Category Archives: Green Building

Indoor Gardening for Home and Office

By Jennifer Sestok, Tower Garden by Juice Plus+

If you’re anything like me, you probably work hard to feed your family well and you may get excited when you come across tools and products that make big impact while also making a positive one. Several years ago, a friend introduced me to a growing device that has changed our family’s life forever. These forward-thinking devices make growing fun, clean, better-tasting, and are easy to use for even the most challenged gardener. They have helped hundreds of families, schools, and businesses get growing and I’m excited to share some of the reasons why with you.

As people spend more time at home given the new norm of remote work, as well as those who are returning to offices, it is important to improve our environment, both physically and mentally. Plants are super influencers in this space. Aeroponic plant systems (AP) make growing plants indoors easier, with less work and less mess.

Here are 4 reasons to include such systems in your home or traditional office.

1. IT’S EASY AND FUN!! Indoor vertical gardening is easy, fun and engaging for all ages to enjoy. Since they are soilless, there are no weeds or dirt making it a much cleaner experience. Due to its vertical design, raised up off the ground, there is less physical requirement than traditional gardening. There is also much more mobility, due to the wheel design of the unit. AP systems are self-watering on a timer with little maintenance required. In a nutshell, they require less work of you and your office staff for them to flourish and water themselves when the office is closed.

2. BE MORE PRODUCTIVE!! Plants provide more oxygen for the indoor environment. In addition, these vertical plant systems are a great conversation piece, allowing staff to congregate and take needed breaks, which typically improves mood and productivity. The same goes for schools. AP systems are a wonderful educational tool for students. Schools across the globe have incorporated Tower Garden into their STEM curriculums. Kids love to be involved in the entire growing process. It’s important for them to know where their food comes from and how to grow it.

3. POSITIVE ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT!! Tower Garden is environmentally friendly, using 90% less water and 98% less space than traditional gardening. Due to its closed loop system, 1005 of the nutrients and water are recycled and leave a smaller carbon footprint than traditional gardening. There are no worries about herbicides, pesticides or other chemical dangers when you grow your own in this safe way. You know where your food is coming from and exactly what is on the food.

4. NUTRITIOUS, GREAT-TASTING FOOD!! These devices provide living food on site to create salads, snacks, or add to a healthy smoothie. The blend of natural earth minerals is designed to grow healthy produce which as been researched to be as nutrient dense as food grown in optimal organic soil. These systems grow produce 3x faster with 30% more yield than traditional gardening. This allows families, students or staff to start eating off their gardens about 6 weeks after seeds are planted. It’s easy to rotate crops and cycle through new seedlings, for more up time and food production.

I hope you can see why it’s easy to be excited about growing this way. The company I have partnered with developed this technology for NASA and now we are able to bring them home. For more information on how Tower Garden systems can benefit you or your company, please contact me directly at gardenwithjennifer@gmail.com or visit my website at www.jennifersestok.towergarden.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Happy Growing!

New Commercial Designs In Response To COVID-19

Of course, we all know that “necessity is the mother of invention.” COVID-19 has certainly caused a need for new or redeveloped commercial space that reduces the transmission and health risks of COVID-19 and potential future viruses and bacteria. In addition, with the realization during the pandemic that people can work as effectively remotely, commercial building owners must be able to demonstrate why a centralized office setting is still critical for growth. Therefore, several New York City developers are currently addressing these issues with newly constructed or redeveloped spaces or buildings soon to hit the market.

One example is combining buildings to give tenants more space to spread staff out to allow social distancing. This example will also invest in enlarging elevator banks and elevators, as that is seen as a bottleneck in terms of office employees getting to their desks. Traditionally-sized elevators can be ideal for virus/bacteria transmission, so larger ones are needed. Additional changes being implemented include larger stairwells, individual washrooms, and outdoor terraces.

Another example is the renovation of an old retail store to an office complex that will host a school to train young people in the high-tech skills of the tenants elsewhere in the building. Staff can assist in training without leaving the building. Entering this building will be a touchless experience with personal phone apps signaling the elevators needed to get to the right location.

