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…
Blog
Developing a long term portfolio strategy for investing in energy efficiency
Seven (7) events that trigger energy efficiency upgrades and resulting savings There are many discrete financial and regulatory events that may prompt an owner to upgrade a Multifamily building. However, in general, there are a few specific events in a Multifamily building’s Lifecycle when it is typically more cost effective, convenient and efficient to make savings…
San Francisco Energy Audits – Are you ready?
Learning from History Three major U.S. cities – New York, San Francisco, and Boston – have created energy ordinances that pair benchmarking with energy audits and/or building tune-ups (retro-commissioning) every five to 10 years. We anticipate San Francisco to transition its energy ordinance for Commercial buildings to Multifamily properties in 2014 or 2015. As a result, the…
To heat or not to heat, that is the question….
At this time of year, the weather is changing—temperatures are dropping, days are shorter, and there are fewer bikini clad people sunbathing at the pool. Right now in California (in the heat of budget season), we always get into deep discussions around heating the pool year round. Heating a normal, apartment community pool in the…
The “hidden” roadblocks to energy efficiency
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…
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…