Quote:
Originally Posted by taylor192
The OV is LEED platinum and I commented to my GF I would not want to live there until I've seen the costs associated with maintaining the various green initiatives.
The sewer powered heating system sounds awesome, until you realize it cost $30M, is located by Cambie bridge far from the OV site, and involves underground pipes for sewage and water. Can you imagine the bill if any of that fails? Does the condo have an alternative heat source if it does fail? Could I as a condo owner, with the majority of other condo owners, vote down the use of this system if it ever fails?
To me these initiatives are like awesome new gadgets. You pay a small fortune to be the first, and you get to pay a small fortune to deal with all the problems of being first.
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General maintenance is more as well. Paint is a good example of that. LEED paint is flat out not nearly as durable as non-LEED. Bathrooms/kitchens/trim that used to be painted in oil are now done in latex that is barely washable. Exterior paints need to be repainted far more often. Metal rusts like a son of a bitch. The simplest way to put it is that all the good shit in paint will also kill you in 40 years.