Signing online petitions? Check.

Voting for candidates who support green policies? Check.

Shaking fist angrily at the nearby factory/coal plant/landfill? You know it.

But what about giving up your car? Going vegetarian? Boycotting packaged products? Having fewer children? A lot of well-meaning concern for the environment and human-kind’s sustainable future can get lost in the transition from the big picture to the small picture (you!)

This isn’t the end of the world; some research suggests that the energy saved through the implementation of environmental policies and regulations may far outweigh the savings from individual’s conscious actions (this question is debated here, especially in Jason Pontin’s piece). However, in the absence of political action, individuals stepping forward may be the best chance we’ve got. And anyway, in many cases living green is its own reward.

While we at the Green Housing Initiative have grown unconscionably neglectful of the green events page, we didn’t want you to miss this upcoming panel about changing our daily habits to promote sustainability. It will be held tomorrow night at powerHouse Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Read the full details here, and (re)commit yourself to environmental action on the individual level.

Over the last month the Green Initiative at the Supportive Housing Network of NY has been implementing the Living Green Pilot Program at three buildings owned by supportive housing providers. At one site, Sustainability Outreach Coordinator Sally Larsen has been working with clients to create prompts that will remind them of the conservation actions they’ve been learning about.

One example of a PTAC unit

At this site, units (small living quarters, also known as Single Room Occupancies) are equipped with packaged terminal air conditioners, more commonly known as PTACs. PTACs provide both heating and cooling to each unit, so they’re used pretty much all year round. Clients are often out of their rooms for several hours in the middle of the day, which means a lot of waste if the PTACs are left on – or a lot of savings if they are turned off!

Therefore, one of the main actions that the clients have been learning about is turning off the PTAC units when they are leaving the unit. At a recent Living Green session clients discussed the importance of turning of the PTAC units and made prompts – magnet sheets decorated with conservation messages, stickers, paint designs and more. Then we affixed the sheets to magnetic PTAC units in the clients’ rooms and in the common areas. Check out the PTAC magnets made by the building’s clients and staff!

One client made a magnet to remind her case manager to turn off the computer.

Another client kept his message simple.

See our list of upcoming events after the jump.

If you know of an upcoming event that we should include in our listings, please leave a comment or contact us.

JULY 5, 12, 19, 26

Local Law 84 Benchmarking Training, offered by the Association for Energy Affordability

• Tuesdays throughout July, 1:00 – 4:30 pm
• AEA Office, 505 8th Avenue (at 35th St.), New York, NY

 This training, ideal for building owners and managers, covers the requirements of New York City’s new Greener, Greater Buildings Law 84 and how to benchmark using EPA’s Portfolio Manager. The workshop costs $50 per person.

JULY 6

Roundtable on Multifamily Ventilation Solutions, organized by the Urban Green Council and Steven Winter Associates

• Wednesday, July 6, 8:00 – 9:00 am
• Bovis Lend Lease, 200 Park Ave (Met Life Building), 9th Floor

Session will explain how to “build tight and ventilate right,” maximizing both energy savings and air quality benefits. $25 for non-members of Urban Green Council.

JULY 9

Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture, organized by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

• Saturday, July 9, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, NY, NY

Learn about multiple approaches to growing food on rooftops through design and maintenance principles, and case studies drawn from across North America. Tuition: $299.

JULY 27

Film Showing: Urban Roots, sponsored by the Horticultural Society of New York

• Wednesday, July 27, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
• URBAN ROOTS is a documentary that tells the powerful story of Detroit’s urban agricultural movement.

Last month the Green Team at the Supportive Housing Network had a very special opportunity. We were invited to attend a three-day retreat at the Garrison Institute, the beautiful complex (a former monastary) that you see on the right. The retreat-cum-conference aimed to bring together thinkers and stakeholders around a key question: How can we reduce fossil fuel energy use in buildings by changing our behavior, in addition to our systems, our building envelopes and our energy sources? 

