WAYS TO GO GREEN

Green communities conserve more, reduce waste, and improve water and air quality – all while reducing their carbon footprint.

By taking a few steps to go green, you could also reduce operating costs, optimize the buildings’ performance, and enhance asset value. 

Energy-Saving Improvements

• Installing a solar panel roofing system
• Upgrade windows and doors
  
• Install awnings above windows to cut down on heating and cooling costs
• Replace or upgrade the HVAC system
• Energy-efficient lighting 
  • Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use only a quarter of the electricity that traditional incandescent bulbs do
  • Replace any T12 bulbs (customarily found in laundry rooms and parking areas) with T8 bulbs, which use 29% less energy!
• Use ENERGY STAR products and rebates
  • Refrigerators – 20% reduction in energy use
  • Freezers – 20% reduction 
  • Washing machines – 37% reduction

Start a Recycling Program

By placing collection containers throughout your community and scheduling regular pick-ups, you could be doing your part to reduce your asset’s carbon footprint.  

If your community doesn’t already have a recycling program in place, you can start the process by calling the waste department of your local municipality for assistance.

Water-Saving Improvements 

The easiest way to assist in saving water is to install low-flow toilets and faucets and aerators in each of the units via the Fannie Mae Green Rewards program.  

Newer low-flow toilets use as little as 1.28 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to a standard toilet which uses 3.5 – 7 gallons per flush!  

Adivo does not recommend using a toilet that offers less than 1.28 gallons of water per flush for two reasons:

• Deferred repairs 
• Any less amount of water per flush would incur lower flush velocity, causing the probability of having to flush multiple times.

Schedule Electronics Pick-Ups

Certain electronics cannot be discarded in the trash – televisions, cell phones, and computers to name a few – because they are harmful to the environment.  

Schedule one day a month or every other month when residents can leave their discarded electronics in a designated location for pick-up.

Community Garden

A vegetable and/or herb garden promotes resident interaction as well as fresh fruit and vegetables for those that partake in the upkeep of the garden.  

Planting more trees, aside from giving off oxygen that we need to breathe, also helps to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff.   Trees absorb pollutant gases such as nitrogen oxide, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide to name a few.

Car Charging Stations

Hybrid and electric cars are in high demand.  Offering car charging stations creates an eco-conscious environment and service.  

Installing these special stations may also mean tax advantages in the form of a tax credit!

Ways to Go Green

Above are just some of the ways you can transform your community into a green place to live for your residents!