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…
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Energy Price Analysis with Candlestick Charts
Have you heard about “technical analysis” with regard to energy prices but never really knew how to get started? One way to ease into this type of analysis, especially if you are a visual learner is through Candlestick Charts. The following article from StockCharts.com provides an introduction to the topic. The first few paragraphs provide a good overview…
Energy Saver 101 Infographic: Cooling
Learn more about the basics of saving energy through a cool infographic from the US Dept of Energy (high resolution versions available for download on their site): “As summer starts to heat up and temperatures rise, many of us are cranking up the air conditioners to stay cool. It should come as no surprise then…
Participation growing in GRESB survey
Here is an interesting article highlighting the growth and potential usefulness of participating in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark: “Since its inception in 2009, GRESB has annually surveyed and analysed the way real estate companies and funds approach and manage sustainability and the results that they achieve….” Read More
What is GRESB and all this attention on benchmarking?
According to the GRESB website, “In 2009 three large pension funds joined forces to better understand their exposure to risks related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their global portfolios of investments in property companies and private equity real estate funds… Five years later, sustainability reporting has become standard practice for a large…
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….
Upcoming Training Opportunities with ENERGY STAR®
Spring has sprung and now is a perfect time to start nurturing your ENERGY STAR education! Join EPA to learn about a variety of topics, including financing energy efficiency upgrades, and ENERGY STAR success stories in the multifamily housing sector. To register for upcoming trainings, click the links below or visit esbuildings.webex.com. If you…
Top Ten Sustainability Measures
Happy Earth Day! Sometime last year, I saw a list of top ways that commercial real estate professionals can make energy efficiency and sustainability a priority was published by Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International. Many of their ideas also apply to multi-family buildings, but a few of them maybe not so much. Here is…
“Climate Change” Or “Global Warming?” Two New Polls Suggest Language Matters.
The phrase “climate change” appears to have less baggage and more acceptance. Here is an interesting article from Scientific American: “On Friday, a new Yale-Associated Press-NORC poll on environmental attitudes reported that just 56 percent of Americans believe global warming is happening. This seems a bit low to me given our UT Energy Poll data…
Danger! Danger! California Water Restrictions Updated
Warning! California Drought Alert for 2015 As of April 1, 2015 the Governor of California has mandated a 25% reduction of water consumption in all urban areas and given the ability to Water providers and Cities to fine you if you do not comply. Additionally, irrigation of landscape is restricted. You will only be given…