Individual Member

As told at the Spring 2017 VAEEC Meeting Member Round Robin.

With their client, Abacus Property Solutions won an Enterprise Grant to develop an energy strategy focused on their D.C. affordable housing portfolio. In Phase I of the grant, Abacus developed comprehensive recommendations on how to increase energy and water efficiency and identified ways to finance these upgrades using PACE, weatherization grants, solar incentives, and third party financing. In Phase II, they are implementing these recommendations, and are also training residents and staff on how to maintain savings through operational and behavioral changes. A problem Abacus faced was ensuring the property owner understood their energy and water consumption in order to reduce utility and operational costs, which would benefit both the landlord and tenants.

The implementation of these recommendations will result in lower costs, which can be used to support their tenant needs. Like with many projects of this type, there was a lack of data – common with growing companies that buy or retrofit existing buildings. This project points again to the value of tenant-level data to make the business case for energy efficiency. The ability to benchmark their building with aggregate tenant data is very important in efforts to improve the performance of their portfolio. The next step for Abacus is to open up these services to similar types of building owners in Virginia, where they can help low-income residents. Abby says the best way to move forward with these programs for VAEEC members is to evaluate early on the obstacles in obtaining good quality data – through software, knowledgeable maintenance staff, etc. This project points again to the value of tenant-level data to make the business case for energy efficiency. The ability to benchmark their building with aggregate tenant data is very important in efforts to improve the performance of their portfolio. The next step for Abacus is to open up these services to similar types of building owners in Virginia, where they can help low-income residents. Abby says the best way to move forward with these programs for VAEEC members is to evaluate early on the obstacles in obtaining good quality data – through software, knowledgeable maintenance staff, etc.