In recent years, being green has become more than just a trendy buzzword—for many Garden State HOAs, it’s now a way of life. More and more communities are adopting and implementing  environmentally-sensitive policies, and intentionally using more eco-friendly  products.  

 Taking a greener course makes sense for many residents, who see helping the  environment and saving money for their association’s operating expenses as worthy benefits of using green practices in their  communities. While many residents recognize the value in being environmentally  friendly, and will often pay a premium to do so, some green measures can be  implemented in a community without being prohibitively expensive. Not only  board members and property managers, but average residents also can take  advantage of the green programs available to help defray the cost of greening  their developments. Starting the process is often as simple as going online,  finding the pertinent information and applying for the program right then and  there.  

 Green Incentives

 While some may feel that "going green" is such an over-used term these days, the  federal, state and local government offer numerous incentive programs for  single-family and multi-family homeowners to achieve some substantial savings  when making energy-efficiency improvements.  

 According to Jason Kliwinski, AIA, LEED AP, the president the New Jersey chapter  of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ) and the director of  sustainable design for the Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., there are  programs for the small residential and larger commercial sector. "In New  Jersey, it depends on the size of the building and there's bit of a gray area  between low-rise and mid-rise residential here. Once you get over, I believe,  it's three stories, you cross into the commercial sector."  

 For example, says Mary Sheehy, the administrator of the New Jersey Green Homes  office, a division of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency,  homeowners associations cover many different building types. Of the available energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in New Jersey,  most are building-based (determined by code definitions of building types):  According to Sheehy, available resources will be determined on whether a  property is composed of single-family (less than 4 units per building),  low-rise (under 5 stories with no elevator), mid-rise (between 4 and 7 stories,  with an elevator), high-rise (over 7 stories), master-metered buildings and/vs.  individually-metered buildings. The NJ Clean Energy Program also divides  programs based on utility energy/meter type: whether a building receives  commercial or residential energy service.  

 Most everyone is familiar with the federal government's Energy Star program  which classifies energy efficient appliances, windows, lights, and other  mechanisms used in residential living. The program offers rebates for consumers  who replace items—including heating systems and windows—with higher efficiency systems and items. Energy Star-approved products bear a  seal that states that they are approved by the program. More information can be  found at www.energystar.gov. Also check out the New Jersey Board of Public  Utilities, which administers the NJ Clean Energy program (www.njclean  energy.com). Other programs include New Jersey SmartStart Buildings and Pay for  Performance. The primary goal of New Jersey SmartStart Buildings is to provide  a range of free support and financial incentives to help commercial,  industrial, institutional, municipal and educational organizations of all sizes  throughout the state implement energy efficiency measures to yield substantial  energy savings, both now and for the future. Go to http://www.njclean  energy.com/commercial-industrial/  programs/nj-smartstart-buildings/nj-smartstart-buildings for more information.  Pay for Performance (http://www.nj  cleanenergy.com/commercial-industrial/programs/pay-performance/) takes a  comprehensive, whole-building approach to energy efficiency in new construction  or existing commercial, industrial and institutional facilities with an annual  peak demand over 200 kW. The program includes technical and  construction-related assistance as well as financial incentives that can  substantially offset the costs of an initial investment in energy efficiency  measures. Home Performance with Energy Star allows residential homes to save up  to 30 percent of their energy costs. Participating certified contractors will  do an assessment and recommend what improvements can be implemented.  

 In addition to rebates, federal tax credits also are available on certain items  through 2016, says Kliwinski. A tax credit of 30 percent of the cost up to  $1,500 is available is available for existing homes for purchases related to  biomass stoves, HVAC, insulation, roofs, non-solar water heaters and windows  and doors. A tax credit for 30 percent of the costs of geothermal heat pumps,  small wind turbines and solar energy systems is available through 2016 in  existing homes and new construction.  

 A comprehensive list of New Jersey resources can be found at www.njgreen.gov,  www.dsireusa.org for a state-by-state database of incentive programs, or  http://www.nj.gov/dca/ divisions/dhcr/offices/energy.html.  

 What You Can Save

 Sheehy explains that "Sustainable/Green Design" can basically be described  through three categories: energy efficiency, renewable energy and the term  'green building'. Energy Efficiency is understood as reducing energy demand, or  consumption, and creating a building that has lower utility bills. Renewable  Energy is the active production of electricity through a process that does not  generate pollution and from a source that is plentiful and is unlimited/or  easily renewed—such as the sun, wind, water and human waste (landfills), and Green Building  encompasses a much more comprehensive look at sustainable design, she says.  

 If a building is called specifically a 'green building,' Sheehy says, then it  would typically include features in all of the following categories: energy  efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, sustainable siting, and  durable/sustainable building materials. A green building can also include  renewable energy systems. This approach considers how the building will affect  its surrounding environment and community; considers the healthiness or  local-sourcing of building materials used; as well as the health and resource  efficiency of the residents.  

 "Solar hot water and solar photovoltaics (PV) are a good example of energy  efficiency versus renewable energy," adds Sheehy. "Solar hot water systems use  the sun's heat to pre-warm a building's drinkable hot water. A solar hot water  system can look like thick panels on the roof with pipes running behind a glass  face. By reducing the amount of heating that needs to be accomplished by a  water heater—you can reduce the amount of energy you need, thereby reducing utility bills.  Solar PV systems are thinner panels that convert the sun's energy into  electricity," Sheehy says.  

