Category: Sustainability

Across the United States, an increasing number of residential properties are being exposed to the concept of demand charges. Demand charges do provide some opportunities to reduce your monthly bill but understanding how they work is a crucial element to accomplish that. What many don’t realize is that demand charges may make up to 30%…

Do you have a user account or a property on EnergySTAR Portfolio Manager that you haven’t used recently? On February 19, EPA will delete inactive Portfolio Manager accounts and properties. According to EPA, this will apply to U.S. and international users with the exception of those in Canada. Your account and all its contents WILL…

There is perhaps no other industry trend that has the momentum of electrification across the United States building codes are quietly being ushering in that represent significant evidence that this change is happening and happening now. San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with 40 other cities across California, have passed electrification ordinances representing more…

When we talk about 39% of the emissions of the world coming from the built environment, we often focus almost exclusively on the 75% of those emissions that are the result of our operations. The energy consumption associated with operations. In 2019, however, we finally began to again mention the other 25% – the emissions…

We are excited to announce that the submission window for the Utility Management Advisory (UMA) Sustainability and Innovation award is officially open! We will be accepting applications for the award between October 10, 2021, and January 10, 2022. This annual award is a great way to recognize both UMA members and other industry colleagues for…

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has established a series of energy audits for commercial and multifamily buildings.  These audits can be useful in making plans for improving overall energy efficiency at your communities.  ASHRAE has three levels of energy audits, which vary based on the level of intensity, time…

The logical place to look next for utility efficiency after the lighting retrofit has been completed is heating – heating air and water heating. This is why the Heat Pump has been touted as the next “big thing” in energy consumption. In addition to significantly improving efficiency, the Heat Pump is also an essential element…

We are excited to announce that the submission window for the Utility Management Advisory (UMA) Sustainability and Innovation award is officially open! We will be accepting applications for the award between October 10, 2021, and January 10, 2022. This annual award is a great way to recognize both UMA members and other industry colleagues for…

We are all very familiar with the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our lives (changes in work, changes in schooling, changes in social behavior, loss of loved ones), but what impact has the pandemic had on the environment? Just as the pandemic has had both positive (more time with family, a slower…

Understanding the impacts of the waste stream can be tricky and understanding the role of waste in sustainability can at times be a twisting road to follow.  Our waste stream impacts us in many ways. Globally a significant amount of energy is required to process pulp and paper. Using recycled paper uses 65% less energy…