Top Tips on Creating a Green Team

Whether you are a Greta Thunberg fan or not, we can all agree that sustainability is a hot topic. Just like politics and religion, some of us prefer that the topic is avoided at the Thanksgiving table. No matter what your opinion is, more and more states are mandating stricter carbon output legislation. This has certainly created an added set of complications for coop and condo boards as well as residents and buyers.

For example, in 2019, New York City passed the Climate Mobilization Act, also known as Local Law 97. The law will fine all buildings, including coops and condos, that do not reduce their carbon output to certain thresholds starting in 2024. In 2030, these thresholds get even stricter. Fines are tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and buildings are running out of time. Energy upgrades and retrofits take time to plan and fund.

Heating the building and water account for most of the energy used in NYC multifamily buildings, at approximately 70%. Electricity accounts for the remainder. Because a lot of the energy usage in buildings is by residents, we recommend involving resident.

Top tips on how to create a green team:

1. Reach out to your community. Your coop or condo probably has many neighbors who are passionate about energy efficiency and sustainability. If your building has a communication portal like BuildingLink, you can create either a post, survey or send out an email to every neighbor. Ask them if they are passionate about the building becoming more sustainable.

2. Create a “Green Team” with those individuals and one board member. If the coop has residents in the building who either understand building’s mechanical systems or is passionate about learning, engage them. The Green Team should serve as energy efficiency advocates within the building. More on how to build community in your condo or co-op here. Common strengths of ideal individuals are those who are curious to learn and outgoing enough to speak with their neighbors.

3. Reach out to see if any residents are either an architect, engineer, or a LEED designated individual. If so, invite them to join the Green Team, or possibly even the board to head the building’s energy efficiency efforts.

4. Hire a professional. Even if a Green Team can make a huge difference, we highly recommend hiring an energy efficiency expert to make the best selections, take advantage of ConEd and NYSERDA incentives, and move the project along.

5. Don’t wait; 2024 and 2030 are just around the corner. Most New York City buildings need to complete this work prior to December 2029, and there is a finite number of professionals to perform the actual work. To avoid fines, coop and condo boards will need to start planning today.

Energy Efficiency laws are numerous and can seem confusing and overwhelming. To help coop and condo boards and sustainability committee members get started, we created a free guide stuffed with energy efficiency resources. Get the guide here.

The Folson Group is a NYC energy efficiency consultant, helping buildings with all their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-related policies. Services cover the entire process, from planning to implementation and completion, and clients have achieved energy reductions of up to 40%. If you are interested in making your building more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, consider reaching out to The Folson Group to schedule a consultation.