The multifamily housing sector offers unique opportunities for decarbonization over the next decade. Thirty-six percent of U.S. households now rent, and more than 60% of the rental market is in multifamily buildings, accounting for 27 million households. Uptake of energy efficiency measures in multifamily housing has lagged other types of housing, leaving significant unrealized energy savings on the table. Those savings can be captured with deep energy retrofits and renewable energy upgrades, which increases affordability for residents while in the long term helping preserve affordable housing by lowering operating expenses.
To date, Better Buildings, Better Plants partners have saved more than 3.6 quadrillion Btu, saving more than $22 billion and 224 million metric tons of CO2.
Dealing with COVID-19 presents an unprecedented scenario for multifamily housing providers. The Better Buildings Multifamily Team has compiled a list of resources to support housing providers and help them disseminate critical information to staff and residents.
This comprehensive guide to multifamily utility benchmarking includes links to key resources and requirements, tools and reports, case studies, and FAQs.
Featured Solutions
Redding House II, 12-unit affordable housing complex for developmentally disabled adults built in 1987, had several deferred maintenance issues and needed upgrades to outdated lighting, hot water heaters, and HVAC equipment.
To complete the renovation of St. Joseph Village, Wesley Housing pursued upgrades to the building envelope and replaced existing equipment with energy-efficient fixtures.
Eden Housing constructed the 44-unit low-rise Camphora Apartments in 2016, achieving net-zero electricity and LEED-H Platinum certified affordable housing status for performing 80% more efficiently than the state energy code.
This webinar highlighted case studies of innovative partnerships between affordable housing providers, public health, and building science stakeholders to advance energy + health initiatives.
Learn replicable approaches from three Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) – all Better Buildings partners – for surmounting the financial barriers that often prevent PHAs from pursuing energy and water efficiency retrofits.
This webinar provided participants with real-world resiliency planning frameworks that can serve as models for property owners and managers. Panelists discussed how to make the business case, assess risks by region, and prioritize projects.
By leveraging California’s Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program and other available assistance, EAH installed solar PV panels on Elena Gardens Apartments and plans to add solar to another 13 properties.
This article first appeared in the September 2021 issue of the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits; it highlights the benefits to multifamily organizations that join the Better Buildings Challenge and spotlights specific multifamily sector partners.
This webinar provided participants with examples of Multifamily partners successfully using 3rd Party Software for utility benchmarking.
At the 2021 Summit opening plenary, Secretary Granholm gave remarks and DOE leadership recognized the latest Goal Achievers and recent partner accomplishments.
This document includes steps that building owners and operators can implement to achieve smart, healthy, and low-carbon midrise apartment buildings within their existing building portfolios. Midrise apartments may use packaged rooftop units for heating, cooling, and ventilation or central plant systems for larger buildings.
Other Resources
General
Implementation Model
Hempstead Housing Authority collaborated with community stakeholders and public health services to measure the impact of weatherization upgrades by using pre- and post-weatherization tenant health surveys.
Rockford Housing Authority developed a program, modeled on SEED, to create a culture of energy efficiency through different types of resident programming; as a result residents consume less energy and are better prepared for STEM-related careers.
Trinity Management hired a third-party benchmarking provider and trained property managers to monitor energy consumption at their sites, engaging staff and supporting the company's effort to reduce portfolio-wide energy consumption.
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation worked with residents to achieve energy savings by implementing physical building upgrades as well as resident education to establish a baseline for utility allowance and transition utility bills to residents.
Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority (Lucas MHA) partnered with a third-party software provider to obtain in-depth energy data and continuous monitoring of energy performance for approximately 2.3 million square feet of affordable housing.
Wishrock Investment Group leveraged the EZ Retrofit Assessment Tool to identify cost effective energy upgrades and create a utility efficiency action plan resulting in improvements at 4 facilities.
MHA successfully navigated HUD’s rules to secure more than $8 million for the rehabilitation of Apartment Towers.
National Church Residences standardized procedures and eligibility criteria for a portfolio wide lighting retrofit.
Using tools and resources from peers and partners, Jonathan Rose Companies is conducting detailed property resilience assessments and incorporating recommended measures into its retrofit and capital improvements strategy.
In an effort to conserve water and reduce costs for both the company and the residents, Foundation Communities invested in a 3-year AmeriCorps VISTA project through NeighborWorks America to develop a water consumption monitoring system and resident education program.
A lack of finances prevented retrofits on a portfolio-wide scale as well as the capacity needed to work with all partners involved. CHA applied for HUD’s Energy Performance Contracting program, which allows PHAs to partner with an ESCO to perform energy- and water-saving upgrades. The upgrades resulted in over $480,000 in cost savings to residents.
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) is leveraging new and existing partnerships to increase energy literacy and STEM education of its residents, helping to strengthen the local workforce and create jobs for residents.
