I get asked a lot what are the top opportunities for efficiency retrofits. I never answer that question because there are always SO MANY opportunities for retrofit. Let’s face it, we are only limited by budgets and building codes as to what we can do in a retrofit. Do not get me wrong, I am not a jerk weasel; I do not leave them hanging for an answer. What I do is answer the real question they are asking, which is “what efficiency retrofit items have the best payback?” Or as I like to call it, what is the retrofit low hanging fruit? When you are looking at opportunities to save money, and potentially time, I recommend starting here:
- Replace all your MR16 halogens, including those in the apartment units, with LED’s. LEDs are so much less expensive than they were even just five years ago. Also, the halogens have a much shorter life span than the LED’s. So, if you are thinking that there is a split incentive on replacing these lamps in the unit, you are looking at it the wrong way. You will typically have to buy three halogens for one LED, so your purchasing costs will go down after the retrofit. Additionally, if your maintenance team is short staffed, this retrofit will substantially reduce the amount of time your team will spend replacing these lamps in the future. I once worked on a property with way too many of these lamps and there was essentially one team member that all he did all day was replace these bulbs. Additionally, from an energy savings perspective, consider that halogens emit a ton of heat. So, if your property is in a warm climate and you must use AC to condition your common area, the halogens will emit enough heat that they will put a noticeable load on your system. By replacing the halogens with LED’s, costs for cooling in the summer months will either go down, or your common areas and corridors will suddenly be more comfortable.
- Use sensors and timers in your common areas and back of house areas but be thoughtful about what device to use where. With respect to timers versus motion sensors, really think about what will be the most impactful, but use common sense. I once witnessed a property where motion sensors were installed in the dumpster rooms located under the trash chutes. Every time the trash flew down, the lights came on. So wasteful (no pun intended).
- Wrap your pipes and air conditioner lines with insulation, including those for residential units. I know, you are thinking split incentive, right? Nope. Blue Ridge presented a case study once where they demonstrated at a property that, by wrapping and insulating the lines of the AC systems for the units, they extended the life and reduced the repairs needed for those units. Additionally, it reduced the number of complaints about AC systems not cooling enough in hot weather. We all know that complaints are expensive at renewal time. The cost to wrap and insulate the lines was cheap compared to purchasing and turnover costs.
- Use solar pool heating. These systems are quite common and, even if you use natural gas and you only heat your pool in the summer, I have still seen less than a one-year payback on these systems without any incentives taken.
- Install low-flow aerators and shower heads. These are inexpensive, and in some cases free, including the installation. These devices have come a long way. Also, if your property has water pressure issues, you can improve water pressure with low flow devices. When you think about the amount of energy it takes to heat up the hot water and that the gas bill is not resident paid in every market, a reduction in consumption and expense of 10-15% easily covers the retrofit cost, if any. Pro tip: if you are looking for rebate programs for showerheads, look at both your water provider and your energy provider; either or both may be offering an incentive for these replacements.
So those are my lowest hanging fruit suggestions for the biggest bang for the buck efficiency retrofits. I know it sounds crazy, but many of us are sliding into our CAP EX planning season in preparation for budgeting. It is good to start thinking about what opportunities are out there to be picked.
