San Antonio Housing Authority: Energy performance

Better Buildings Challenge partners strive to report whole-building data for all properties within their portfolio. Often, Multifamily partners face the added challenge of collecting data from tenant-paid utility accounts. The Better Buildings Challenge is working with Multifamily partners and utility companies to improve the data collection and reporting process. While this important work continues, Multifamily partners are being recognized for their successes within those properties that are reporting whole-building data. The San Antonio Housing Authority portfolio consists of 13 properties, 3000 apartment units and 2.4 million square feet. For the 2017 reporting period, they reported whole-building data for 31% of its portfolio.

Better Buildings Challenge Partners strive to decrease portfolio-wide source energy use intensity (EUI) and to increase the percent improvement compared to a set baseline. The San Antonio Housing Authority portfolio consists of more than 13 properties and 2.4 million square feet. They have improved energy performance by 16% from a 2012 baseline for those properties reporting whole building data, making progress towards a goal of 20% by 2023.  Energy savings have been achieved by implementing lighting retrofits across some properties, HVAC upgrades to some elderly and disabled high and mid rises, and an energy awareness program focused on low-cost opportunities for savings.

Looking at the percent improvement in energy performance across facilities reporting whole building data can provide insight into how an organization is saving energy.  The San Antonio Housing Authority has achieved energy performance improvement of greater than 15% at 3 of its properties. There are 2 properties that have experienced an increase in Source EUI.  These properties have been targeted for future energy efficiency improvements.

Property-level energy performance metrics, including EUI and percent improvement to date, are critical to track progress over time and identify opportunities for additional energy savings. San Antonio Housing Authority's portfolio consists of properties with a wide range of baseline EUI values, most of which are from 53 to 193 kBtu/sq. ft. At this time, more than half the properties reporting baseline year whole building data have shown energy improvements since 2012. The properties located near or below the 0% axis may present good opportunities for further savings.