Another item that developers are considering and instituting is additional bicycle parking and showers, anticipating the biking trend will continue after the return to “normal”.

Another item being instituted is the return to something seen in old buildings and that is every floor having and operating its own heating and air conditioning system so that no air is circulated with other floors to temper spread of viruses. The trend of the last few decades of centralized air circulation may be ending. Each tenant is free to add MERV filters or a bipolar ionization system if they wish.

Another potential trend is the “groundscaper”, a low-to-the-ground building that stretches an entire block to minimize time in elevators and spread staff out on the same floor for easier communication.

CCES is not an architectural firm or construction contractor, but we have the experts to help your firm assess the climate change and sustainability factors and optimize them for your benefit, including reducing your carbon footprint and improving worker satisfaction and productivity. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

USEPA Announces 2020 ENERGY STAR Top Cities

The USEPA recently unveiled its annual ENERGY STAR Top Cities list of 2020, showing which US metro areas earned the most ENERGY STAR-certified buildings in 2019. They ranked the Top 25 Cities overall, the Top 10 Mid-Size Cities, and the Top 10 Small Cities. See: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/topcities

In 2019, the USEPA updated its ENERGY STAR scoring models to make them more stringent, partially as they reflected the improved energy performance of the overall US commercial buildings. ENERGY STAR scores are based on a 0 to 100 median system. Despite the more stringent criteria, over 5,600 buildings earned ENERGY STAR certification. According to the USEPA, they saved over $1.4 billion in energy costs and prevented the emissions of nearly 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. The tough standards caused a number of previously ENERGY STAR-certified buildings to drop out of ENERGY STAR status, as many dropped below the criteria of 75. The USEPA noted that many such buildings went on to incorporate upgrades to enable them to go back over 75 again and bring back their ENERGY STAR status.

Los Angeles earned 1st place with 546 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings. Washington, D.C. finished in 2nd place; San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York came in 3rd through 7th place this year, the latter with 200 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings in 2019.

Among mid-sized US cities, the top 5 ENERGY STAR metropolitan cities were San Jose, CA, Provo, UT, Des Moines, IA, Raleigh, NC, and Louisville, KY with 274 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings between them. The top small US city was Jackson, MI, with 50 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings by itself, 1 building for every 670 people. These buildings saved their owners over $1.1 million in energy costs.

In total, nationally, since 1999, over 36,000 buildings have earned ENERGY STAR certification. Their energy upgrade projects implemented to earn the award has brought their owners significant, continual energy costs savings for many years.

CCES has the experts to assess whether your building may already merit the ENERGY STAR award. If it does not meet the criteria, we can recommend strategies to be more energy efficient and earn the award, what each strategy costs, and what the cost savings will be. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Energy Issues Affecting Data Centers

It is said that there currently are 200,000,000,000 internet of things (IoT) objects in the world today. Probably in a short time, we will think this number is quaint. Or perhaps technology will advance so much that more data can be stored on fewer objects and this number may drop. The amount of computing done in data centers more than quintupled between 2010 and 2018. Most of these devices need to perform computing and storage activities, meaning the need for IT data centers, whether relatively small ones in a company’s office or huge building-size data centers.
While in recent years, we have become dependent on the “cloud”, things are changing. Of course, data is not stored in a literal cloud. The “cloud” is one of a small number of huge data centers that stores yours and other’s data. A recent trend is edge data centers, smaller buildings and structures where computing and storage takes place located usually within only a few miles from where the data is generated.

According to https://energyinnovation.org/2020/03/17/how-much-energy-do-data-centers-really-use/, in 2014, US IT data center electricity usage was split nearly equally between server demand and the need for electricity to supply electricity to such centers and for cooling. As discussed above, physical data centers will only grow substantially in our complex times; thus the need for more electricity.

Electricity Usage

According to several sources, data centers use 1% of all of the world’s electricity consumption. This appears small but given the absence of data centers in many (poorer) parts of the world, this is significant. However, the rate of growth of electricity usage is slowing down due to energy efficiency. The good news is that servers and related equipment are being designed to use less electricity to compute or store data. And such equipment is available if one is replacing data servers or expanding.