This question was right up our alley. At the Supportive Housing Network of New York, we’ve been helping our members control utility prices with energy efficiency through our Weatherization Assistance Program partnership with the Association for Energy Affordability. And now we’ve turned our sights to energy conservation as well, recognizing that utility savings, crucial to our members in this economic climate, may not materialize if energy and water are wasted. The Green Team has dived into a pilot program to help supportive housing tenants learn how to use resources responsibly, a skill that can not only improve their comfort but empower them to live independently if they move to non-supportive housing in the future. As we develop and implement the pilot program, we find ourselves with countless questions about the most effective ways to encourage conservation behaviors. We entered the Garrison Institute  retreat eager to hear from those who have been down this path before.

One of the most interesting aspects of the conference was that the participants were drawn from relatively diverse corners of the energy-conservation universe — building scientists and engineers, large commercial property owners, green building policy advocates, behavioral scientists, non-profit program managers, supportive housing owners/managers.

Several great speakers presented their research, thoughts and experiences about behavioral change, including Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez at UC-Boulder’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, Shahzeen Attari at the Columbia University Center for Research on Environmental Decisions and Linda Mandolini, Executive Director of Eden Housing. There were a number of important takeaway messages, and I’d like to discuss some of them at length, in future blog posts, so for now I’ll just list the gist of them:

• Behaviors change attitudes, not the other way around
• Behavior changes could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent, in a realistic scenario
• Creating financial incentives for energy conservation can backfire by diminishing the power of other motivations

Presentations and group discussions went on from 8 am to 9 pm, making the retreat a breeding ground for big ideas and new partnerships among participants. In between events, we were invited to take part in the Institute’s spiritual side: Meditation classes were offered in the morning, and we could explore the extensive grounds in between sessions. Wine and cheese closed each evening and we dined on fresh local food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

All in all, the Garrison retreat was an invaluable opportunity to step out of our day-to-day routine and ask how we can do what we do better. Now that we’re back, we’re trying to integrate what we’ve learned into our new pilot program and our other initiatives. I’ll be blogging more about it throughout the summer!

See our list of upcoming events after the jump.

If you know of an upcoming event that we should include in our listings, please leave a comment or contact us.

JUNE 7, 14, 21, 28

Local Law 84 Benchmarking Training, offered by the Association for Energy Affordability

• Tuesdays throughout May, 1:00 – 4:30 pm
• AEA Office, 505 8th Avenue (at 35th St.), New York, NY

 This training, ideal for building owners and managers, covers the requirements of New York City’s new Greener, Greater Buildings Law 84 and how to benchmark using EPA’s Portfolio Manager. The workshop costs $50 per person.

JUNE 8

Speak Green, organized by the Urban Green Council

• Wednesday, June 8, 9:00-5:30, with reception until 7:30
• The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor, New York, NY

Examine the role of effective messaging in promoting green building. A primer for both building industry professionals and any organization in any sector hoping to better communicate about their green initiatives or skills. This conference costs $200 for Urban Green Council members or $250 for non-members.

Measuring Cities: Carbon Zeros or Carbon Heroes, organized by the New York Metro Chapter of the American Planning Association

• Wednesday, June 8, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Parsons Brinckerhoff, 1 Penn Plaza, New York, NY

This event will discuss case studies from Australian cities that are addressing climate change. RSVP by June 7th to fordwagner@pbworld.com

JUNE 14

Smart Grid – Driven by Sustainability, part of the Making Green from Green series organized by the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York

• Tuesday, June 14, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm with reception to follow
• Citi, ICG Conference Center, 388 Greenwich St, New York, NY

This panel will describe the nature and purpose of the smart grid, its future and how America can get there. Fee of $25 for CBSACNY members;  $40 for non-members; $60 at the door.

