On-site staff key to energy benchmarking project for property management company

Property management companies can reap significant savings by making their buildings more energy efficient, but it takes a coordinated effort to make a real difference.

Trinity Management, LLC, a manager of over 7,000 residential units in the Northeast, has focused on its on-site property managers as keys to its goal of cutting utility costs by 20%. The company aims to reduce energy consumption by educating its property owners on the value of monitoring utility consumption for irregularities and making strategic investments in energy-efficient upgrades.

Trinity hired a third-party benchmarking provider and trained property managers to monitor energy consumption. Training sessions for all of five of Trinity’s portfolio directors and most of the 40 property managers within its system were concentrated on how to monitor monthly utility consumption and costs.

In the ongoing program, Trinity’s executive staff meets bi-weekly with the consultant to discuss energy spikes, data integrity, and related issues. Individual property managers are informed of irregularities and given a deadline to provide context for what might be going on at their sites.

New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.