Friday, April 25, 2025

Energy

The economic benefits of recycling in apartment complexes

About four years ago, I was implementing a recycling program at a property in Nevada. As part of the program, I ran a resident engagement event to ensure everyone knew which bins were trash...
reuse textile waste

Keep them with stitches

I grew up in unincorporated Fresno, California (that is the part of Fresno, that Fresno does not want.) There were not a lot of extracurricular activities that were of interest to me, so I...
natural gas price uncertainty

Expect volatility as energy markets adjust to tariffs

We all know that energy cannot be created or destroyed. We also know that it can be expensive. My news feed this morning was filled with articles on the new reciprocal tariffs and the...
zoning can aid or hinder sustainability

Zoning sets the foundation for sustainability

Recently, ULI’s Lewis Center for Sustainability hosted a sustainability exchange session, titled: Reshaping the City: Zoning for Sustainability, Health, and Inclusion, in which Sara C. Bronin, author of “Key To The City” discussed how...
Mary Nitschke column on energy

Energy Is Sexy

When I was at Prometheus Real Estate Group, I used to have a bumper sticker outside my office door that said, “Energy is Sexy.” It was a slightly “blue” statement for a corporate office,...
Mary looks at sustainability program evaluations

Study and prepare to dominate the test

I am different from my family in many ways. To me the most striking difference is in our disparate aptitudes. If you conduct a quick internet search on Buzz Nitschke or Bear Nitschke you...

Digital ecosystems for modern apartment communities

A key component of having economically sustainable digital infrastructure in apartment buildings is investing in wiring, according to Dan Myers, the president and founder of Dojo Network. Myers shared his thoughts along with a panel...
inspect ducts to reduce energy loss

In 2024, resolve to reduce energy loss

We all start the year with resolutions or goals. Some of these goals may be carried over from the prior year. Some are new. “I am going to save money.” “I am going to...
Mary targets low-hanging fruit for efficiency retrofits

Finding the low-hanging fruit of efficiency retrofits

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...

Adapting to the changes

I could be a James Bond villain; I have a white cat. His name is Buddy, and he is a magnificent mouser. He is very well behaved except that Buddy hates car rides (admittedly...
Mary celebrates Earth Day with Richard Nixon

Remembering Earth Day

I know, when people think of U.S. presidents who made significant impacts on the environment, we think of Teddy Roosevelt and the founding of National Parks. We think of Jimmy Carter expanding the national...
sustainability training on conferences

A short guide to staying up-to-date

The first time I ever presented a case study purely on the economic value of sustainability was at the NWP Energy Summit in 2014. It was an amazing, nerve-wracking experience in which, prior to...
cutting energy costs by studying energy bills

My goodness, what is THAT?

We have talked these past few weeks about the building and really looking at it in ways that might not have crossed our minds before. However, the million-dollar question when it comes to cutting...
EV charging location matters

A matter of location

A recent article on Trellis said that automobile manufacturers are pulling back from electric vehicle production due to lags in sales compared with those of other types of automobiles. This raises the question for...
mary endorses satellite-controlled irrigation

As irrigation season arrives, adapt to the weather

As we cruise into summer, we anticipate it being warm, hot, or perhaps even stupid hot, depending on where you live in the country. Regardless, summer means that we tend to increase our irrigation...
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