Energy efficiency has become a “buzz word” over the past couple years in New Jersey and more and more gadgets and devices  have come on the market that are specifically designed to use less energy.  Saving energy does a lot more than just reduce a building’s carbon footprint and toxic emissions, however—going green can save a building some green too. The steps condos and HOAs can  take to reduce energy consumption and save money range from the very simple to  the very complex.  

 We asked various energy experts to offer their best tips for saving energy and  money. Remember, the list is just a start—there are many ways in which you can go green, but following some of these ideas  is a great place to start.  

 Check Your Current Systems

 Without a doubt, all of the experts agreed that keeping your current systems  maintained was the number one way to save both energy and money.  

 Allan Samuels, a partner at Energy Squared, an engineering and consulting firm  in North Brunswick, suggests that there should be someone responsible for  keeping the systems that consume energy—chillers, water towers, condensing units, lighting, fans, air conditioning  units, heating, boilers, any mechanical or electrical systems—operating and functional, but unfortunately not everyone wants this  responsibility.  

 As a result, Samuels compares the results of this lack of responsibility to a  knotted garden hose. “If there is water trickling out, you can either turn up the water or fix the  problem and untangle the hose,” he says. “Most people want the quick fix and just turn the water up, but it’s a waste of energy/resources. Same with air conditioning— clogged filters take more energy and the fan has to push harder. Fix the  problem, unclog the filters and the system will work better.”  

 Schedule an Energy Audit

 With anything in life, it’s hard to know where you’re going when you don’t know where you’ve been and a building is no different. An energy audit will provide an overview  of how much energy your building is saving and losing. The experts say that, as  a result, you’ll see what changes you may need to make.  

 An energy audit can be as simple as examining the building’s monthly utility bills. “Without an energy audit, the managers find out that after a month or two the  bills have gone up significantly, so they start to look at the problem,” says Samuels. “In the meantime, by the time they do that, they’ve lost a quarter of a year paying an excessive energy bill. Hiring a company to  do an audit can point out problems. For example, if you’re using gas to heat the building, the bill should go down significantly in the  summer. You have to look for things like that to save energy and money.”  

 Learn About Incentives

 If you want to install Energy Star appliances and other energy-saving  accessories, such as low-flow shower heads, it’s possible to earn money back if you know how.  

 “If you want to replace your refrigerator we will give you a $50 rebate and take  it away for you instead of it going into a garage and consuming energy,” says Michael Winka, Director of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities  (NJBPU) Clean Energy program in Trenton. “On the air conditioning side, if you have a 20 year-old unit it will probably  expire. If you upgrade your central air conditioning or your window air  conditioner to more energy efficient models, we have rebates for that ranging  from $300 to $500.”  

 “I would pay special attention to a program called home performance by Energy  Star because incentives for that program are very good,” adds Greg Reinert, director of communications for NJBPU. “It’s tiered. If you reach the top level in energy efficiency, like an improvement  over where you are now, you’ll get a $5,000 rebate.”  

 For more information go to www.njcleanenergy.com.

 Better Appliances and Accessories

 It’s simple, upgrade appliances and other accessories to ones that are more energy  efficient and you’ll see a major difference. When you’re choosing new appliances, look for the Energy Star certification and the  EnergyGuide label. The certification means that the appliance has met standards  that make it an energy-efficient unit. They use less energy and water than the  older models.  

 “These are equipment changes each homeowner that’s in the condo association can make,” says Winka. “If you’re buying a new dishwasher or washer and dryer look for the Energy Star label.  This simple equipment change can make a big difference. Look for the lower  energy usage model whenever you purchase a piece of equipment whether it’s a dehumidifier or an air conditioner.”  

 Consider Cogeneration

 No, cogeneration isn’t getting different generations of families to live together and share expenses.  Instead it’s when you evaluate your facility's thermal and electric load for combined heat & power (CHP) viability, also known as cogeneration.  

 Aegis Energy Services (aegisenergyservices.com) developed a program that allows  clients to take advantage of energy cost savings from an Aegis cogeneration  system without requiring a capital investment. According to Dale Desmarais,  Aegis designs, installs, owns, maintains, fuels, and operates a modular  cogeneration system at no cost to your facility. Aegis will interface the  cogeneration system with your electrical and mechanical systems to provide both  metered electrical and thermal energy (heat). The cogenerated electricity will  be provided to your facility at a discount from your prevailing utility  electrical rates while heat is provided at standard cost.  

 Flip the Switch – Off.

 One of the easiest ways to cut back on how much electricity the building uses is  to change how it’s lit. Inefficient lighting can consume up to 15% of a building’s energy needs or more. Energy-efficient lighting can reduce consumption by 50  percent or more.  

 “If you are changing out compact fluorescents we provide a buy down with the  manufacturer,” says Winka, “So we’ve all ready lowered your cost when you go to buy them at Home Deport or your  local store. Changing the lighting is the easiest thing to do. It’s cost effective and it will pay you back in the shortest time.”  

 CFLs emit as much light as regular incandescent bulbs but can last from 8 to 10  times longer and use anywhere from 50 to 75 percent less electricity. Replace  all of the common area lighting with more energy-efficient light bulbs and the  savings can be huge. According to Energy Star, replacing one 60 watt  incandescent bulb with a 13‐watt CFL will save $56 in energy costs over the CFL’s lifetime (at $0.12/kWh). In addition, CFLs reduce future costs of purchasing  new lamps—and the labor costs associated with changing light bulbs—because they last 10 times longer.  

 Insulate and Weather Strip

 There are several popular, low-budget upgrades that your building can do too  help save money and energy, including weather- stripping and insulating.  Weather-stripping the doors means stopping air infiltration, which causes lost  hot and cold air to escape. “Sealing it up and making the building tighter will certainly save energy,” says Winka.  

 Convert to Gas

 According to Samuels, recent gas finds in the United States have provided  supplies for America in excess for 100 years into the future and this will  insure the stability of gas pricing. “Very often utility companies will provide gas to buildings at no charge because  they want you as a client,” he says. “Converting to gas is a very good method of saving energy.”  

 Be Educated about Energy

 It’s no surprise that people have a tendency to leave lights and appliances on for  hours at a time when not in use. “People’s behavior is one method that energy is consumed needlessly,” says Samuels. “Most people don’t realize that when they leave electronics plugged into a wall, computers,  television sets, if they are not turned on they are consuming energy. Education  is critical.” Samuels believes that one way to combat the problem is through education. “There should be workshops, and literature printed out and handed out to  residents,” he says. “A condo board or management company should hire somebody to come in and give a  presentation to residents and unit owners and energy conservation.”  

 Automate Controls

 “Many buildings have inadequate controls. To give you some background information—when builders are putting up a building they are trying to save as much money as  possible, so the controls they install are absolutely minimal,” says Samuels.  

 Most co-ops and condos do not need the same conditions at 3:00 in the morning  when no one is in the corridors or driving in and out of the garage, than you  would at 6:00 in the evening when a lot of people are getting home from work.  You can take advantage of that.” Samuels suggests automating the controls of all of the mechanical devices based  on a time of day and a need of particular services.   

 Lisa Iannucci is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to The New Jersey  Cooperator. Staff Writer Christy Smith-Sloman contributed to this article.