Another problem is cooling. Many data centers have their own AC systems with thermostats set for low temperatures to prevent over-heating. In some cases, thermostats are set to keep temperatures of such rooms below 55⁰F. ASHRAE recommends that temperatures of rooms containing servers not be lower than 65°F. And, in fact, ENERGY STAR, the joint EPA/DOE program that evaluates energy usage of common equipment, has recommended servers that can be useful up until 95⁰F or greater. Certainly, one should be careful not to overheat your equipment. But one should look deeper into what that true temperature is. Another idea is not to necessarily cool a server room with an AC, but to use, instead, fans, which use less power, to force hot air away from servers and a stack of servers. Your IT professional should be able to recommend the right conditions for the long-term health of your IT Center.

Reliability

Many data centers feature back-up power systems in case their primary source of electricity is interrupted. Edge data centers, in particular, sometimes placed in urban and suburban areas, may be particularly vulnerable to sudden losses of power. An emergency engine generator to ensure that your data center continues to operate properly is good for the company, but does lead to more stringent emissions and noise requirements, such as particulate and other controls. Make sure the system you choose for backup power is right for your needs.

CCES has the experts to assess the energy usage of your IT or data centers, on or off- your physical location and recommend ways to save significant energy costs. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Need To Tighten Your Building? Look At Windows

Up until recently, tightening your building envelope was the last thing a building owner invested in. The amount of money that had to be spent, the disruption to operations of tenants inside, and total electricity savings for cooling and gas/oil for heating was just not worth it. Simple paybacks of 15 or more years made such projects not worthwhile.

The weakest point of a building envelope is the window. Windows are clear, one’s outlook to the world. But even a “good” window will not keep conditioned air in a building from escaping as well as even a “bad” wall, given its construction and material. While one would be tempted to build a windowless building, it sure would be hard to lease; who would want to work or live in a windowless space? However, replacing windows has a long payback. Building owners in most cases literally would rather wait for their windows to break or openly leak drafts of air before replacing.

But there has literally been a revolution in recent years in technologies for windows to strongly consider if you need to cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and meet new complex rules, such as New York City’s Local Law 97.

Window inserts from IEG can be installed to improve the insulation properties of windows greatly. They have been shown to improve the comfort level of building or storefront window and decrease noise proliferation, as well. Each one can be installed in a matter of minutes, minimally disrupting tenants, with no demolition and construction and no scaffolding. Recent testing by an independent firm showed that these inserts increase the overall window U factor by 50-63% (the lower the U, the better the window insulates). And inserts are more economical. Recent proposals to add them to windows in several high-rise office buildings showed a payback of 6 years, better than 15 years if replacing existing windows. See https://www.ienergy-group.com/

A different approach is to replace old single-pane and even double-pane windows with triple-pane windows with gas filling the gaps which can offer greater insulation. They not only allow users to be more comfortable but reduce nighttime condensation and allow surface temperature to be close to room temperature.

Thin triple pane-designed windows can improve window insulation by about 40%. Given the increase in the amount of material and engineering, it will be more expensive than a double-pane replacement. However, as material costs have dropped in recent years, the price differential has dropped, as well.

In addition, to window inserts or triple-pane windows, the building owner can use other strategies to improve the building envelope, such as external shading and maximizing windows where the sun shines can also allow building owners to save energy use.

CCES can provide for your firm specific workable strategies to improve your building envelope so you waste less energy without impacting your operations– and project manage what you select to ensure the savings and for you to get the best workmanship for the right price. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Major Changes to Building Energy Code Are Coming

The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) was all but finalized recently as members voted to go forward to finalize proposed changes to the energy code standards. The draft standards will be published shortly, followed by an opportunity for feedback and revisions before the final standards will be released, probably in late 2020. These standards are often used as a model for new laws and standards for new building design in many municipalities, states, and nations, saving energy usage and costs and cutting air toxic and greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings.

Buildings (residential and commercial) are responsible for about 40% of US energy usage and GHG emissions. Based on the probable final 2021 IECC standards, new buildings will reduce covered energy usage by over 10% on average compared to buildings meeting the 2018 IECC, and by more than 1/3 compared to the 2009 code.

