Managers Use Tech to Engage Tenants for Conservation Effort, EPA Compliance

Tenant engagement tools help management inform tenants of conservation efforts in the property, reduce energy usage, and ultimately alleviate their burden to comply with new municipal energy standards.

It’s no coincidence that the term “green” has become somewhat of a buzzword in the CRE industry. Over the past decade, “green”, or “energy efficient” buildings have not only proven to reduce consumption cost but in turn, increase a tenant’s affinity to a property – making going green, essentially good for business. This perception was not always the case, in fact, decision-makers in CRE industry have been somewhat forced to come to terms with data proving the commercial property industry’s impact on the global environment. According to the Urban Land Institute, commercial office properties account for nearly one-third of climate-changing carbon emissions globally.

In conjunction with market demands for green buildings, municipalities around the country are instituting building energy efficiency regulations, passing mandatory performance compliance ordinances. Our partners at MACH Energy say, “in past year alone, the cities of Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando, and Evanston, IL. passed building efficiency benchmarking programs, and more will continue to follow suit.”

Read about our partnership with Mach Energy and our Energy Management Software.

According to the Denver Business Journal, the City of Denver’s ordinance aims to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings and multi-family housing by 10 percent by the end of 2020 and to double that in the following decade, with the ultimate goal of reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Because tenant plug and light load makes up over 30% of a property’s energy consumption, managers seek tools to help them engage tenants to ease the burden placed on them by the new regulations. ULI’s Greenprint Performance Report states that tenant engagement to employ green practices tops the list of the 5 industry trends related to the reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

ETS Provides Tools Managers Use to Engage Tenants, Relieve Burden

Electronic Tenant® Solutions, purveyor of web-based property management solutions has several clients that utilize Communications tools, like Instant Alert and Email Notification to initiate green practices among tenants in their properties in an effort to reduce energy consumption. In 2016 ETS client at AMA Plaza in Chicago employed these tools for a campaign titled “Cool in the Shade.”

AMA Plaza’s Cool in the Shade

ETS communications apps were used to encourage tenants to close office window blinds for 14 weeks in the summer of 2016. Susan Hammer, AMA’s GM at the time, estimated a savings of 285,000 kWh by optimizing cooling, and minimizing start-up impact, which equates to an approximately $25,000 in savings. The program provided greater savings as tenants learned how closing blinds to reduce the sun load at all times would not only provide greater comfort to their office space, but would continue to save energy and expenses. On a daily basis for the season, they may have saved an additional 1,000,000 kWh or $90,000 more dollars for the year. (Susan Hammer, RPA, BOMI-HP, LEED AP O+Mm Vice President/General Manager, Jones Lang LaSalle)

“Susan has been a long time client and friend,” says Ian O’Neil, President + CEO, Electronic Tenant® Solutions. “The team at AMA Plaza makes us look good,” he continued, “they use our apps and services with immense capability, and it shows.”