CREJ

July 2021 — Property Management Quarterly — Page 27 www.crej.com n How does solar attach to my roof? Flat rooftop systems are secured to the roof by a hybrid system of bal- last blocks in padded aluminum pans and engineered mechanical attach- ments to account for our winds and the roof’s dead-load (structural) capacity. n Will my roof support solar? Flat roof systems need about 5 to 6 pounds per square foot of available dead-load capacity, while pitched roofs with flush-mounted solar need about 3 pounds per sf. The more dead-load capacity a roof has, the fewer mechanical attachments needed. n When is a good time to go solar? Ideally, your roof will have 20 years of life left. It’s also a good idea to consider other future energy-saving upgrades, such as LED retrofit and higher-efficiency HVAC, when sizing solar systems. n How long will it take to put solar on my rooftop? Depending on system size and array complexity, instal- lation may only take four to eight weeks. However, engineering, permit- ting and equipment procurement lead times can add six months or more, so the norm from contract to commissioning is eight to 12 months. n Does solar make sense if I don’t occupy my building? Solar is beneficial to both property owners and tenants in gross or triple-net leases. There are two methods to overcome the split incentive: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing and green leases. n What is maintenance like? A preventive maintenance visit once per year is needed to maintain the inverter warranty, and an unsched- uled maintenance visit about every two years is typical. The most common maintenance needs arise from system outages that occur due to electrical anomalies in the facility or inverters. Solar sys- tems protect themselves from dam- age by shutting down in such cases, and issues frequently are resolved with minimal troubleshooting and a simple system reset. s john.shaw@namastesolar.com Shaw Continued from Page 15 n Insulation that doesn’t insulate? Insulation coatings do not work the same as traditional insulation. They don’t meet the definition of insula- tion because that requires a mini- mum of 1-inch thickness. Coatings are said to add insulation “value” when used correctly. They reduce the temperature gap between the exterior and the interior of your building. Reducing the delta T from a hypo- thetical 130 degrees Fahrenheit on the exterior wall to 75 F on an interior wall, a 55-degree difference, to closer to 90 F exterior wall temperature, a 15-degree difference, greatly reduces the amount and speed at which heat moves through the enclosure. Lowering the daytime heat inside the walls also reduces convection loops in batt insulation. Convection loops (air movement) lower the insu- lation’s effectiveness. Storing less heat in the insulation means the air conditioning turns off more often. And reducing the amount of humidity moving through the enclosure means less dehumidification. Condensation, especially in the roof assembly, can be avoided using proper design tech- niques. Interior use is primarily for the ceil- ing. Since most of the heat collects at the ceiling, having a heat-resistant barrier there would make sense. They are best used in an open ceiling or drywall ceiling configuration. These cool building coatings increase profits with tenant comfort levels and productivity and lower the carbon footprint. Higher energy efficiency may qualify you for higher lease rates and asset valuation. Ser- vices are normally written off in the same year. Getting a better return on your investment could be as simple as switching to an insulation coat- ing instead of the same old, same old paint or roof coating. s Hoeffel Continued from Page 20 occupants. Timely communication is essential to demonstrate and remind tenants as these measures occur. Technology will be an effective tool to significantly enhance any digital com- munications strategy. A poster in the lobby or a video screen in an eleva- tor is not enough to reach everyone immediately, especially when some will be working outside of the build- ing, at least some of the time. Build- ings need to reach occupants well before they even enter the building. In fact, tech-enabled communication should be seen as a driver of influenc- ing a tenant’s decision to return to the building workplace. As the workplace repopulates, build- ings need to find new and innova- tive ways to demonstrate value and elevate their tenants’ experience. The more they give to the community, the more likely tenants are going to engage and make the workplace a desirable place to be. This will benefit the businesses that occupy space, as well as the building itself, and help position the office as an important destination, one that is worth return- ing to. The opportunity to create a propri- etary tenant experience will become the new differentiator in commercial real estate. It’s not about the physical space, it’s about the experience that people encounter when visiting or working in the building. From in-per- son or virtual health and well-being protocols and programming to ameni- ties, and from two-way communica- tion to tenant appreciation events, the opportunity to engage and delight occupants is what will raise the ten- ant experience buildings offer to elite status. It often has been said that commer- cial real estate needs to learn from the hospitality industry, and think about what it can do each and every day to earn the loyalty of its custom- ers and make tenant experience job No. 1. s david@hiloapp.com Abrams Continued from Page 22