I wish every green property management nerd had the opportunity to attend a seminar with Andy Padian, an impassioned, multifamily expert on energy efficiency. With 30 years of experience in the field, Andy is currently Vice President of Energy Initiatives at The Community Preservation Corporation. At the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s Building Energy Conference, I had the pleasure of listening to Andy speak. Here is a brief review of his multifamily energy efficiency recommendations:
- Increase air sealing and fire stopping in apartments and common areas in order to reduce transport of heated or cooled air.
- By incorporating efficient air sealing, pests, odors, smoke and conditioned air are unable to move from unit to unit, increasing the comfort of all residents.
- Make sure heating and hot water boilers are properly sized. Do not accept “replace with same” as a standard because these systems are often oversized. Property owners and mangers should be prepared for the day the boiler fails and have a new one already specified. Be sure to choose an energy efficiency rating at or above 85%.
- Many buildings need more efficient heating and hot water controls. If your residents are opening windows on cold days in the middle of winter, chances are good there is a problem with overheating of some units and the property needs better thermostatic controls. In addition, domestic hot water is notoriously set high. People usually like showers in the 100°F – 105°F range, so there is little reason to set the hot water temperature above 120°F.
- Manage water better with high efficiency toilets, low flow showerheads, and aerators on all faucets. Not only are property owners paying for water, but for the energy to heat that water. Therefore, if residents use less water, less water needs to be heated and this can affect natural gas or other heating fuel bills.
- Ventilation systems typically have a 50% leakage rate and are, therefore, not as efficient as they could be. When ventilation systems leak, smoke and odors travel throughout the building.
- Retrofit exterior, common area and interior unit lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs. If you have interior hallways use two-stage dimmable fluorescents like those from Occu-Smart Technology.
- Replace appliances with Energy Star rated products. Also, maintain a list of equipment with motors and use the Department of Energy’s free MotorMaster software to help you select and manage motor-driven equipment.
- If you are going to replace windows, specify better windows with the appropriate low-E coating and higher R-values. Phase out aluminum and vinyl and purchase fiberglass and wood windows for performance.
- Ask for help when you need it. Get everyone together and discuss what needs to be done. There is plenty of work to be done and new ideas and incentives may spring up from the group.
- Coordinate efforts to fund projects through existing programs at the local, state and federal level. Check here for rebates and tax incentives.
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