Seattle, Washington, has joined the growing list of U.S. cities that are publishing detailed reports on building energy use in an effort to motivate property owners to make their buildings more efficient, and to ultimately save energy and money. The Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment released a report in January 2014 that details energy…
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What’s Up Whistle Pig? (The Weather Stylings of Groundhogs and Action You Can Take)
I was super excited that Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck (our nations more formidable marmot meteorologists) concurred that we would have six more weeks of winter. This means that our residents will continue to be frustrated by their heating costs. Even in Sunny California with our heat wave, residents have seen their bills go up and…
What the acquisition of NEST by Google could mean for apartment owners
Google’s recent acquisition of intelligent thermostat and fire alarm-maker Nest could be a major disruption to the status quo in apartment automation. For decades, the dream of a “smart apartment” has been just that: a dream. The concept of an interconnected, intelligent apartment and common areas has been relegated to science fiction. Owners have not…
Wherever You Go, There You Are
“The wealth was nearer to you than you realized.” Hindu parable A man from India told a story of a rich man with many jewels and a lot of money in his pockets who is taking a long journey. As he begins his journey a thief begins to follow him, and the thief has set…
Going Green is still tentative
Below is a link to an article about the tentative nature of “going green” in the multi-family industry. There are glimmers of evidence that this approach is financially beneficial, but no firm concensus. What I didn’t realize until halfway through the article was that this piece was written over 3 years ago! Not much has…
Getting Started with a Portfolio Wide Energy Management Policy
Getting your head around Energy Management is a difficult process. A good place to start is with a corporate policy to build consesus and guidance around. Policy can be described as a statement of commitment that contains procedures and protocols that can be used by senior management officers when guiding a Portfolio Wide Energy Management Policy….
Energy Star Appliance Ratings need Updating
This article from the USA Today points out that new energy efficiency ratings for appliances from Energy Star are long overdue. The companion article pointed out that “of the major appliances currently for sale at Sears.com, 84% of fridges, 92% of clothes washers, and 97% of dishwashers are Energy Star–certified. Every single front-loading clothes washer sold…
What do Energy Disclosure Laws and Electric Vehicles (EV) have in common?
How powerful would it be for property owners to know what their residents are going to do before they actually do it? To predict how they would react to certain amenities, or to intervene just before a resident loses loyalty and switches properties? Leading indicators can give owners a sense of where the economy is headed in the future, paving…
Los Angeles is going green
The Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power is kicking coal, but it isn’t easy. In January 2011, the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked the DWP as the 13th most hated company in America. They are working hard to turn around public perception including a program that involves an unlikely coalition of labor and environmental interests. …
Energy Management for Portfolios – Getting Started in 2014
Self-Check It is important for a portfolio or property to conduct a thorough self-assessment of its current performance, goals and requisite level of effort in 2014 before deciding to embark on an energy management program. For firms with energy management procedures already in place, it may be less of a reach to take on…