MULTI-HOUSING NEWS: Innovations in Energy-Efficient Apartments

Multifamily operators face high expectations for reducing their properties’ carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. A deep dive into today’s best practices.

Faced with the urgency of reducing carbon footprints and greenhouse gases, multifamily operators are embarking on a new era of energy efficiency. No one-size-fits-all approach exists; strategies vary widely by location and multifamily category. Whether the community is a ground-up project or a vintage property, identifying the best tools demands a smart assessment.

Yet by all accounts, the investment of time and capital can pay handsome dividends. Comprehensive, cost-effective upgrades improve the energy efficiency of multifamily properties by 15 to 30 percent and save $3.4 billion in multifamily utility costs annually, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates. They also help properties stay competitive as tenants seek more sophisticated energy-efficient homes.

Coronel Apartments, a newly completed 54-unit community in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, is loaded with energy-efficient features –  enough to ensure likely LEED Platinum certification. “Coronel optimizes energy performance with high-efficiency windows, boiler and solar hot water,” said John Arnold, partner at KFA Architecture, designer for the transit-oriented multifamily property developed by Hollywood Community Housing Corp. Also featured: all-LED light fixtures, certified sustainable flooring,  low-emission insulation and locally sourced concrete aggregate.

While Arnold acknowledges that an affordable housing project doesn’t need to market its energy-efficiency efforts the way a market-rate development does, sustainability features are often used to promote affordable housing among non-profit organizations, politicians, funding agencies. BRP Cos., which specializes in affordable housing, workforce and market-rate housing, routinely installs programmable thermostats, Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient lighting, floor-to-ceiling Low-E windows and water conserving fixtures in its New York City-area projects.

“Most of our projects aspire to LEED Silver or greater,” noted Mary Serafy, managing director at BRP Cos. “These features provide significant operational savings for years to come.”

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