.
n
Darcey Gerstein is Associate Editor and
Staff Writer for CooperatorNews.