The Housing Company
At a Glance
Industry
Real Estate
Project Type
Data Analysis
Year
2017
Location
Boise, ID
Summary
Cory Hertog helped develop a benchmarking guide for The Housing Company.
Goals
The Housing Company, a developer and manager of multifamily affordable housing, had been awarded for its green design efforts and had recently built a LEED-Platinum certified apartment complex. Dedicated to green building and management practices, The Housing Company wanted a more comprehensive look at its properties' utility data, which would help them better monitor energy and water use, as well as set reduction goals. EDF Climate Corps fellow Cory Hertog was enlisted to help benchmark their properties.
Solutions
To collect utility use and cost data, Hertog worked with the 29 different utilities that provided electric, gas and water for the Housing Company’s properties. He input historic utility use and cost data for 34 of the properties managed by the company. He then trained employees in the software and created a process for continued benchmarking.
Hertog identified a number of preliminary energy and water use trends at different properties. From this data he made procedural and equipment suggestions to reduce utility consumption and costs. Looking further, he identified possible efficiency upgrade programs and incentives provided by local utilities and HUD. By the end of his fellowship, Hertog and The Housing Company staff developed an Idaho Affordable Housing Benchmarking Guide.
Potential Impact
With their properties benchmarked, and knowledge about efficiency programs and equipment, The Housing Company will now be able to set utility consumption reduction goals, implement efficiency projects and monitor their progress. Moving forward, both the company and the tenants they serve will see cost savings by reducing energy and water.
And, The Housing Company, in conjunction with The Idaho Affordable Housing Management Association, will share the knowledge gained from this project across the state and help other affordable housing organizations navigate the Idaho-specific processes for successful benchmarking efforts.