Tips on Advocating for My Office Building Efficiency
Hi all,
I’m looking for input on talking to my office building’s owner/property manager about building efficiency & sustainability. I’ll give more context below, but mainly I’m looking for advice as a tenant on inspiring a property manager to move a few steps down the sustainability path.
Context:
- I live & work in Austin, Texas. Austin Energy (AE) customers can pay to opt into solar or wind sources (https://austinenergy.com/green-power). It also provides rebates for energy efficiency upgrades, including to commercial buildings (https://savings.austinenergy.com/en/commercial/offerings).
- I’m self-employed (no employees) and rent an office + common space in one suite in the building.
- The property manager works onsite. His family owns and manages this and other properties.
- The building is a standard commercial office space with (according to the property manager) minimal water usage.
- I’ve expressed curiosity in what efficiency/sustainability practices are already in place, and he responded that most lightbulbs are now LED, but he’s not sure what else is happening. His team decided not to set thermostats to save on power at night since it then takes the units double the normal time to cool the place down in the morning. I don’t understand this since it seems very easy to automate temps to save energy, but maybe I need more info. He’s offered to share with me the building efficiency report.
- I’m going to ask if he’s interested in opting into one of the green power programs. The extra costs would be passed onto tenants, so if he’s interested but needs buy-in, I’m open to talking to others in the building.
- I’ve also mentioned the AE rebates, but these seem more appropriate for someone who’s already making replacements and is motivated to pay more upfront for the green option.
I’m curious about what next steps could be, given that I’m not a building efficiency expert, and I’m not sure how high any changes are on the property manager’s priority list. Is there low-hanging fruit that you all see? Any other tips on how to keep this on his radar—or get it on the tenants’—while not expecting quick change? Thanks in advance!
@Kelsey Balaban
Kelsey,
I'm sorry I can't provide a larger response to this post or better answers. I can post a few resources that may be helpful to you. This is a worthy goal and will improve the efficiency and resiliency of the building.
SouthFace is a great resource to reach out to for contacts and resources on this subject. They have a presence along the Atlantic Coast.
Another resource closer to you is Positive Energy (they also have a podcast). Kristof Irwin is a treasure trove of information and experience. He and his office may be a resource for helping you improve the efficiency of you landlords portfolio.
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