Looking at Utility data and trying to figure what it means is like trying to eat an elephant. It’s massive. Where do you start? The answer it to take it one bite at a time. Focus on a region, city or state and pull your data down. I like excel. It is easy for me…
Category: General Utility
Insider tips to stop trash issues from piling up
More packages mean more garbage, especially in fast-growing cities where the bulk of waste is generated, putting pressure on multifamily owners and managers to deal with rising costs and environmental impacts. While programs like ENERGY STAR® include waste-tracking tools, there is no benchmark in place by which owners can compare waste management measures. During the…
Water Billing Issues in Atlanta GA
DeKalb County GA, Division of Watershed Management has been undercharging customers for water and sewer. Some owner/managers have received large bills, including back charges. If you have properties in served by this utility, watch your utility bills closely for back charges or long periods of estimations. The links below provide some history and a recent…
INTERRUPTIBLE SERVICE FOR GAS HEAT
There are gas boilers that are installed in buildings that have a back-up system (either oil or electric) which allow you to pay a lower rate than general service. These are classed as interruptible with your local utility (IS or ISS). These interruptions often take place when the temperatures drop to single digits and the…
When Your Solar Needs a Net: Solar Net Metering
People often wonder if it’s possible to put a solar panel on a property that actually makes the energy meter “spin backwards” and make money on a solar system. Some states let you do this and some do not. The hyperlink below is to a website that I found recently giving you the “where and…
Benchmarking Water Bills – Are water saving retro fits worth the cash out lay when residents pay the bill?
Benchmarking your average water bills to other communities in your zip code area is an excellent way to determine your competitiveness. Resident retention can be directly tied to many metrics at a community and the price of water per month is definitely at the top of the list in many markets. Quantifying a retrofit program…
Off The Grid: Understanding Ohio’s Recent Electric Regulations
I don’t know about you, but I’m a fan of the free market system. If a company has a good product and efficient operations, people purchase from them and they make money. That’s an overs simplification, of course, but you get the point. That being said, I’m not a fan of any industry that tries…
The Future of Nuclear Power is Still Up for Grabs
You might not want to believe this but nuclear power is the United State’s largest source of clean carbon-free electricity. That’s why the nuclear industry was upset that the Supreme Court stayed the Clean Power Plan. They felt that nuclear power was going to be a larger part of the solution based on the carbon…
Is Multifamily Energy Management Finally Going Mainstream with Nest at the Center?
New advancements around thermostats, wireless, Bluetooth lighting, apartment automation appliances and more are energizing the energy management market. The big news is that Nest Labs announced a developer program for integration with other manufacturers’ products—through Nest’s cloud—and its first partner is Control4, so users of that energy management control systems can see the temperature on a…
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….