From the Fort Greene Courier, first published December 2, 2005:
-Home Heating Sticker Shock
By Joshua Davis
12/02/2005
Perhaps Arthur Cohen put it best when he used the word “scared” to describe the long walk that he will undoubtedly make to his mailbox this winter. The reason so many Americans, New Yorkers, Brooklynites and this Fort Greene homeowner alike are petrified to get their mail has nothing to do with sleazy credit card offers or the threat of jury duty. Rather, it is due to their home heating bills. It seems like the case every year: winter slips into our homes and the chatter of a rocketing heating cost fills the air. But this year is projected to be much worse than last — to the tune of 30 percent higher for home heating oil and 17 percent higher for electricity to heat the average brownstone.
The Fort Greene Association (FGA) met last week at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street, to discuss ways to save on their energy bills and hold at least a few dollars back from the energy tycoons.
The discussion was led by urban planner Dean Zias, who is with Pratt Institute’s Center for Community Development. He specializes in working for energy efficiency for low to moderate income homeowners. He is also contracted by the New York State Energy and Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as a NYC Energy $mart Communities Outreach Coordinator.
The following paragraphs are based on Zias’s recommendations for making Fort Greene’s one- to four-family homes and brownstones more energy efficient:
Light Bulbs
Homeowners and renters alike should use compact florescent lights (CFL’s) as opposed to 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. Though a CFL will cost upwards of a few dollars more than an incandescent bulb, it will save significantly more over the long-run. Specifically one CFL bulb can save, on average, $15 annually, according to Zias.
“[CFL’s] produce 90 percent light and 10 percent heat, incandescent bulbs use 90 percent heat, 10 percent light. [Using CFL’s] is the quickest thing you can do to save energy in your home,” said Zias.
Energy Star
The “other big thing” a household can do to save quickly is by purchasing energy efficient appliances with the Energy Star label on them, recommended Zias.
The Energy Star label is something most consumers have become familiar with since it was created in the early 1990s by The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The label guarantees that any appliance will run at least 30 percent more efficient than one without the label.
In addition to checking for the Energy Star label, consumers should always compare the different energy guides on all new appliances before making a purchase, warned Zias.
Home Improvements
For those ready to step into renovations, there are home performance contractors who specialize in increasing the energy efficiency of a household. They are “totally suited for the brownstones in the area here,” said Zias.
The home performance contractors are certified by the Building Performance Institute and they concentrate on looking “at your home as a whole system,” rather than just fixing the plumbing or just insulating the windows and doors. These specialists will do a low-cost assessment (standard fee is $100 - $250) and, says Zias, they will develop ways for a household to save up to 40 percent off future energy bills.
Since home improvements do not always come cheap, NYSERDA has a loan fund as a “low-cost way to finance energy projects.” The New York Energy $mart Loan Fund “provides interest rate reductions on loans for energy-efficiency projects and renewable technologies,” according to a NYSERTA handout provided by Zias.
Renewable Energy Sources
Both solar and geothermal power options are feasible options for many brownstone owners, though they can come with a hefty upfront cost.
Solar panels can run roughly $30,000 and may provide up to about 30 percent of a household’s energy needs. Consumers will pay, however, only about 25 percent of the cost of the panel after a NYSERTA credit and federal and state tax credits for up to a 2.5 kilowatt solar system.
Currently, said Zias, New Jersey offers tax credits on solar systems up to 10 kilowatts, so homeowners can expect New York to soon follow in similar footsteps.
Geothermal energy is produced through underground pipes that take advantage of warmer temperatures below the Earth’s surface. These systems will also run approximately $30,000, but require a feasibility study costing about $10,000. NYSERTA will pay for half of the system and study and other tax credits are also available.
“[The prices] are all coming down,” said Zias. “As they become more common you get economies to scale…as they go into mass production and the prices go down.”
Zias warned, however, that “you don’t want to go to the renewable unless you have an already energy efficient home.”
Phantom Electricity
Many appliances and electronics are built with something called phantom power, or a stand-by mode. Phantom power allows your devise to save certain settings, such as time, date and other presets when the electronic is on in “off-mode.” However, when the electronic is in turned “off,” it can use up to 90 percent of its “on” power requirement, according to Zias.
Laws are being written, said Zias, to eliminate phantom power electronics. In the meantime, homeowners and renters can simply unplug their electronics or keep them on a power strip that can be easily turned on and off.