JUNE 16

NYC Solar Summit 2011, organized by the City University of New York

• Thursday, June 16, 9:30 am – 4:15 pm with networking event to follow
• The Graduate Center, City University of New York
  365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

The Solar Summit will focus on existing resources and future opportunities to make solar energy an integral part of New York City’s mix, and will feature panels with local and national leaders in this debate. Fee: $50 (please note that this fee does not cover lunch as the dining room is full to capacity).

JUNE 17

LEED Workshop: Understanding the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System, organized by the Urban Green Council

• Friday, June 17, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
• 150 E. 42nd Street, Lower Concourse, New York, NY

An introduction to LEED for Neighborhood Development, which integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for rating neighborhood design. The workshop costs $245 for Urban Green Council members and $295 for non-members before June 10, when prices go up.

JUNE 21

Biodiversity in our Cities – The Case for Urban Nature, organized by the Sustainability Practice Network

• Tuesday, June 21, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
• The New School, 65 West 11th Street, Wollman Hall (5th Fl.),  New York, NY

This panel will discuss the status of urban ecology in regional policies and national trends and especially the newly revised PlaNYC which mentions biodiversity and natural systems for the first time.

JUNE 22

Political Climate Change Forum 2011: Is New York City Moving Fast Enough? organized by the Pratt Center for Community Development, the Supportive Housing Network of New York, the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and the Association for Neighborhood Development.

• Wednesday, June 22, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (breakfast at 9:30 am)
• Pratt Manhattan Center, 144 W 14th St, Room 213, New York, NY

The concluding event of the 2010-2011 Managing Lean and Green workshop series will bring NYC science, program and policy experts to a panel discussion on the City’s response to climate change.

Keynote
William Solecki, Director, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities
Forecast of climate change impacts in New York City

Panel: Progress and problems in retrofitting New York City

• David Bragdon, Director, The Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability
  Version 2.0 of PlaNYC 2030: progress and plans on achieving NYC’s energy efficiency goals
• Michael T. Colgrove, Director of Energy Progams, NYSERDA
  The impact of new and ongoing energy efficiency projects and programs in NYC
• Cristiana Fragola, Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Planning & Change Management, New York City Housing Authority
  Progress on greening the largest housing authority in North America
• David Hepinstall, Director, Association for Energy Affordability
  Progress of WAP in implementing the ARRA funds and the future of that program
• Susan Leeds, CEO of the new NYC Energy Efficiency Corporation
  Mission, structure and goals for the city’s new energy organization

Moderator
Wendy Fleischer, Director, Sustainability Services, Pratt Center for Community Development

Energy and Resource Efficiency Technical Conference, organized by the New York Interagency Engineering Council

• Wednesday, June 22, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
• CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

This event will address a wide variety of energy policy and technology issues, including green buildings, the smart grid and several innovative renewable energy sources. Fee: $125 for NYIEC member agencies or online registrants; $150 for others.

Financing Building Retrofit Projects, organized by AGRION

• Wednesday, June 22,  9:30 am – 12:30 pm
• 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10020

A panel will discuss how industry actors can identify and leverage proper channels of funding, and work in tandem to realize the expectations and rewards of building retrofit projects.

Resources

LL84

Covered buildings

Does LL84 apply to your building? Check the NYC Department of Finance website.

Finding your building’s block and lot number

You can find your building’s block and lot number on the NYC Dept. of Finance site…

or by using NYC Dept of Buildings’ Building Information System (BIS).

Most, but not all buildings that have to comply with LL84 can also be found on NYC’s PlaNYC 2030 website.

LL84 Rules

On April 1, 2011, the city issued the final version of the rules for complying with LL84. 

Benchmarking on your own

Portfolio Manager

U.S. EPA’s Portfolio Manager is the tool used to benchmark buildings complying with LL84.

To comply with LL84, you must access the Portfolio Manager tool through a special portal on NYC Dept. of Building’s website.

Visit EPA’s webinar calendar for events that reference benchmarking and Portfolio Manager.

