Energy and water consumption represent some of the largest operating costs in multifamily properties, estimated at $22 billion per year in the US. The newly released Energy and Water Savings in Multifamily Retrofits report provides a detailed analysis of 236 multifamily properties that underwent energy and water retrofit projects from 2009 to 2012. The report includes results for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Green Retrofit Program and the Energy Savers Program in Illinois and finds that there were significant energy savings and cost reductions for participating properties.
This is the first study to examine a large and diverse national data set containing pre- and post-retrofit utility data for both owner- and tenant-paid energy and water accounts. In addition to the findings themselves, the challenges faced in performing this research provide useful insights for others seeking to understand and execute energy and water retrofits in multifamily properties.
The report found that the Green Retrofit Program (GRP), implemented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, reduced building energy consumption by 18%, and reduced water consumption by 26%. Energy Savers, a project of Elevate Energy and the Community Investment Corporation that targets heating systems in multifamily properties in the Chicago area, reduced gas consumption an average of 26%.

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