Could the expected increase of supply of natural gas be good for utility expenses this year? Check out the following article for more details about the prediction from the US Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=42935 Kent McDonaldKent works at RealPage and helps apartment firms reduce operating costs related to utilities. You can connect with Kent at…
Category: Sustainability
What is Earth Hour?
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…
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 Kent McDonaldKent works at RealPage and helps apartment firms…
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…
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,…
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…
Multifamily LEED Certifications May Have Peaked
Based on a recent reports the percentage of new units being LEED certified peaked in 2014 at 19%. In absolute numbers, the peak occurred in 2016 at 50,300 certified units. The top 10 areas with the highest LEED certified units per capita are in either in the Washington, DC metro area or Seattle, WA. Larger…
Benchmarking: How do you eat an Elephant?
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…
What You Need to Know About Recycling Contamination Fees
Did you know that 1 in 4 items placed in a recycling container is not recyclable? Do your residents know that? China and other countries are no longer accepting highly contaminated recycling waste from the US, thereby requiring domestic haulers to find other, more expensive channels for removal. Because of this, trash haulers are passing…
Energy Star
ENERGY STAR was launched by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 as a voluntary program but it’s now co-managed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA. This program has become a symbol for energy efficiency in the country, helping individuals and businesses save money as well as protect the environment through…