IECC members voted late last year overwhelmingly in support of a number of proposals to strengthen energy efficiency requirements, such as requiring high-efficiency water heating; electric upgrades to allow easier future conversions to electrified equipment; increased installation of electric vehicle charging stations; and an optional pathway for municipalities to encourage construction of Net Zero or ultra-energy efficient buildings that meet their remaining energy needs with renewable energy.
One additional probable change compared to the 2018 IECC is that this edition will likely give building owners flexibility to meet standards in different, science-based, but non-prescriptive ways.

Some critics have complained that the IECC changes too often, every 3 years, and that adversely affects planning. On the other hand, technologies improve so quickly. Also, of course, when a building is built new, it will stay in existence and function (and use excess energy and emit greenhouse and air toxic gases) for decades. One does not want to “miss the boat” of having buildings incorporate proven, improved design or technology to lock in GHG emission reductions.

Speaking of energy codes, ASHRAE’s code, 90.1, was last revised in 2019. ASHRAE is already researching changes to their code that will be published in 2022.

CCES has the experts to help provide technical assistance to help you meet IECC, ASHRAE and other energy standards to minimize your usage and GHG emissions of existing or new buildings. We can help you economically reduce energy usage that not only save significant costs but enhance worker productivity and reduce O&M costs and effort. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

5 Good Reasons To Apply Energy Conservation As Part Of Business Bounce Back

As this is written, the US is debating when and how to re-open businesses to bounce back economically yet maintain safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. While public health and economic experts debate strategies, eventually, businesses will re-open. Good energy management should be a part of the plan for any business. A smart energy conservation program has the following major advantages:

1. It is crucial to cut costs. For nearly all businesses, revenue will be slow to recover. With, sadly, many deaths and high unemployment, there are simply fewer customers to sell to. Thus, cutting costs is crucial to have any chance to make a profit or be viable. Being energy smart is a proven way to reduce expenses. What’s particularly powerful is that one-time actions to reduce energy usage and demand save costs year after year. After all, it’s not like after year 1, you’ll put back in the old, inefficient equipment! Energy conservation has a great ROI and a continual source of cost savings!

2. Financial advantages of being certifiably green. Consider raising the level of your building to LEED or Energy Star-certified. Studies have shown:
o 5-16% rental premium
o 6-31% sales price premium
o 3-6% occupancy rate increase

3. Competition for commercial tenants. Many predict that commercial building occupancy rates will drop in the future as more firms will allow staff to work from home. That means reduced occupancy and more competition to attract tenants. One way to beat the competition is with an energy efficient building allowing a landlord to charge less or, if the tenant pays utilities, reduce their expenses, a good way to attract those who must minimize costs. Plus, smart energy upgrades raise a building’s sales price.

4. Good for sustainability reports. More companies are compiling and posting sustainability reports and scorecards. More energy efficient workspaces, whether leased or owned, are big steps to showing positive results to stakeholders.

5. Others will foot part of the upfront costs. Many companies do not have or are reluctant to spend the needed funds upfront on energy upgrades. While our focus is on COVID-19, many parts of the country also have energy management concerns. Utilities and governments have reason to offer financial incentives to those that do energy upgrades, often paying as much as half the upfront cost. What a great opportunity to get a high ROI, attract more tenants, with others pay some of the upfront costs!

CCES has the technical experts to help you upgrade your energy systems in a smart and financially beneficial manner. We know incentives and can get you the greatest package you qualify for. We can not only tell you where it is best to upgrade, but we can project manage the upgrade to maximize the benefits with the least disruption. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Small Buildings Reluctant To Do Energy Upgrades

Energy efficiency upgrades are often at the bottom of building owner or manager’s list of priorities, particularly for smaller buildings, defined as under 25,000 square feet, which comprises nearly 90% of US commercial building stock. According a 2015 report published by National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), entitled “Financing Small Commercial Building Energy Performance Upgrades: Challenges and Opportunities”, owners face several challenges in terms of financing such projects. NIBS recommends that government and other organizations make it easier to obtain credible financing.