Deregulation
Because of energy deregulation, New Yorkers have the ability to choose their own energy supplier. Con Edison is obligated to tell its customers of all alternate suppliers in their area. Also, the New York State Public Service Commission has a list of alternate suppliers. Some suppliers are less expensive and/or more environmentally friendly that others.
“If anyone does an honest job of research, they can lower their bill by shopping around,” said Zias.
For More Information
To obtain more information on ways to become more energy efficient, including finding home performance contractors and the New York Energy $mart Loan Fund, NYSERDA is located online at www.nyserda.org and over the phone at 1-866-NYSERDA. Dean Zias can be reached for questions at 718-399-4416 or via email at [email protected]
©Courier-Life Publications 2005
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From the Fort Greene Courier, first published December 2, 2005:
-Fort Greene’s Alternative to Department Store Holiday Shopping
By Joshua Davis
12/02/2005
The tables were lined with fancy crafts, wines, foods and treats. The merchandise came in all shapes, sizes, colors and smells. One might have though they mistakenly walked into a trade show for the rich and famous, had they not been inside of a church in Fort Greene.
Local artisans and merchants showcased their best goods to the residents of Fort Greene last week in an attempt to raise awareness for what they call a local and unique alternative to department store shopping this holiday season.
The Fort Greene Association (FGA) invited the merchants to their meeting—held at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street—for an hour-long segment entitled “Celebrating Fort Greene’s Merchants.”
Throughout the course of the meeting, the local stores both introduced themselves to their neighbors, as well as discussed benefits of shopping locally.
“For many years we were without good stores and merchants and now we have a lot of really good ones,” said Roslyn Huebener, a FGA board member who organized the event. “Walking around neighborhood stores is even easier than walking around Macy’s.”
A few of the stores that have become new additions to a growing Fort Greene include: Yu, a modern and snazzy accessory store; My Little India, a boutique with Indian-styled home furnishings; The Greene Grape, a tasteful wine and spirit shop named for its proud location; and Veliis, a restaurant with tasty yet hard-to-pronounce cheese appetizers.
The Fulton Street area has become a center of focus for many small business owners. Jason Richelson, general manager of The Greene Grape, is concerned about making the area cleaner and safer to encourage more business.
“The number one thing is to market Fulton Street as a business location and to get people to get out and shop there,” he said.
Richelson, also a interim president of the Fulton Area Business Association, is working on a bid to make the Fulton Street area a business improvement district, which would create a budget for improvements such as increased street cleaning, public safety and marketing.
A fundraiser for the bid is being held on December 8 at the Fort Greene Sports Club, 691 Fulton Street, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Smita Paul is a fashion designer who sells silk hand-woven scarves online and works out of her Fort Greene residence. Her company, Indigo Handloom, is unique in that she will sell scarves at social events, which she calls a Good Karma Party.
The way a Good Karma Party works, says Paul, is that Indigo Handloom will throw a party for a customer once they have assembled at least 25 interested friends. Then Paul will supply drinks and, of course, scarves. At these events the scarves are marked down 25 percent, with an additional 25 percent going to a charity of the host’s choice. Paul also gives some free merchandise to the host.
“It’s a local direct way to raise funds…and more fun than a bake sale,” she said. “It’s a very socially-minded company.”
Ludlow Beckett, former president of the Fort Greene Area Business Association, said, while area stores in the area are surviving, that “every year is a challenge.”
“One of the biggest things is competing with the malls and the bigger stores,” said Beckett.
While concern against competition against larger department stores and big-box retailers was not the main reason for uniting the merchants at the FGA meeting, it was an underlying issue.
“I like independence,” said Huebener. “I prefer individual entrepreneurs who have control over their mind and have a different variety of products to offer, not cookie-cutter stuff that you find in other department stores.”
A similar sentiment was shared by FGA president Phillip Kellogg, who said he prefers to see his local shops in Fort Greene as opposed to “what you see in SoHo with a Gap and Banana Republic and another Gap and another Banana Republic.”
“Fort Greene is filled with unique shops and they are run by neighbors,” said Phillip Kellogg, FGA president. “Those neighbors support themselves with these businesses and the people who work for them. The last thing people want is a whole glut of chain stores.”
©Courier-Life Publications 2005
