Posts by: Tom Spangler

The long view on green certifications

By On June 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Green has finally arrived in multifamily. Or so it seems.

While it’s taken a few years to mature and take hold inside the apartment space, on-going evidence of its value has made going green more desirable to lenders, developers, and now apartment operators.

Just what is the real value of green certifications to apartment owners, […]

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Competing for conservation

By On September 22, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Benchmarking the energy used by our nation’s apartments has far reaching importance and the EPA’s new ENERGY STAR® 1-100 score for multifamily scheduled to launch September 16 may be a pivotal shift in gathering and analyzing this valuable data.

Many believe that energy efficiency will be where renters are won and lost in battle to […]

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Fracking, exports and storage, oh my

By On April 3, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Rife with tension and uncertainty are fracking, gas storage and exporting the very same natural gas that had only just begun to ease prices down. So what’s next?

Multifamily accounted for a whopping $18.03 billion in energy bills a decade ago, a number that has only grown alongside overall residential energy use since then, and then add […]

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Drip. Drip. Drip.

By On December 8, 2013 · 1 Comment

Submeters have finally become the smart meters of the multifamily industry.

For the past 15 to 20 years, the use of submeters has steadily grown in the multifamily industry—whether due to regulatory requirements or owner preference—to ultimately facilitate utility cost recovery programs. This has allowed owners to lessen their utility expense while also motivating residents […]

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Past due

By On July 2, 2013 · 1 Comment

Many multifamily owners and managers’ billing programs are on perpetual autopilot. If their efficacy were a billing cycle, it might be in the 90-day column.

When was the last time your property or regional managers sat down with your billing companies to look for new revenue opportunities? It’s a shared responsibility since no reputable billing company would make changes to your program […]

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NMHC and NAA huddle on green advocacy

By On July 13, 2012 · 2 Comments

As apartment owners and operators, it’s hard not to notice the regulatory environment changing with regard to sustainability and energy management. Knowing where to find good information on these changes, as well as those who hold the apartment industry’s best interest as a priority, is critical to staying aligned with on-going changes.

The National […]

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