Are there other roadblocks to energy efficiency? We have addressed in previous postings the roadblocks that inhibit greater investment in energy efficiency technologies and practices in the Multifamily industry. In addition to these common and well-known barriers (e.g., split incentives, whole building information, initial investment costs and ROI, privacy etc.), there is a class of…
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Benchmarking Disclosures – What action is needed now by Multifamily Owners?
Understanding the different ordinances – it can be a jungle out there! There is no National Legislation that requires consistent compliance. Cities and States are driving this issue independently. So the answer is: it depends on where the property is located. Varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction is the size of the building (in square feet) that…
Another roadblock to Energy Management in Multifamily – The availability of “Whole Building” utility data
Benchmarking the energy performance of a property—that is, measuring it and comparing it to similar properties—requires utility data on energy consumption and load over at least 24 contiguous months . Owners and operators of multifamily properties must have access to this utility data for the whole building in order to benchmark it accurately. However, whole-building energy data is…
Does the Owner Resident Split-Incentive issue in Multifamily cause a roadblock to Energy Management?
In order for a property to be truly energy efficient, the interests of both the owner and residents must be aligned in favor of sustainability. Unfortunately, traditional lease arrangements often do the opposite, and skew the interests of both parties. For instance, if a lease includes fixed utility costs, the resident has no financial incentive…
What are the Motivators in Multifamily for Energy Management?
If you have even casually looked into energy management services for your portfolio, have you noticed the wide range of opinions and options? The differences are more significant than simply positioning. It is a more difficult (and meaningful) choice than asking “Do I want a Coke? Or Pepsi?” Have you ever asked yourself why? Some…
Which states have the strongest commitment to renewable power?
That depends on how you measure it. Today. – The current ranks and leaders: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=6090 – Recent increases by state: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=5750 The Future. California, Minnesota, Maine, Colorado, and New York have the strongest regulations to require renewable power in the future as a portion of their total. Each has a target to achieve…
A crystal ball and the future of renewable energy
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture hosted at the US Dept of Energy given by Dr. Eric Martinot who is Senior Research Director for the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies in Tokyo, Japan. He presented an overview of a recent report that he authored titled “Renewables: Global Futures Report”…
A New Idea for Recycling in Multifamily
Waste Management has a new way to add recycling to multifamily properties that are short on available space. They have developed a split container dumpster with two sections – one for regular trash and one for single-stream recycling. This will eliminate the need for separate recycling dumpsters or toters, and the new dumpsters will fit in the original…
Smart Meter deployments continue to rise
Smart Meters are an important part of the Smart Grid. Many utilities offer incentives to install Smart Meters. For information on incentives available in your area, browse the database cataloged at www.DsireUsa.org. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a division of the US Department of Energy (DOE): Electric meters with enhanced communication capabilities—an essential…
Good or bad? Nuclear power expected to hold steady
Nuclear power in the United States is not likely to be built at new sites due to safety concerns. Older power plants will be retired, but a few existing plants have plans to add capacity via new reactors. Other technology innovations have resulted in increased output. The net effect is likely that the USA will…