I know that I sound like Chicken Little…screaming about the sky falling. However, Effective January 1, 2019, you are going to need to ensure that all your apartment properties in California are loaded into Portfolio Manager. There is a hyperlink to the bill below if you really like read legislature, but the gist is that…
Author: Mary Nitschke
Return on Energy Awards Nominations OPEN NOW
Nominate a UMA member! The NAA Return on Energy (R.O.E.) Awards recognize apartment communities that have mastered the sustainability and energy reduction equation. The R.O.E. awards spotlight action and results in energy management beneficial to the apartment housing industry. The program is intended to educate industry professionals on how benchmarking information can be used to…
When Your Solar Needs a Net: Solar Net Metering
People often wonder if it’s possible to put a solar panel on a property that actually makes the energy meter “spin backwards” and make money on a solar system. Some states let you do this and some do not. The hyperlink below is to a website that I found recently giving you the “where and…
Wow! Check out West Village
Although I indicated that I would discuss the characteristics of my Icon buildings this entry, I am going to switch gears and talk about an existing project that I just had the great fortune to tour last week. West Village, in Davis California, is the largest NZE Multifamily project in the Nation. It has over…
Presenting our Two Sites for the Conversion to Net Zero
I am pleased to introduce my two buildings for our “Conversion to Net Zero” experience: Icon at Park and Icon at Doyle in Emeryville California. I chose these two sites for a few key reasons: These sites represent two different construction types: Icon at Doyle is 3-story construction with 27 townhome-style dwellings and an underground…
Let’s explore Net Zero together
Hi. I’m Mary Nitschke. Let’s explore Net Zero together. I am honored and excited to explore converting two apartment buildings into Net Zero Energy Buildings. I feel incredibly lucky to get to do this. Most people don’t get the opportunity to take a building off the grid, let alone two. And I am fortunate enough…
Crossing Over with Grace: Managing Hot Water Systems
Most of us have properties with Domestic Hot Water Systems at our Communities. What most of us don’t consider is how much energy we lose (and money) when we have crossover between our hot and cold water lines. Spoiler alert: Crossover most commonly occurs when a shower cartridge fails and cold water contaminates your hot…
Mmmmm….Beer….
Hey There Everyone! I wanted to share an inspiring article on how California Beer makers are conserving water. Makes me wonder how much water my chiller is using. Water you care? Well, if you like beer, you may care a lot. California craft beer brewers balance drafts and drought Mary Nitschke
Have you ever stayed in a hotel?
I think that for most of us, travel is part of the normal annual course of business. We travel to our communities, to comparable communities in the area, to our construction sites, to conventions, educational seminars, etc. We do this because sometimes the experiences that we can get at these places make us better at…
Update on Water Restrictions in California
As of April 1, 2015, the Governor Brown has called for a Mandatory 25% reduction in water use in Urban Areas. The new water restrictions (and the penalties that will follow) are going to impact Multifamily communities. Where we, as an industry, will see the greatest impact is in our irrigation practices and landscape appearance….