Sign up for AEA’s 3.5-hour benchmarking training course to walk through the Portfolio Manager tool with an instructor.

NYC DOB & PlaNYC

View the presentation from the NYC Department of Buildings and PlaNYC about submitting your benchmarking results 

The NYC-based Urban Green Council has a step-by-step guide to benchmarking.

Benchmarking compliance services the Network has researched so far…

Bright Power

Bright Power provides energy consulting, design, installation services in New York City, and offers LL84 benchmarking compliance and analysis

EnergyScoreCards is Bright Power’s tool for recording, analyzing, and reporting your building’s  benchmarking activities 

Steven Winter Associates

Steven Winter Associates (SWA) is well known for its research, design and consulting on high-performance buildings. They offer a benchmarking service to help building owners comply with LL84.

WEGOwise

WEGOwise is an energy tracking service designed for affordable multi-family buildings that also offers LL84 compliance. 

The Community Preservation Corporation

The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that finances new construction and green retrofits of properties in New York City. It offers LL84 compliance services.

IntelliGreen Partners

IntelliGreen Partners is an NYC energy efficiency consulting firm to multifamily and commercial building owners, and offers benchmarking services to comply with LL84.

Contact us!

Ariel Krasnow, Director of Green Housing Initiatives, akrasnow@shnny.org, ext. 649

Johanna Walczyk, Weatherization Associate, jwalczyk@shnny.org, ext. 650

Sally Larsen, Sustainability Outreach Coordinator, slarsen@shnny.org, ext. 651

See our list of upcoming events after the jump.

If you know of an upcoming event that we should include in our listings, please leave a comment or contact us.

MAY 17

Sustainable Waterfronts Symposium, presented by Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs

• Tuesday, May 17, 6 – 8 pm
• William and Anita Newman Conference Center, 151 East 25th St, Room 750

Graduate students will present sustainability plans for three sections of New York City’s waterfront – the Staten Island North Shore, the Gowanus Canal and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. New York City development leaders will offer their reactions to the plans presented.

MAY 17

Bountiful Yards: Innovation for Small-Plot Food Production, organized by CUNY’s Institute for Sustainable Cities

• Tuesday, May 17, 6 pm
• Hunter College Faculty Dining Hall, 8th Floor, Hunter West Building

A panel discussion on food and farming in metropolitan areas, featuring guests from the New York region and Melbourne, Australia. Learn about innovative models for transforming yards into food-producing spaces, as well as the implications for both the metropolitan landscape and the larger food system. 

MAY 17, 24, 31

Local Law 84 Benchmarking Training, offered by the Association for Energy Affordability

• Tuesdays throughout May, 1:00 – 4:30 pm
• AEA Office, 505 8th Avenue (at 35th St.), New York, NY

 This training, ideal for building owners and managers, covers the requirements of New York City’s new Greener, Greater Buildings Law 84 and how to benchmark using EPA’s Portfolio Manager. The workshop costs $50 per person.

MAY 18

Understanding the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan and Complying with Benchmarking, organized by the Urban Green Council and the NYC Department of Buildings

• Wednesday, May 18th, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
• NYC Department of Buildings, 6th Floor Training Room, 280 Broadway, NY, NY

An information session that will cover the City’s plan to improve the environmental impact of its buildings, explain who is covered by the laws, and discuss compliance with Local Law 84, NYC’s building benchmarking law. Urban Green Council will present its helpful and informative Benchmarking Compliance Checklist and User’s Guide to assist with compliance with LL84.

Green Building Monthly Forum: Sustainability Leaders Pecha Kucha, organized by GreenHomeNYC

• Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
• New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy, 160 Varick St, NY, NY

A panel of sustainability leaders will present on the top three issues on their minds right n0w in Pecha Kucha format (20 images for 20 seconds each).