Barriers to Energy Efficiency for Small Commercial Building Owners

According to the document, the main barriers are skepticism that energy retrofit projects will actually deliver the financial benefits calculated, financing, and technologies favoring larger buildings. Delivering benefits leads to three discussions.

Building owners, like most business people, crave certainty. While the engineer can explain the likelihood of the success of the retrofit, the owner – not knowledgeable about technology – is naturally skeptical about things they don’t personally know. Also, management usually does not have experienced staff who can review and oversee specific design and building performance vis-à-vis energy efficiency.

Second, management tends to focus first on urgent repairs and delay long-term upgrades. There are not many periods when there is not something crucial pending. Management culture, therefore, is more day-to-day rather than long-term. What then often happens is that management is forced to implement an upgrade because of failing equipment, putting the team under pressure, costing more money, and limiting options.

Third, building management tend to look at investments in the short-term if, for no other reason, their salaries/bonuses/promotions are based on short-term profit.

Another issue is financing which is potentially troublesome for many building owners who often borrow for other types of projects and may have checkered histories.

Finally, most strategies to improve commercial energy efficiency are more financially beneficial for larger buildings than small ones. Since there is a base price for a technology, building it larger or being more comprehensive does not add a lot to the cost, but could be more effective in reducing energy use. Smaller buildings do not get the potential benefit a larger building with more tenants and activities do.

Overcoming These Obstacles

One way to overcome the skepticism is to have the energy specialist come in with turnkey solutions. The company will develop the opportunity, bring in the proper vendors to design, build, and install the technology, and test it to ensure that minimum standards are met. One company that the building owner trusts oversees all aspects gives that owner more confidence that the implementation will be proper and goals obtained.

The NIBS report recommends that government, and, particularly, the federal government, link existing loan and other programs to assist small businesses. Existing Small Business Administration loan programs do not address energy or environmental upgrades. Working with the Dept of Energy, such programs focused on realistic energy savings and upgrades can be successful.

Property-assessed clean energy (PACE) and on-bill financing are options the report recommends. PACE loans are repaid through property tax assessments bills and are administered by government and considered higher-priority than mortgages. On-bill financing programs fund retrofits via utility bill savings over time.

Loans specific to upgraded equipment loans, managed energy service agreements, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) may also encourage more energy upgrade projects. In managed energy service agreements, customers pay an energy firm a set straight energy fee. The firm pays the utility what is actually used and makes money from the difference, which occurs by making the building more energy efficient. The firm takes the risk and the owner pays a set fee.

Understanding the building owner/manager’s culture and pressures will make it easier for energy professionals to propose energy upgrade projects which don’t just make technical and financial sense, but also makes the owner comfortable about success and minimizes risk.

CCES has the experts to evaluate any type of building and develop and project manage energy saving projects with a robust payback and to improve productivity at the same time. We can see projects from initial design and calculation to final. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Start of 2020’s Notes on Clean Energy

Chicago is the nation’s leader in energy-efficient office buildings, according to the 2019 National Green building Adoption Index. Also in the top 5 were San Francisco, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Los Angeles. The ranking was based on total space in office buildings having either the EPA ENERGY STAR label, USGBC LEED certification, or both. According to the report, in Chicago, 1,411 representing 71.1% of all office buildings, over 167 million sq. ft., are market-certified green.

Renewable electricity will surpass coal soon. The world’s consumption of coal is declining. Global investment in new coal-fired power plants has slowed sharply in recent years, as countries and investors finding that clean energy, such as solar panels and battery storage, are often a cheaper way to produce electricity and because of the major public health effects of the air pollution caused by coal combustion.

Renewable energy is expected to surpass coal as the world’s dominant source of electricity by 2030, growing to 42% of global generation. Natural gas, while emitting less greenhouse gases than coal, but still producing some, is also growing at the expense of coal. However, hundreds of existing coal plants will continue to do so to satisfy investors unless incentives can be implemented to retire these plants early. Carbon capture and sequestration technology remains unreliable. Watchdog agencies are not permitting CCS until it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that CO2 is removed for a long time. Wind is also growing, with expectations of nine-fold growth by 2040. Companies in the US, China, South Korea and Japan are planning major off-shore wind farms, joining several European nations who have already built such farms.

