Requiem for sustainability?
As a practitioner of sustainability in multifamily, sometimes I hear things that crack me up. My all-time favorite was an article about a town in North Carolina which moved to ban solar because it...
Winter is coming
It is that time of year again! I know that some individuals are focusing on politics this week. This is understandable, but it is important for us to also focus on a critical aspect...
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...
The perils of assuming
Assume is a hilarious word. It can make an “ass” of “u” and “me.” If you are using assumptions and not evidence in your decision making around sustainability, you could make some poor choices....
GRESB, like the tide, waits for no man
A friend of mine often uses the phrase “The tide raises all boats” when talking about sustainability. His beautiful focus is that we must work together to make any kind of achievement. That has...
Who’s afraid of the BPS?
I love that my neighborhood leans into Halloween. The witches, ghosts, and skeletons are filling the yards down our block. Some are animatronic/motion activated with limbs stiffly gesturing, saying phrases like, “I will be...
U.S. energy exports soar 50 years post-1973 oil embargo
It’s been just over 50 years since the 1973 Oil Embargo disrupted the nation’s energy supplies, sending energy prices soaring and creating long lines at gas pumps as drivers sought increasingly scarce gasoline.
In the...
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...
Learning humility through EV charging
I must admit openly, I have been spoiled by the simple payback of sustainability. With some energy efficiency upgrades having less than a three-month payback, I can make upgrading to granite look like a...
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...
Future-proof with level two
In 2013, the developer/operator that I worked for built our first project equipped with the ability to provide EV charging for our residents in Mountain View, California. For every unit, there was the ability...
Consider the value of reclaimed water
It is time we talked about reclamation and the value of the purple pipe in our modern world. Reclamation is not some hippie term involving open toed sandals, your aura, and hallucinogens. Rather reclaimed...
Shakespeare asks the question
As we approach Labor Day weekend, in addition to looking forward to BBQ, the pool and celebrating the people I adore, I will admit I am also very much looking forward to the cooler...
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...
Making things better with heat pumps
A dear friend of mine, Art Bailey Jr., whom we lost too young to a heart attack, was one of those individuals who could fix anything mechanical. When he was a boy and his...