The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA) joined the SEED pilot program in 2014 to prepare public housing residents for technical jobs by increasing energy literacy, providing learning opportunities, and connecting residents to training so they may pursue energy careers.
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) used a Basis of Design (BOD) tool to set requirements for quality materials and efficient system design to be implemented during development and maintenance of properties across their portfolio. This resulted in lower energy and water costs, improved maintenance procedures, and cost savings in bulk purchasing.
Palatka Housing Authority employed Energy Performance Contracting to make quality-of-life improvements that "pay for themselves" through energy and water savings while enhancing the homes of residents.
Presentation
In this session, multifamily partners presented innovative, outside-the-box strategies for collecting tenant energy consumption data, ranging from how to obtain tenant consent for sharing data to embarking on a portfolio-wide campaign to collect 100% whole property data.
Showcase Project
Boston Housing Authority used finance upgrades under a Rental Assistance Demonstration conversion to achieve a 30% energy savings at the St. Botolph Apartments.
Cambridge Housing Authority achieved 60% energy savings at the Frank J. Manning Apartments, a public housing high-rise, by upgrading the building envelope and windows and installing LED lighting, a CHP cogeneration system, and a condensing gas plant and chiller.
Eden Housing constructed the 44-unit low-rise Camphora Apartments in 2016, achieving net-zero electricity and LEED-H Platinum certified affordable housing status for performing 80% more efficiently than the state energy code.
Community Roots Housing's Brewster Apartments, in Seattle, is a 1916-era multifamily building that improved energy performance by 26% with building envelope upgrades and air source heat pumps.
Trinity Housing developed a long-range plan to reduce their overall energy and water consumption through a variety of funding sources, resulting in 20% energy savings and 18% water savings.
BRIDGE Housing upgraded common areas to more energy-efficient spaces with retrofits to lighting, plug loads, and more. These cost-saving measures replaced outdated, inefficient equipment and reduced electricity consumption.
Schochet Companies implemented efficiency upgrades at Shepherd Park Apartments in Hartford, Connecticut, including boiler upgrades, replacement of hot water circulation pumps, unit air sealing, lighting upgrades, and water conservation measures. It also received over $170,000 through a local utility incentive program.
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) in Massachusetts partnered with Peabody and the state's Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN) to upgrade the boilers, lighting, and irrigation, achieving 18% energy savings.
Bayview Towers is a 200-unit affordable apartment complex in Stamford, Connecticut. Significant renovations by The NHP Foundation included a comprehensive boiler upgrade and an expected 25% in energy savings.
With the help of a HUD RAD conversion, Court Tower Apartments in downtown Newark, New Jersey, funded an $8 million rehabilitation project that included numerous energy efficiency upgrades for 30% energy savings.
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC) reduced energy use by nearly 20% after implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades at Washington Columbia #1 an #2, adjacent affordable housing properties in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Atlantic Gardens, a 108-unit affordable housing community built in 1948, underwent a renovation that yielded 28% energy savings and 19% water savings.
REACH Community Development Corporation partnered with MPower to invest $280,000 in upgrades at its Westshore Apartments property including LED lighting, occupancy sensors, and improved insulation, achieving 14% annual energy savings.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority's new headquarters is designed for high performance and to achieve 30% energy savings and LEED-NC certification.
Mercy Housing reduced energy use by more than 20% at its 50-unit affordable housing property 205 Jones Street by implementing several energy efficiency measures including switching to electric heat pumps, installing LED lighting, improving insulation, and upgrading to ENERGY STAR® appliances.
Danville Development conducted upgrades to this low-income senior community to improve both the property's energy performance and residents' quality of life. The measures reduced energy use by 23% and saved over $15,000 annually.
Casa Arabella, a 94-unit affordable housing apartment community from East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), was designed to exceed California’s Title 24 energy code by 13% and to achieve an 18% energy savings above ASHRAE standards.
Webinar
This webinar highlighted how to seek out technical experts and financing options for saving energy and water while protecting your interests.
At the 2020 Summit, Better Buildings Challenge Multifamily partners and other stakeholders shared best practices and discussed strategies for multifamily housing providers to save energy and water and preserve affordable housing.
Energy and water efficiency upgrades in affordable multifamily housing can reduce owners' operating costs and tenants' utility bills while improving resident health and comfort. This highly interactive 2020 Summit session examined current opportunities and challenges around financing efficiency upgrades in affordable multifamily housing.
This webinar demonstrated the use of a planning tool developed by Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF) that helps you create a strategy for reaching energy or water reduction targets for your portfolio, sort through different conservations options, and make informed choices that demonstrate to decision-makers a concrete path to success.
Interested in taking a proactive approach to protecting indoor air quality (IAQ) while boosting energy efficiency in your multifamily building? This webinar will take you through the steps of getting started.
This 2020 Summit session spotlighted different pathways to maximize energy performance in new construction while overcoming typical challenges that affordable housing developers face.