November 2009 Newsletter
Renewing Commitments to Renewables
By now we’ve all come to recognize the importance of maximizing our resources at every level. Increasingly, the challenge is less deciding what needs to be done than in finding ways to make what we have work within the confines of sanitary needs, environment, governmental regulations, and cash flow projections.
With an eye towards a green world and green bank accounts, we at Sunrise have developed a four-stage approach to mitigating damage to the earth and a property’s bottom line.
Stage I - Do the simple stuff. Okay, it’s a cliché, but there really is a lot of low-hanging fruit waiting to be picked when it comes to making the most of renewable resources at the property ownership and management levels. Some of the things we look to take advantage of at the outset include:
Providing green assessments for every property with an eye towards lowering that community’s carbon footprint.
Arranging a property review by the local utility company. Typically free of charge, these assessments help everyone involved to understand the benefits of replacing windows, keeping air filters clean, and setting thermostats in common areas at temperatures that are comfortable without straining the system.
Implementing utility company recommendations. Sunrise team members quickly adapt to utility company recommendations. Our goal is to have changes begin appearing within 48 hours of receipt of the report.
Common areas benefit from more than just air conditioner settings. Sunrise professionals are on-site to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs, install motion detectors to minimize unnecessary energy use, adjust timers when clocks move forward or back, and similar - but oftentimes overlooked - opportunities for huge savings.
Install low-flow faucets and toilets in every unit and public area at the earliest-possible replacement date. Another item usually overlooked, this simple change complies both with the letter and the spirit of new laws and regulations AND saves property owners significant sums of money every month.
Tracking results. We’re continually amazed at how many properties neglect to track their results from changes they’ve made to their properties. Our years of utilizing state-of-the-art software ensures we catch issues before they become problems and that owners never miss opportunities to save money.
Stage II - Stretching the comfort zone. Sunrise Management was going green before it was chic, and our years of experience show at every property we manage.
We maximize water conservation methods throughout every building.
We manage water usage through smart controllers, drip systems, and bubbler heads in landscape irrigation systems.
We encourage use of gray water for foliage irrigation in all common areas.
Stage III - Recognizing that tomorrow has arrived. At Sunrise we see our job as being an owner’s eyes and ears. Part of that includes tracking the viability and cost-effectiveness of new technologies. That’s why we seek out tax credits to make it economically feasible to incorporate a range of photovoltaic (i.e. solar) applications at every property wherever possible.
By adding Sunrise’s ability to track results at every level, with our decades of experience and strong relationships with governmental agencies and utilities throughout the region ensures every property we manage quickly benefits from a range of financial incentive programs periodically offered by water, power and rubbish removal authorities.
Stage IV - Educating residents. Finally, Sunrise’s front-line personnel help educate residents in ways to “green” their apartments and practice low-impact living in an effort to minimize their own carbon footprint by:
Recycling and composting
Using compact fluorescent bulbs in their own homes
Green housekeeping
Minimizing water usage
Sunrise has spent 30 years as the industry’s progressive action leader. Day in, day out, our goal is to find ways to do the most good for the most people. And by using these initiatives as a starting point, just imagine how much better our team can make your property.
Contact Tina West at 858-751-1767 to get started now.
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