From the monthly archives: July 2012
Risk comes in different forms, and there are times when business as usual becomes risk itself. America’s electric utilities are approaching just such a moment.
Across the country, a generation of power plants and transmission systems is aging and needs to be replaced. At the same time, rules on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions […]
Row after row of solar panels sat soaking up the sun on the roof of the senior residence at Sustainable Fellwood.
At 85 kilowatts, the system is among the largest residential systems in Georgia. It powers the common areas of the residence and the street lights around the building.
“It’s generating twice as much […]
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, in Denver for the World Renewable Energy Forum, called on Congress to extend tax credits that bolster the nation’s alternative energy industry.
“America can’t afford to miss out on the clean energy opportunity,” Chu said in prepared remarks at the forum in May.
President Barack Obama is pressing Congress […]
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 […]
Austin Energy will offer low-interest loans and rebates to apartment communities for energy-efficiency improvements to help them comply with the city’s Energy Conservation ordinance.
The new incentives, effective in June, will be performance-based such that the amount of each rebate will be based on the amount of energy saved.
The energy utility is working […]
With many of the initial sales of electric cars going to people who can charge them in their home garages, electric-car makers are starting to think about how to tap the market for condo and apartment dwellers.
In the environmentally-conscious, affluent enclave of Santa Monica, Calif., 70 percent of the residents live in multifamily […]
Owners and managers are eager to find ways to save money on energy costs. But low hanging fruit can be elusive.
Negotiating energy contracts is a good start, but requires specific knowledge and expertise. And most owners and managers cannot afford the luxury of a complete energy staff on payroll to watch volatile energy […]
As property managers, we spend a lot of time getting to know what everyone else is doing. We like to compare.
We are obsessed with knowing what other properties in the same market are charging for rent. We even call each other pretending to be prospective residents. We make significant investments in technology to […]
For Houston property owners and residents, change—at least in the area of waste water—has occurred. Charter Amendment Proposition 1 passed in November, 2010, approved a dedicated funding source to enhance, improve and renew drainage systems and streets in Houston. It became effective and began to appear on residents’ water bills July 2011. The proposition […]
