According to a recent article in USA Today, cheaper light bulbs are set to phase out during 2014 as consumers and businesses are forced to move to the more efficient (and more expensive) CFL or LED designs. Multifamily firms should consider if it makes sense for them to stock up on the old bulbs before they…
Blog
Getting Started with a Porfolio Wide Energy Strategy
Energy management is more than saving money—it is about understanding processes and energy patterns on properties, setting realistic goals and monitoring progress, and protecting natural resources while leveraging alternative ones. Adopting a portfolio commitment to energy best practices is one way that portfolios can meet today’s cost-cutting and long-term energy efficiency goals. A formal energy…
Understanding CBECS – A key foundation of the EPA’s Portfolio Manager
About the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) CBECS is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. The CBECS was first conducted in 1979; the tenth, and most recent survey, was fielded starting in April 2013 to provide…
Is Solar Mainstream Enough for Multifamily?
The U.S. solar industry has come a long way in a very short timeframe. After decades of slow but steady growth, the last 2.5 years have brought an explosion of new installations in America — with two-thirds of all total distributed solar installed since just 2011. By 2015, installations will likely double. At only…
Are you offering Free Water?
All apartment managers need to watch this video. This is a cautionary tale of why you need a water billing program for your residents at every one of your properties. It’s a little over the top (please excuse some of the language), but that’s what makes it funny and drives the point home. We all know that nothing is…
Comparing Your Consumption to Your Neighbor
Last week an executive in our company walked into my office with his electric bill. His bill included a chart showing how his energy consumption compared to his neighbors. The next thing he said was, “ I guess I need to go get those LED light bulbs.” Instant proof that social pressures are more compelling…
Sustainable Outdoor Amenities
Chris Lee recently published an interesting article on outdoor amenities. It has some good tips for creating additional amenities that promote a sense of community in a cost-effective way. Check it out: http://www.propertymanagementinsider.com/3-tips-for-creating-outdoor-living-spaces.html But speaking of cost effectiveness, beyond the upfront capital dollars that Chris has in mind, should property owners also consider the operating…
What is Intelligent Energy Efficiency?
Intelligent efficiency is the term used to describe the capability next-generation automated equipment and networks used in buildings, transportation, and manufacturing that have become adaptive to environmental inputs and self-optimizing in performance. This makes possible levels of performance that could not be achieved as recently as ten years ago. The energy savings that result from…
Waste – the rising enemy of utility expense control
America is a disposable society According to a Fortune Magazine article in November 2013, American cities are scrambling to deal with the mounting piles of garbage. Alarming statistics support this statement: In 2011, we generated 250 million tons of garbage, nearly double the amount of 1970. The number of landfills over the same period dropped…
Are strategies for multifamily energy effciency different than other building types?
What are specific Cost-Effective Energy Savings Measures for Multifamily The approach to selecting energy savings measures is different for multifamily than other building types. Although there are opportunities (depending on the climate zone) to save space-conditioning energy, the shared wall geometry of dwelling units and reduced external surface area in multifamily buildings means that less…