Electric car sales are growing. But so are SUVs. In 2019, consumers worldwide bought about 2 million electric cars, spurred by a combination of declining costs and generous vehicle incentives. Sales of electric cars are expected to continue to grow. As a result, global gasoline and diesel use for cars might peak by the mid-2020’s.

But despite this good news, sales of larger SUVs, which consume more gasoline than conventional cars, is expected to grow, too. In 2000, just 18% of passenger cars sold worldwide were SUVs. Last year, it was 42%, negating the gains in greenhouse gas emission reductions from the transportation sector from hybrid and electric car sales. Can a carmaker successfully manufacture and market an electric (battery-powered) version of an SUV?

Energy efficiency efforts are slowing. Energy intensity of the global economy (the amount of energy used to result in revenue), a measure of efficiency, made major gains in the first half of the last decade, but then slowed down. In 2018, the energy intensity improved by only 1.2%, a very slow rate. This may be due to many countries weakening their policies, such as US, which plans to roll back the standards that would have encouraged more efficient lights.

Another disappointment is the lack of inclusion of energy efficiency in building codes. According to one report, 2/3 of new buildings worldwide are being built without having to meet any type of energy efficiency codes and standards. Since a new building now will be functioning and, presumably, wasting some energy for the next 60 or more years, this is a concern.

Development in Africa is crucial. Africa is expected to grow economically and urbanize starting this decade. Will it do so powered by coal or another fossil fuel or will it do so primarily with renewable power, as sun and wind are plentiful in most of Africa? One report states that Africa has about 40% of the world’s potential for solar energy but is generating less than 1% of the world’s solar power.

CCES has the experts to help you plan your own energy plan to be more efficient, save costs, and have a demonstrably greener entity. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Tips for Indoor Painting Projects in Occupied Buildings

The weather is cold out there. You have projects to do for your buildings, but they all must be indoors now. But that leads to problems. Say you have a major painting job in your building, but you are under pressure not to inconvenience staff or customers. The paint job must be completed in a way that is least disruptive to daily operations.

Minimizing disruptions, of course, is something that should be taken into account in all projects, as is the health and safety of occupants and workers. While one normally focuses on keeping aisles clear for occupants to safely move around, it is also important to be aware of maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ). Therefore, look for effective coatings that also contain low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They are not only better for IAQ for those potentially exposed, but give off less odors, reducing distractions.

IAQ issues are easier to address. A growing number of coating manufacturers make a line of paints with definitively lower emissions, and some directed to sensitive groups, such as children and the elderly. This is particularly helpful with projects in schools or healthcare facilities. Quick-drying coatings are advantageous. Odors are more subjective and is up to the individual. Emotions and other factors influence whether odors are detected and found to be annoying or distracting. As they say, “Somebody will always complain.” Odors top this list.

How to Start

Set a schedule so that painting is performed when there are the least users around and arrange ahead of time to stick to this schedule. For some facilities, it may or may not be a good idea to paint early in the morning when only a few people are around. It may be a good long-term strategy to paint late in the day and even let workers go home a little early. And paint into the evening. Perhaps there is a major meeting; that may be a good time to get in an hour or two of painting. Be sure to communicate times to affected staff, including which equipment or functions may not be available at what times to staff.

While Painting Goes On

Have sufficient fans present to blow the air, blowing away odors and VOCs and hastening the drying process. Be sure to rope off the areas that employees or customers should not trespass while painting goes on. One certainly does not want the enmity of somebody who accidentally gets in contact with wet paint.

Do the Job Right

One would like to minimize disturbances in the long-term. Therefore, use high-quality coatings that are durable and can withstand frequent cleaning and other conditions in the space (humidity, people effects, etc.). While this may cost more upfront, the building will save much in the long-term in reduced O&M efforts and costs and not having to paint the space again is some time.

CCES has the experts to help you plan all types of upgrades of equipment, between planning operations to procurement of equipment and commissioning that the installation is effective. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.