MAY 23

How to Make Conservation the People’s Choice, organized by the New York Academy of Sciences

• Monday, May 23, 2011 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
• 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St, 40th Fl, New York, NY

Nature Conservancy Chief Peter Kareiva discusses his theory of how to move conservation from a special interest to a routine and mainstream value. This event costs $25/person, or $20 for members of the New York Academy of Sciences.

JUNE 1

Improving Indoor Air Quality in Multi-family Existing Buildings, organized by the Urban Green Council and Steven Winter Associates

• Wednesday, June 1, 8:00 – 9:00 am
• The Metlife Building, 200 Park Ave, 9th Floor, NY, NY

A discussion of the challenges to and improvement strategies for indoor air quality in New York City’s multifamily residential buildings. This even costs $15 for students and Urban Green Council members, and $25 for non-members.

JUNE 8

Speak Green, organized by the Urban Green Council

• Wednesday, June 8, 9:00-5:30, with reception until 7:30
• The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor, NY, NY

Examine the role of effective messaging in promoting green building. A primer for both building industry professionals and any organization in any sector hoping to better communicate about their green initiatives or skills. This conference costs $200 for Urban Green Council members or $250 for non-members.

JUNE 17

LEED Workshop: Understanding the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System, organized by the Urban Green Council

• Friday, June 17, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
• 150 E. 42nd Street, Lower Concourse, NY, NY

An introduction to LEED for Neighborhood Development, which integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for rating neighborhood design. The workshop costs $245 for Urban Green Council members and $295 for non-members before June 10, when prices go up.

Part Five:  Questions to consider when selecting a benchmarking compliance service

There are a number of companies that offer professional assistance to comply with LL84. Though they offer a wide variety of services, one common feature is that most companies view benchmarking as a first step on a long-term, necessary journey toward efficient buildings. Third-party assistance is an occasion to obtain expert opinion on your buildings’ performance, rather than an excuse to put the assignment in someone else’s hands and not be involved in the process.  (In addition, we suggest that wherever possible, supportive housing providers benchmark, track and evaluate energy usage in all of their buildings – not just those that are covered by LL84.)

As you speak with benchmarking providers, you should consider several questions:

Future benchmarking compliance and Portfolio Manager access

Benchmarking will be easier in future years because you will already have a Portfolio Manager account, and your building size and characteristics will already be recorded. Will you still want to work with a company to benchmark, or will you want to take over benchmarking on your own at this point? Ask whether the service gives you access to your Portfolio Manager account in the future.

Level of Guidance

Different services will provide different levels of assistance throughout the project, so if you have a complicated building, or if you think you might need help gathering your building information quickly, be sure to ask whether your provider will be able to help you with it. Also ask specifically how you can reach them and how soon they will get back to you.

Determining building size

Under LL84, you are required to report your building’s gross square footage, including sub-ground levels. This number differs from the number available on the NYC Department of Finance website, which represents the maximum square footage that could be built on the lot above ground. The correct number can be obtained from your building floor plans, if you have them, or by measuring the building footprint and multiplying by the number of floors, including basements and sub-basements. If you need help determining your building’s gross square footage, will the provider you choose advise you or help you to do it?

Post-benchmarking evaluation

Benchmarking gives you a snapshot of your building’s performance. If you are interested in improving your building and lowering your operation costs, ask whether and how the service provider will build on your benchmarking information to make recommendations about energy-saving measures. If you want to keep tracking your building energy (and water) use through online tools that draw automatically from your utility accounts, ask whether your benchmarker provides this service or can set you up with it.

 Check back soon for the final installment in our series on LL84 – a list of resources (many of which we have referenced throughout the series) that you may need as you navigate the waters of LL84 compliance.

“Green Roof Insights,” Jack Coogan, PR.A., LEED GA; Partner (OCV Architects)

“Cool Roofs,” Loretta Tapia, Site Supervisor Coordinator (Green City Force/NYC Cool Roofs)

“Green Roofs,” Dwaine Lee, Green Infrastructure Professional & Consultant; Field Manager (Sustainable South Bronx)