Everyone is talking about Smart Apartments. Smart this. Smart that. I think that it is important to consider, when you are evaluating either building Smart Apartments or retrofitting existing apartment building that you first start by looking at your infrastructure. That means the cable wiring. How will the smart locks work? What happens if you…
Category: New technology
Whole Building Data is coming to California
I know that I sound like Chicken Little…screaming about the sky falling. However, Effective January 1, 2019, you are going to need to ensure that all your apartment properties in California are loaded into Portfolio Manager. There is a hyperlink to the bill below if you really like read legislature, but the gist is that…
Zero Net Energy Communities – Say What?!
You may have heard the term “Zero New Energy” (ZNE) or “Net Zero” used to describe apartment communities recently. Perhaps you heard this and were thinking to yourself, “say what?!” Simply stated, a Zero Net Energy community or building is one that, on an annual basis, produces as much or more energy than it consumes….
Understanding New Markets
What do you do when your company decides to enter a new market? Depending on the market, you may start by panicking. Once you regain your composure, it’s time to get to work. Gathering data on local billing regulations is a must. If you are buying existing assets, you can’t assume the previous owner was…
LEED Certification in Multifamily – Does it matter?
For commercial buildings, studies have shown that LEED buildings have lower operating costs and better air quality than non-LEED certified buildings. For multifamily properties, the LEED certification process is a new trend and seems to be driven by market conditions or client demand. Millenials make up a huge part of the apartment industry and are…
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…
Wow! Check out West Village
Although I indicated that I would discuss the characteristics of my Icon buildings this entry, I am going to switch gears and talk about an existing project that I just had the great fortune to tour last week. West Village, in Davis California, is the largest NZE Multifamily project in the Nation. It has over…
Several states now encouraging electric vehichles
The West Coast states – not only California but also Washington and Oregon – have been aggressive about its support for electric vehicles (EVs). But did you know that the list of other “states” that offer encouragement for EVs include Maryland, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma,Utah, Hawaii, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee,…
New York bans hydraulic fracturing for natural gas
A recent brief from Utility Dive reported: “New York will ban hydraulic fracturing following the release of a report by the state Department of Health which found significant health risks associated with the process. Environmental activists hailed New York Gov…” Read More By the way, if you have been hearing a lot of fracking, but aren’t…
Wireless charging for electric vehicles hits the road
Forget building costly charging stations for residents; forget the charging cable: breakthroughs in inductive charging for electric vehicles (evs) means drivers just park over a pad in the road to get more juice With no need to plug in to charge, it’s a breakthrough that should speed up the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV)…