Tag: energy-bill

August 19, 2013

The Green Spotlight on BE NYC: Dan Rieber

  Countdown to BE NYC! With only days until October 16th, GreenHomeNYC is shining the spotlight on the experts who will be making BE NYC  conference an exceptional industry event!   One of the professionals participating in the conference is Dan Rieber.    Dan Rieber is the Weatherization Director at NMIC (Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation) as well as a frequent speaker at GreenHomeNYC forums. He has a BA from SUNY Stony Brook. Over the past 20 years Dan has given numerous presentations on various weatherization topics at the National Affordable Comfort conferences (ACI), National Multi Family Buildings conferences, National Weatherization Training conferences, Regional Weatherization Program conferences, NESEA, and GreenHomeNYC.   Dan will  be speaking about “Steam Heat: Tech Tips for Successful Operation” as part of the Multifamily track at BuildingEnergy NYC.   What is weatherization and why is it important for residential buildings? How does it affect the resident’s quality of life? Weatherization, in our Northeast climate, is mostly about keeping your building as efficient as possible during the heating season. This means making sure your walls are insulated (if they can be), insulating the roof, insulating pipes (heating and DHW), air sealing wherever you can, tuning your heating system to maximize its efficiency or replacing it for a more efficient unit. Repairing windows for drafts and replacing them if necessary. Being sure that you are making domestic hot water in as efficient a manner as possible can have a big impact on your energy bill. Domestic hot water is made all year round and can use more energy than heating in some buildings. Energy efficient lighting is an important part of the energy efficiency equation too, but has less of an impact on the heating side. Mechanical ventilation is another item to be looked at. Over ventilating can have an effect on heating use and the resident’s comfort. Resident quality of life is a big issue if people are cold in their homes. Seniors and young children are most susceptible to colder temperatures. On the flip side if people are overheated then the building is wasting money on fuel going up the chimney and there are health issues related to poor indoor air quality in this case. This leads to open windows in the winter time as well. (more…)

August 12, 2013

The Green Spotlight on BE NYC: Erica Brabon

  Countdown to BE NYC! With onlydays until October 16th, GreenHomeNYC is shining the spotlight on the experts who will be making BE NYC  conference an exceptional industry event!   One of the professionals participating in the conference is Erica Brabon.   Erica Brabon is a Senior Multifamily consultant at Steven Winter Associates. She is a frequent speaker at NESEA’s Building Energy conference and GreenHomeNYC events.  Erica will serve as co-chair of the Multifamily Buildings track for the upcoming BuildingEnergy NYC conference.  She will also be speaking at the workshop, “What Local Law 84 & 87 Mean and How to Get the Most Out of it”, at BE NYC.       What sparked your interest in sustainable building? Environmental activism is something I’ve been involved in since middle school. When I realized what an impact I could make working to make buildings more efficient in their use of energy and water, but also providing healthier living environments, I jumped at the opportunity.   Please reflect upon your experiences in speaking at GreenHomeNYC forums and Building Energy conferences? What are your thoughts on the programs? NESEA BE is my favorite conference because I not only learn from the pros but have a chance to meet them and talk shop in a unique environment. I’m a lifetime member and look forward to any NESEA events as well as GreenHomeNYC events. The connections made from both organizations have been integral in my professional development. The programs from both are great avenues for new ideas to not only reach the industry but the public. (more…)