Even a well-designed building can underperform if its systems are not properly maintained or if occupants do not use them as intended. Thus, high-performance buildings share a key factor for success: tenants and landlords working collaboratively to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency.
Landlords need to address various factors affecting the building’s carbon footprint, including design, core systems, management practices, and maintenance, as well as tenant fit-outs and occupant behaviors. Tenants can also play a significant role in decarbonization through energy reduction, sustainable practices, engaging with landlords, and supporting sustainability policies.
At Stok, we lead clients to decarbonize now and are here to guide organizations through effective tenant engagement strategies that aim to transform the way we operate the built environment and mitigate negative impacts. This two-part guide to tenant engagement outlines key strategies for owners: Part 1 focuses on building-centric approaches, while Part 2 delves into people-centric engagement methods. Let’s dive in!
#1: SHARE DATA BETWEEN TENANTS AND LANDLORDS USING ENERGY STAR PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Many building owners are already leveraging ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) to benchmark their buildings’ energy use and prioritize energy and carbon reduction strategies. When landlords communicate this information to building tenants, it helps start the conversation, build trust, and create collaboration opportunities.
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager allows tenants to benchmark their space within their landlord’s property profile, as well as share their tenant space record and data with their landlord. By sharing this information, both tenants and landlords can gain a better understanding of the collaboration needed to reduce energy consumption as well as the associated costs. The ENERGY STAR Tenant Space Program is an EPA recognition for sustainability efforts in leased office spaces.
Tenants can earn recognition from the EPA based on the following criteria:
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- Meter the energy they are responsible for in the building. Submeters are a critical part of measuring energy use so it can be managed properly.
- Not exceed a lighting energy use target to qualify for recognition, utilizing the ENERGY STAR Tenant Space tool to calculate lighting energy use.
- Provide an energy efficient equipment procurement policy.
- If requested, share data with the landlord. It is best practice to begin landlord/tenant data sharing communications upon occupancy. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager has a portal for sharing data.
#2: CONDUCT A WHOLE-BUILDING ENERGY AUDIT
An energy audit aims to identify where, when, why, and how energy is used within a facility, and to uncover opportunities for enhancing efficiency. While the energy auditor spearheads the audit process, they collaborate closely with building owners, staff, tenants, and other key stakeholders to ensure accurate data collection and the relevance of energy efficiency recommendations.
Once the audit is complete, it is beneficial for the landlord and tenants to review the findings together and develop an action plan. This could involve landlords handling building-wide upgrades and tenants making improvements within their spaces. Consider financial incentives, cost-sharing agreements, or green lease provisions to facilitate decarbonization investments.
#3: PILOT SMART TECHNOLOGIES
To continuously understand and improve how high-performance buildings are operating, it is critical to include or have access to submetering and equipment monitoring data. Submetering is especially important if tenant usage is not separately metered from the landlord. Cost effective smart meters coupled with cloud-based software can provide easy access to energy and water data at the tenant and end-use level. At the equipment level, there are many sensor and software systems available to building owners who want to deeply understand how the building is operating in real time, including gathering occupancy data, indoor air quality, and room usage.
Smart technologies facilitate comprehensive monitoring by integrating data from various building systems, enabling landlords to pinpoint inefficiencies and optimize performance. This granular level of insight allows for more informed decision-making and fosters collaboration with tenants, who can also leverage this data to adapt their usage patterns, contributing to enhanced energy efficiency and overall performance of the building.
Effective building-focused tenant engagement strategies, such as sharing data through platforms like ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and conducting whole-building energy audits, help bridge gaps and align goals between landlords and tenants.
Check out Part 2: People-Focused Tenant Engagement Strategies, where we explore people-focused methods to engage and inspire tenants to actively participate in sustainability initiatives. Reach out to our team to discuss how to decarbonize now by collaborating with your tenants.
