Southern Connecticut BOMA president's message

Jodi Gutierrez, George Comfort & Sons

By Jodi Gutierrez

High Ridge Park Corporate Center in Stamford recently announced that Buildings 3 and 5 earned the Energy Star designation. According to Energy Star's Commercial & Industrial Branch, the Energy Star is the mark of superior energy performance and identifies the two buildings amongst the most efficient buildings in the nation.

Energy efficiency can be achieved and doesn't necessarily require significant capital expenditures to make a big difference in your operating expenses. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that our industry can reduce energy usage by up to 30% by simply improving building operating standards. If a 1 million s/f portfolio can reduce its energy consumption by just 10% it could mean a potential $2.5 million on asset increase.

Some easy no cost ways to save include:

1. Check equipment and controls to make sure that they are functioning as designed. A correction on EMS software programming could offer a nice return.

2. Calibrate thermostats to ensure that the settings equal the actual space temperature.

3. Keep windows and skylights clean to allow more natural daylight to illuminate work areas.

4. Evaluate after hours usage by speaking to tenants to learn if they are actually coming in on the weekends. Adjust building operating hours to reflect actual tenant usage.

5. Check to make sure that cleaning crews are turning off lights before they leave.

6. Encourage tenants to use Energy Star equipment and power down at the end of the day.

7. Use company newsletters and building announcements to share cost saving tips.

Benchmarking with EPA's energy performance rating system is also very helpful in that it allows users to assess building energy performance and track savings over time. The rating can be used to compare performance across multiple buildings, allowing users to target resources where they will be best spent. Go to www.energystar.gov to learn more about this useful program.

The First Annual Softball Challenge between Southern CT BOMA and Greater Hartford BOMA resulted in a close win by Hartford. It was a fun way to network and meet with our other Connecticut BOMA colleagues.

On September 2nd, the third annual fishing tournament will be held with a portion of the proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Following the tournament will be the summer social clambake at Stamford Harbor Park. Visit the website at www.soctboma.org for additional information about this and other upcoming events and this great organization.

Jodi Gutierrez is the president of Southern Connecticut Building, Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) and is a VP of property management at George Comfort & Sons, Inc., Stamford, Conn.