 Sheehy says that her office is in the process of energy benchmarking their  portfolio of over 300 multifamily rental buildings and hopes to have a report  ready in about a year. Some energy efficiency savings performance requirements in each program are as  follows: Multifamily Weatherization (15%), Multifamily Energy Efficiency  Improvement Pilot or MEEIP (15%), Pay for Performance (15%), and Home  Performance with ENERGY STAR (minimum 5% to 25%).  

 Concrete Examples

 Alexan CityView, the largest LEED for Home multifamily community in the nation  with silver certification, consists of 544 rental units along the Jersey City  waterfront. It also is the largest NJ EnergyStar Homes project completed to  date, according to Mike Shorter, a development associate at Trammell Crow  Residential. Shorter said the movement towards greening and sustainable  development is growing and New Jersey government is incentivizing developers to  utilize smart growth and green building principles wherever they can.  

 Greening your home is not a myth, he says, based on evidence that LEED and  Energy Star have concluded that projects like Alexan CityView operate at least  20 percent more efficiently than similar homes built to existing construction  codes. Additionally, there is a reported savings in reduced health costs as a  result of healthier living environments. Alexan CityView reclaimed or recycled  65 percent of all wastes and used recycled content in its concrete. Alexan  CityView also has Energy Star-rated windows and various appliances, low-VOC  adhesives, water saving irrigation systems and bathroom fixtures, and the  property maintenance staff uses all green-labeled cleaning supplies. "At Alexan  Cityview, the premium above general construction costs was offset by 25 percent  to 30 percent," Shorter recalled. "Those are meaningful dollars when coupled  with the anticipated operational savings."  

 Wayne Lerman of W. Lerman Architecture is involved in a pair of condo projects  on the Jersey Shore, where he rehabbed existing buildings that had deteriorated  due to weather, age, location and various other factors.  

 In the two residential projects, the Admiralty and the Ocean Reef, Lerman used  sustainable recyclable products in the repair and replacement. While the  buildings are not necessarily LEED-certified as you would find in a new  construction, the attempt was to make the repairs in a sustainable manner and  less suscepticle to the wind, water and weather conditions, he says. Projects  have to be considered on an individual basis, you can't just go and repair  something and slap a label on it saying it's green. And cost is a  consideration, often sustainable products are more expensive to install.  However, with just the improvements made, one of the board members has  projected that the condo's energy bill is likely to go down by as much as 40 or  50 percent.  

 "There's some subtleties in building design that you do that's green today that  deal with site issues," Lerman says. "But with existing buildings you have what  you have. If you're doing a new building in a house or something like that,  when you have a north, south, east, west exposure, sometimes you try to  orientate the structure based to the sun orientation as well as the north side  and not having a lot of glass on the north side and trying to get the benefit  of the sun to heat in the winter time and try to shade the windows so that your  heat in the summertime is less than your operating costs for air conditioning.  But you can't always do it all the time."  

 John Wojciechowski is a construction project manager with RPM Development Group,  which builds Energy Star and LEED certified multifamily buildings in New  Jersey. One of the projects he worked on is Berry Street Commons in Franklin  Township, consisting of one, two, and three bedroom affordable rental units. "Some of the green features of Berry Street Commons include panelized  construction, Energy Star rated windows, appliances and lighting, low-VOC  paints and finishes, low-VOC Green Label carpeting, rooftop solar PV systems on  both buildings," he says. "Over 90 percent of all construction waste generated  on the job was recycled."  

 Daniel Gans is co-founder of the Hoboken Brownstone Company, which is  transforming the former Van Leer Chocolate Factory at 110 Hoboken Avenue in  Jersey City into a sustainable urban mixed-use community of more than 400 homes  and 7,500 square-feet of retail space. The project, which will utilize  groundbreaking, energy-efficient building science new to this area, is in the  pipeline and scheduled to commence in the next few months. Their building  philosophy is based in part on what is required by code in many European  countries, Gans says. They use a system of energy recovery ventilation or ERV,  where the existing air and subsequent moisture is exhausted out of the building  and replaced by new air brought in by the HVAC system. Then various types of  alternative energy like solar, geothermal, etc., can be incorporated into the  design to make the building much more energy-efficient, perhaps as much as 50  to 80 percent more. The ultimate goal, says Gans, is to design a net zero  energy building.  

 Not a Myth

 True savings are not a myth and are possible, he says, and advises HOAs and  homeowners to think of simple methods, like installing shutters and awnings,  which will make your overall HVAC system more efficient.  

 "There are many ways to "green" your home and not all of them cost money," says  Wojciechowski. "Obviously some strategies have a significant upfront cost  involved, like investing in a solar PV system, but other strategies only  require a person to make smarter choices. A person can easily reduce the water usage in their home by buying low-flow  faucets and high-efficiency toilets. You can even save water right now by  simply adjusting the float valve in your current toilet to use less water per  flush. Buying a programmable thermostat and setting it properly can  dramatically reduce your yearly energy costs. My point is that there are countless ways to "green" your home right now by  spending little to no money. Going 'green' is not about any one big thing that you can do, it's about making  small changes and smarter choices to better your own health and the health of  the environment around you."  

 Kliwinski suggests getting a professional consultant, architect, contractor or  engineer to navigate the incentive review process as it can be quite  complicated. "Most architects today are savvy on the incentive program and how  to tie them to projects. And that's really what you need to be able to do.  Everybody's got issues with their buildings, whether it's an old heater or old  windows or whatever. The ability to identify those projects and link them to  the incentives is what, what you go to a consultant for because they can  navigate the web, and the timeline, and their application requirements. And  certainly a savvy building owner or facility manager can do that, too."    

 Debra A. Estock is managing editor of The New Jersey Cooperator. Additional  reporting by David Chiu.