CHICAGO - (April 9, 2019) – IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management) is proud to announce that it received the 2019 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award for energy efficiency programs that feature ENERGY STAR tools and resources.
The highest honor among ENERGY STAR Awards is the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award. Awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Sustained Excellence Award is presented to organizations that have already received ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years, which IREM achieved last year.
IREM’s accomplishments will be recognized by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 11, 2019.
To earn the 2019 award, IREM advanced the following initiatives:
- Created a new training certificate program. This pilot training initiative targets property managers in utility energy efficiency programs with IREM education to facilitate better building energy efficiency outcomes, as measured in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®. Portfolio Manager is an online tool that measures and tracks energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
- Developed new medical office and senior housing requirements for the IREM Certified Sustainable Property (CSP) certification program. CSP certification integrates ENERGY STAR tools and resources and recognizes properties for resource efficiency. The unique nature of medical office buildings and senior housing communities required this enhancement to the program.
- Concluded research on the effect of green certifications on the financial performance of multifamily communities. This IREM-sponsored research concluded that certifications like ENERGY STAR can positively impact the financial performance of these properties.
- Expanded the IREM Energy Efficiency Survey to gain insight on energy management in the Class B/C office sector. IREM sought insights into energy management practices and perceptions among managers of Class B/C real estate portfolios. Survey results can further the EPA’s efforts to expand use of ENERGY STAR tools and resources in that sector.
“Whenever someone asks me, “What is one of the first steps in establishing an energy management program?” I always say benchmarking with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager,” says Angela Aeschliman, CPM and IREM Sustainability Advisory Board Chair. “ENERGY STAR tools and resources are foundational to efficiency in operations and vitally important to the real estate management industry.”
“IREM believes that energy efficiency through ENERGY STAR is quality real estate management,” adds Denise LeDuc-Froemming, IREM chief executive officer and executive vice president. “We strongly encourage use of ENERGY STAR tools and resources to manage expenses and resource consumption at investment real estate properties, and the ENERGY STAR awards help us get that message across to our members and the industry.”
For a complete list of 2019 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.
About IREM
For over 85 years, our members have made us the world’s strongest voice for all things real estate management. Almost 20,000 leaders in commercial and residential management call this home for education, support and networking. Our CPM, ARM, ACoM and AMO credentials are internationally recognized symbols of ethical leadership and a well-managed property. And our tools deliver decades of on-the-job know-how to help members get even better at what they do. Put simply – IREM and its members are here to elevate the profession. If you know real estate management, come get to know us. www.irem.org
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500® - rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped save American families and businesses nearly 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and achieve over 3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. In 2017 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans avoid $30 billion in energy costs. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at: energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.