Boston, MA The Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE) was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as the first multifamily housing partner to achieve their energy saving goals at the Better Buildings Summit. The award, presented by Maria Vargas, director of the better buildings challenge, U.S. DOE, recognizes organizations dedicated to improving energy efficiency in their buildings portfolio-wide by 20 percent over ten years. Working with WegoWise, the largest software-as-a-service (SaaS) energy and water benchmarking and building analytics company, the JCHE achieved a utility savings of 24% and $167,500 between its Golda Meir and Ulin Houses. The JCHE’s chairman of the board, Bernard Kaplan, accepted the honor on behalf of the entire team at the non-profit senior living organization.
“We’re committed to finding opportunities to save environmental and financial resources wherever we can,” said Kaplan. “Capturing data on WegoWise’s dashboard has allowed us to identify areas with the greatest potential for improvement. That tracking has helped guide our renovation and building retrofit choices.”
“Hundreds of organizations, representing more than 4.4 billion square feet of real estate, have committed to the Better Buildings Challenge,” said Laila Partridge, WegoWise’s CEO. “JCHE has demonstrated that by working together, these firms can have a real and lasting impact on energy use in our country.”
The Better Buildings Summit allows stakeholders to exchange ideas to make buildings more environmentally and socially sustainable. Leaders in both the public and private sectors gather to discuss how to make the nation’s homes, and commercial buildings, and industrial spaces more energy efficient.
For 50 years JCHE has been a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of award-winning senior housing. They provide seniors of all backgrounds with exceptional housing where they can live safely and independently. Their communities, located in Eastern Massachusetts, provide a dynamic and caring environment that offers opportunities for successful aging.
JCHE enables aging in communities of engagement, connection and purpose by: providing superior housing that is broadly affordable; continually evolving support services to meet the needs of a diverse population as they age; building connections and community within its walls and its surrounding neighborhoods; and promoting aging in community as a first choice.
WegoWise is the nation’s leading energy and water benchmarking, building analytics, and sustainability reporting company. The company transforms the way multifamily housing and commercial buildings are increasing operating income and asset value through utility savings. WegoWise’s software-as-a-service platform helps real estate managers achieve environmental, economic, and social sustainability with a return-on-investment in months.