Redcross-logo

With grant support from the Red Cross and the Con Edison Settlement Fund, the Cooper Square Committee administers an HDFC Greening Project on the Lower East Side.  Our Greening Coordinators outreach to low income buildings, primarily cooperatives, that are in need of energy efficiency upgrades.  If you live in one of the more than 120 low income cooperative on the Lower East Side (especially if your building was damaged by Hurricane Sandy), we can help your building to enroll in one or more greening programs so that you can significantly reduce your building’s heating costs during the winter, cooling costs during the summer as well as your building’s water bills, and your personal electric bills.  These improvements help low income coops remain affordable by preventing maintenance increases.

 

Buildings that qualify can receive tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of FREE energy efficiency upgrades, including a new boiler, new chimney, new windows, insulation of the roof cavity, insulation of pipes, replacement of light fixtures, new CFL light bulbs, smart strips, water aerators for the sink and shower, and the roof can be painted white to reduce the heat island effect in the summer.

 

We partner with the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation and the White Roof Project to bring these programs to low income buildings.  Our staff works with the boards and/or building managers of interested cooperatives, and walks you through the process.  We will help you with the brief application that the co-op must submit, and we collect income eligibility forms from the shareholders/residents.  Once we collect the 2-page applications from the majority of shareholders, we forward them to NMIC.  An energy audit of the co-op is performed, and a scope of work is prepared.

 

Below is a summary of the programs we can help your building to enroll in.

 

Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

 

The Weatherization Assistance Program is administered in New York State by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), through its Office of Community Development. The Program provides energy services to income-eligible individuals and families to improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings and to reduce their housing expenditures for fuel.   

 

If you live in a low income cooperative east of Avenue A that may have had flooding from Super-storm Sandy, we can provide you with additional  that caused damage to their boilers. These buildings are being given priority for assistance from WAP and EmPower NYC. These programs can cover 50% or more of the cost of replacing the following building systems, reducing your building’s energy consumption by as much as 40% in some cases.

 

WAP(Can pay for over 50% of the cost of these items)

• New windows

• New boiler and hot water heater

• Roof insulation

 

EmPower NYC or WAP(Can pay for the entire cost of these items)

• New Energy Star refrigerator and stove

• Pipe insulation

• New florescent light bulbs

• Energy smart strips for your wall outlets

 

White Roof Project

 

A non-profit organization that paints building’s roofs white to help the building save up to 40% on their electric bill. Low-income buildings may be eligible for their building sponsorship program. Sponsored rooftops incur no project costs. They are matched with local donors. All painting is completed by volunteers.

 

Use less energy and save money

With CON EDISON’S GREEN TEAM

 

Con Edison is offering property owners and building managers 2 programs to make properties with 5 to 75 units more energy efficient, reduce costs, save money, and help protect the environment. We need a building application signed by the building owner or representative to get started.

 

Con Edison MFEEP DI
(multifamily energy efficiency program, Direct Install)

Con Edison offers free in-unit efficiency upgrades.

 

At no cost to the tenant or the building, our team of installers will install per apartment: For buildings with firm gas for heating, we can also install at no cost:
• Up to 6 compact fluorescent lights• Smart power strips (2 max) – shuts off power to non-essential equipment    (speakers, printer)  when the “control” item is  powered down. • Showerheads, low-flow• Kitchen aerators• Bathroom aerators

 

 

 

 

Con Edison MFEEP CAA
(multifamily energy efficiency program,
Common Area Assessment)

 

Con Edison offers free Common Area Assessments.  These energy surveys will show where your building could save energy and utility costs, as well as getting rebates that will lower the payback time.

 

Incentives are available for these measures:

 

• Lighting• LED, both new fixtures
& retrofits; interior & exterior• Fluorescent & metal halide lighting

• Lighting controls, including
bi-level controls for stairways & halls, and occupancy
sensors

• Relamp / reballast• Boiler controls• Energy management
systems

• Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)

• Steam traps

• Pipe insulation