Last month, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) made the results from the first year of the LEAN Multifamily Benchmarking Inventory available to the public.

It seems like not a day goes by without people in our office gathering around the proverbial water-cooler (which in our case is a non-proverbial foosball table) and discussing the Olympics. This got us thinking, and blogging, about how we could reward our customers for their energy and money savings, as if the savings themselves weren't reward enough. So we created the WegOlympics and combed through our database of almost 10,000 buildings to pick the winners. Our Opening Ceremony, in which we chronicled the brief history and meteoric rise of WegoWise through interpretive energy tracking, did not get as much media coverage as the boondoggle in London, but we are hoping that our Medal Ceremony can turn the tables in our favour. Based on a similar judging system as the Men's Gymnastics Floor Routine, we have hand-picked the winners of this year's 2012 WegOlympics. Here are your winners. You have made your country very proud.

With so many properties in need of energy efficiency upgrades, it's often difficult to decide where to start.  Energy efficiency program administrators have the additional burden of trying to decide which projects deserve funding.

WegoWise recently presented at the 10th Annual Cleantech Forum in San Francisco. We were honored to have been one of only twenty companies selected to present our technology and business model in front some of the most prominent investors and multinationals in the cleantech industry.

An energy audit is an examination of a building for energy efficiency improvement purposes. Through analysis of energy usage, building characteristics, weather data, and the typical usage of the building, an energy audit can recommend energy conservation measures.  The measures are assessed for their savings potential, as well as their ability to maintain or improve the quality of life within the building.

1. Report Maps U.S. Risks from Rising Seas in a Warming World
2. How to Retrofit Failing Suburban Big-Box Stores into a Green Showcase
3. US Navy Test Successful on Algal Derived Renewable Diesel Fuel
4. $3.4 Billion in Multifamily Property Energy Savings for the Taking
5. Freddie Refocuses on Preservation, Starts Green Refi Program

For many property owners wishing to make energy efficient upgrades to their buildings, the dream proves impossible due to a lack of upfront capital.  Even if they were able to secure a loan to pay for the upgrade, there would be no guarantee they’d be in their home long enough to see full payback and subsequent savings from the improvement.  This is where an emerging financing structure known as Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans enters the conversation.  These exploratory programs forge public-private partnerships that aim to spur investment in the energy efficiency of our built environment.

In an earlier posting, we showed how better building performance can significantly increase your property’s cash flow and value.  Today, we will discuss how the property’s improved cash flow profile can have further implications on its financing.