Real-Time Energy Management (RTEM) systems continuously collect live and historical building performance data through a cloud-based system. Building owners can use this data to optimize the building’s energy consumption and show in real time how the property is performing. By reducing energy consumption, RTEM systems also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a building’s overall carbon footprint. This is particularly important to New York state property owners who, with the help of partners like Yardi, can qualify for incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a public benefit corporation that promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, when they install RTEM systems. Annette Durnack, regional director for Yardi Energy, explains how Yardi fits in with RTEM systems and NYSERDA. Q: What are the benefits of an RTEM system? Durnack: RTEM systems help building owners and operators manage energy consumption, so they can operate their buildings more efficiently and reduce energy consumption. They centralize energy usage tracking; monitor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; and manage the scheduling and operation of building equipment. They detect equipment faults, so they can be addressed before they become failures or impact tenant comfort. They also help track the effect of energy conservation measures. RTEM systems can help improve ENERGY STAR® scores and contribute to LEED certifications. In the state of New York, properties that install an RTEM system through qualified vendors such as Yardi may be eligible for significant incentive funding through NYSERDA. Q: What kinds of RTEM incentives does NYSERDA offer building owners? Durnack: The NYSERDA RTEM program provides up to $300,000 per electric utility account via a 30 percent cost-share for projects submitted by qualified RTEM vendors. NYSERDA provides funding for the installation of RTEM hardware as well as the provision of software and ongoing services. Additional funding may be available for projects that demonstrate the integration of multiple interoperable systems or include a commercial tenant in the project scope. Q: How can Yardi help building owners obtain these NYSERDA incentives? Durnack: Yardi is an approved vendor for NYSERDA’s RTEM program, giving building owners the option of employing the Yardi Pulse Suite to improve their building’s performance and to qualify for RTEM project funding. Yardi submits all required project documentation to NYSERDA in order to qualify and secure the incentive. Once approval is obtained, Yardi offers a turnkey solution for installing and servicing an RTEM system. Q: What benefits can building owners expect from the Yardi Pulse Suite? Durnack: Our Pulse Suite includes several energy management software solutions that can help reduce your energy costs and consumption. Most Yardi clients experience HVAC energy savings in the range of 10-15 percent. Yardi Utility Expense Management, for example, provides access to all energy cost and consumption data, enabling emission calculations and contributing to benchmarking for ENERGY STAR® reporting. Yardi Pulse Real-Time Metering delivers visibility into real-time demand and consumption that can be used change how a building operates. Yardi Pulse Active EE optimizes HVAC system performance by making incremental changes to set points every 30 seconds, which reduces consumption while maintaining tenant comfort. Yardi Pulse Fault Detection and Diagnostics helps prevent HVAC system equipment failures before they cost money or impact tenant comfort. We also offer emission calculations consulting, renewable energy credit purchasing, and energy procurement services. Our Yardi energy experts can help you select the right solutions that will best meet your needs. Click here for more information on NYSERDA’s RTEM program. Download a Yardi Pulse brochure for more information on energy management software...

Did you know that the average commercial building wastes 30% of the energy it consumes? Or that energy costs will rise as much as 60% in areas of the U.S. by 2028? It’s true, according to an analysis and calculation of Yardi consolidated property data. These facts should be red flags for property management companies without an energy strategy in place. Luckily, adopting an energy strategy is not as daunting as it may seem. In fact, taking incremental steps towards a comprehensive strategy can generate measurable savings in a matter of weeks with a relatively modest investment. Here are five reasons why an energy strategy is good business: Reduced costs Operating expenses such as utilities and maintenance are easy first targets for reduction through an energy strategy. By taking advantage of usage data and trends, property managers can quickly identify excessive usage, lower maintenance costs and identify benchmarks for energy consumption across a portfolio of properties. Increased value Assets that cost less to operate and generate higher rents quickly become more valuable. An energy strategy promotes both savings and revenue by reducing operating costs, reducing the need for rental concessions, making properties more marketable and, as a result, increasing potential net operating income. Efficient accounting The benefits of automating property management processes such as payment processing, procurement, vendor management, etc., are now viable for energy management. Gone are the days of a stack of paper utility bills waiting to be opened and paid. Automated utility expense management sends digital invoices to accounting staff and mines data from smart metering equipment to validate usage. With a relatively low upfront investment, property managers can reduce duplicate payments, avoid late fees and be confident that their utility spend is accurate. Happy tenants Doing business in a building that is LEED certified or meets ENERGY STAR® benchmarks can make a tenant feel proud, comfortable and socially responsible. They’re also less likely to call for maintenance with modern, energy efficient equipment servicing their building. That satisfaction reduces tenant turnover and increases competition for your space. Happy investors A successful energy strategy demonstrates to investors that your organization is proactively maximizing occupancy and revenue, and minimizing operating expenses. It’s also a great way to reassure investors that your properties are working to achieve local, state and federal government energy conservation goals, as well as boosting Environmental, Social and Governance scores for socially conscious investors. Need help getting started? Start with a focus on utility expense management as an approachable first step with low upfront investment required. From there, you may take bigger steps, such as energy intelligence at the property level with real time metering, ENERGY STAR benchmarking and prescriptive alerts for any property in your portfolio. The next level of investment is characterized by advanced energy automation in HVAC equipment, fault detection, diagnostics and demand management. No matter which level of strategy you take, the potential return on investment is tangible and may be evident as soon as your next utility invoice. Yardi Pulse clients have seen as much as 5% annual savings in energy costs with the first two incremental steps alone (utility expense management and energy intelligence). Annual energy savings of up to 15% or more are expected for properties that implement further energy automation measures. If you are a current Yardi Voyager user, contact our team for a complementary consultation. We’ll do an analysis to compare your costs with benchmarks. It’s a simple way to get an idea of the potential savings that an energy strategy can deliver to your...