Most of us are familiar with Earth Day, but what about Earth Hour? Each March, millions of people across the world participate in Earth Hour. To participate, people are turning off the lights in their homes and businesses and taking part in the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment. Earth Hour began as a…
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EIA revises global liquid fuels demand growth down because of the coronavirus
This anticipated decline in liquid fuels demand is largely focused on petroleum, but the supply, demand, and price of oil often drives price changes to natural gas. Could this have an indirect impact on energy prices for multifamily? For more details, see the following article: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42855
When Conservation Efforts Backfire
I was at the airport this morning and made my routine stop at the ladies’ room before boarding my flight. As I wheeled my bag into the stall with me, the toilet flushed. As I sat down, it flushed again. When I stood up, it flushed for a third time (this one was appreciated). I…
Using the Shared Economy to Help Others
Did you know that Airbnb has a specific program designed specifically to help victims of natural disasters, refugees, and those recovering from medical treatments? I didn’t either, until I stumbled upon a link for the OpenHomes program on the Airbnb website. The OpenHomes program works pretty much like the regular Airbnb platform does, except the…
PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN AND WHAT IT MEANS TO MULTIFAMILY
Many people have quoted multiple articles stating suggesting that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean (by weight) than fish. Additionally, I have seen a lot of evidence that the plastic in the ocean ends up in the fish that we eat. It is ironic that plastics were once considered…
Resident Gifts that Help the Environment
If you have ever spent countless hours trying to come up with a good move-in or renewal gift for your residents, that won’t break the bank or be completely cheesy, I suspect you are in good company. Many management companies want to provide something thoughtful yet useful as a token of appreciation to their residents,…
Low Flow Toilet Retrofit Results
Based on the title, you may be thinking this blog is about a large scale toilet retrofit. Well it is, and it isn’t. I recently replaced a toilet in my house with an ultra-low flow .8 gallon flush toilet. How is that considered a large scale toilet retrofit? Well, I replaced 33% of the toilets…
“Wishcycling”
I had a representative from a recycling nonprofit tell me that residents tend to “wish cycle.” Meaning that the resident throws things in the recycling dumpsters in hopes that they are. Although it might be true in some instances, for the most part, I think our residents just don’t know any better. For example, turnover…
America’s Light Bulb Revolution
A recent article in the NY Times reports that “Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping to reshape America’s energy economy right now: The humble light bulb.” Electricity use in the home has declined for the past 8 years after decades of steady increases, and…
Green Financing Provides Resident Benefits
Fannie Mae’s green financing was lunched over nine years ago and over 550,000 multifamily units have been built or retrofitted under the program. Fannie Mae studied the impact on residents and found them to be significant. Residents annual utility expenses decreased by 10% or $145 on average. That may not seem like much, but it…