It’s been over a decade since the U.S. Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool has updated its dataset for scoring energy and water performance of multifamily assets—and Fannie Mae has launched a survey to address that. Now is the time for multifamily owners and operators to contribute to the updated data collection effort for the industry.
Fannie Mae assembled a team in 2012 that created the 1-100 Energy Star® Score for Multifamily and the EPA Water Score for Multifamily by surveying property owners on building characteristics including energy and water use. These scores have enabled multifamily building owners and managers to track and compare their energy and water use – a critical first step to planning for and implementing decarbonization strategies. As the adage says, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
Fannie Mae is once again surveying multifamily property owners in the US, and which will inform updated scores that better reflect the current (more sustainable) energy and water use landscape. Fannie Mae is collaborating with several organizations to promote the survey to multifamily owners. Alongside the Environmental Protection Agency, survey partners include Brightpower, Conservice, Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, Enterprise Community Partners, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Council of State Housing Agencies, National Multifamily Housing Council, NeighborWorks America, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, ULI, and WegoWise by Measurabl.
“Participating in the 2023 Multifamily Energy & Water Survey will support efficiency across our industry by ensuring a broad range of building types and locations are represented in the data,” said Karyn Sper, multifamily senior director of green, healthy housing, and duty to serve at Fannie Mae.
“ULI is pleased to support Fannie Mae in this effort to engage multifamily property owners in the United States to contribute data to the survey,” said Marta Schantz, co-executive director of the ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate. “These scores are a critical tool for multifamily owners and operators to benchmark and improve their performance as they work to achieve decarbonization goals.”
To participate in this survey, multifamily property managers, maintenance managers, or property engineers must provide both tenant and owner utility cost, consumption, and building characteristic information. The survey will close on June 30, 2023. For more information visit the 2023 Multifamily Energy and Water Survey webpage.
