WaterWatch Corporation

Did you know that commercial properties can work towards achieving LEED certification by implementing submetering? The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) offers a rating system with nine categories that organizations must adhere to in order to gain certification. Organizations can achieve Water Efficiency and Energy and Atmosphere credits through utility submetering.

The Green Building Council explains that LEED Certification “provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures”.  An LEED certification can help to solidify a property owner’s commitment to environmental conservation, which is of great importance when considering the “go green” mentality of today’s society.

LEED certification also qualifies organizations for tax rebates and zoning allowances, in addition to the savings your property will experience by implementing utility submetering. Those interested in obtaining certification can visit the Green Building Council website for more information.

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Resident portals have become popular in recent years as a way to increase communication among renters in multi-family properties. They also serve as a convenient resource for residents living in submetered units to pay their utility bills online. Despite their popularity, certain types of resident portals still prove to be more successful than others. 

Multifamily Magazine explains that the number of resident portals has been multiplying rapidly due the sense of community they provide. In the multi-family setting, these portals serve as a destination for residents to pay rent, enter service requests, view lease documents, and check out community activities.

Resident portals for utility submetering companies should focus on both education and convenience. Utility submetering could be a foreign concept for resident’s that have never lived in a submetered unit or paid for their own utility usage. To ensure that residents are educated, WaterWatch Corporation includes frequently asked questions, conservation tips, and payment information on our resident website, in addition to online bill pay access.

According to ActiveBuilding.com the “extras” are what set resident portals apart from one another. While access to online bill pay is certainly a useful service, it shouldn’t be the only thing available for residents on their portal. It’s important that residents are aware of all of the customer support they have at their fingertips. Support could be as simple as a FAQs page on a utility submetering resident website, or a community activities page on a multi-family portal. These extra steps towards customer satisfaction are what help to create a respected and successful resident portal.

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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 24 commercial building projects have been selected to receive a total of $21 million in assistance to dramatically reduce their energy usage. The ultimate goal of this initiative, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is to achieve 30 percent measured energy savings in the existing buildings selected and 50 percent energy savings in new construction projects.

This initiative aims to connect commercial building owners with teams of researchers from the Department of Energy National Laboratories and additional green building experts.  The teams will collaborate to create low-energy building plans with the hope of inspiring commercial buildings across the United States to adopt energy efficient strategies.

While there is no doubt that these selected properties will significantly increase their energy efficiency, many other properties interested in becoming more energy efficient might not be prepared to fund such large scale projects. Utility submetering is an excellent option to consider if your organization is looking conserve energy while increasing your return on investment. Interested in learning more about how your property can benefit? Contact WaterWatch today.

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