LED technology has improved to the point where you should take another look. The prices have come down and the quality has gone up, so it is really in the “sweet spot” for an investment. And it really is a quality investment with significant value-add for your community, and not just on energy savings which…
Author: Tom Spangler
Get Your Energy Data Here
Are you interested in getting free energy data? The U.S. government produces a wealth of information on energy pricing that you can use for budgeting and projections for your portfolio. The U.S. Energy Information Association (EIA), part of the Department of Energy, provides independent statistics and analysis which is used by numerous professionals in…
Have You Been Paying Attention to the Price of Water
The average monthly cost of water for U.S. consumers went up 6% in 2015 and has risen 41% since 2010, according to Circle of Blue, an industry research group. “We expect water rates to continue to grow above inflation for some time. We don’t see an ends in sight” says Andrew Ward, Director of U.S….
Submetering: A Proven Conservation Measure
If your property currently includes water and sewer in the rent or uses a flat-fee billing, one of the best conservations measures available is to implement either a RUBS or submeter billing program. Studies and experience has shown that residents will conserve water when presented with an individual bill. You can expect savings of 15-30%…
The Future of Nuclear Power is Still Up for Grabs
You might not want to believe this but nuclear power is the United State’s largest source of clean carbon-free electricity. That’s why the nuclear industry was upset that the Supreme Court stayed the Clean Power Plan. They felt that nuclear power was going to be a larger part of the solution based on the carbon…
Water Restrictions will go National
A panel at the Urban Land Institute’s Fall Meeting in NYC discussed the increasing need to plan new water strategies in all new development projects. Fresh water sources are becoming depleted in the Southwest, and rising sea levels are causing problems along the East Coast. Stormwater and water treatment capacity also need to be taken into…
Growing Your Community
Pizza parties are nice, but exactly how much pizza can your residents eat before it’s time to change the menu? Think community. Think garden. Think break away from the pizza party and grow something. Community gardens are the latest thing in building resident retention and a low-cost way to promote health and well being within…
Should the US export Natural Gas?
The Obama administration is now considering stream-lining the approval process for export license applications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. The change is due to the Russian invasion and takeover of Crimea. The President hopes that exports of American natural gas to Europe and Asia will reduce their economic dependence on Russia. However, once US…
Are You Flushing Money Down the Drain?
An average renter uses 100 gallons of water a day. If that renter has a toilet with a leaking flapper, they could be using 300-500 gallons a day and not even know it. With the average cost of water and sewer charges approaching a penny a gallon nationally, that’s a lot of money flushed down the drain. …
The Largest Solar Plant in World Opens
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a $2.2 billion solar complex, has come on-line in the sunny Mohave desert. The project, owned by NRG Energy, Inc., Google Inc., and Brightsource Energy, and constructed by Bechtel Corp. , uses solar-thermal technology, which means that 350,000 large mirrors concentrate sunlight on boiler towers to create electricity. The cost to…