FirstService Residential has issued Energy Report Cards to more than 400 multifamily properties in its New York City management portfolio. Spearheaded by FirstService Energy, the company’s energy management subsidiary, the report cards have been produced annually for the last seven years to show clients how much energy their buildings are consuming, as well as the possibilities they have to improve their energy performance.
 
“History has shown that the more informed our clients are about their building’s environmental impact, the more empowered they are to improve it,” says Dan Wurtzel, president, FirstService Residential. “By providing our clients with an Energy Report Card each year, we are giving them the tools to make decisions about the strategies they should initiate in their buildings, with the goal of becoming more energy efficient while reducing operating costs.” 
 
Provided as a no-cost, value-added benefit to FirstService Residential clients, Energy Report Cards benchmark a building’s historic energy use and costs against similar buildings. They also chart a building’s carbon emissions and calculate potential annual savings from prospective efficiency measures.
 
After considering all practical efficiency opportunities, FirstService Energy’s experts develop a customized energy management strategy for each property. Solutions range from no- and low-cost initiatives such as lighting upgrades, electric submetering and installation of building management systems, to larger projects such as heating and cooling system upgrades and installation of cogeneration systems.
 
“The reduction of expenses and increase in property value provide buildings with both immediate and long-term savings,” says Tal Eyal, president, FirstService Energy. “A reduction of carbon emissions also leads to a healthier living environment for residents, as well as the surrounding community.”
 
Energy Report Cards were developed using FirstService Energy’s proprietary benchmarking database which comprises over seven years’ worth of historical energy usage, cost and typology information. A key aspect of the Report Card is the Building Energy Rating Guide (BERG), a zero to 10score that gauges a building’s efficiency compared to similar properties. A lower score indicates more opportunities for improvement.
 
FirstService Residential is committed to providing solutions for its clients that reduce operating expenses, maximize property values and provide an exceptional quality of life for residents. Since forming FirstService Energy in 2010, FirstService Residential has helped its clients save tens of millions of dollars in energy costs, while dramatically reducing carbon output.
 
Aug 16, 2017