We look to help association members with water efficiency, renewable energy sources, recycling programs, energy savings, reducing CO2 emissions, and establishing innovative ways to decrease the use pesticides and other chemicals.
Below are a few examples of how Merit community managers are creatively impacting the environment and the communities we serve.
- Restoring the irrigation and landscaping along with a recycling program saves $11,500 annually for a 248-unit condominium community in Murrieta.
- Upgrading 10 acres of landscape with drought tolerant plants and an improved irrigation system is saving approximately 6.8 million gallons of water per year, about 35% of their past usage, for a La Jolla townhome community.
- Obtaining donations from the San Diego Audubon Society led to a $22,000 rehabilitation of 1.4 acres and landscape enhancements for a 3,100 single-family home San Diego community.
- Active adults collected 1,500 pounds of used batteries in their Sacramento community.
In 2010, Merit initiated green education for their staff. We encouraged LEED certification, formed green committees and developed an educational e-newsletter for staff.
Throughout our ten regional offices, we incorporated a 'back-to-tap' program offering filtered water to employees to cut back on bottled water consumption and also implemented sustainable office cleaning products to reduce harmful toxins. In addition, our corporate office transitioned to daytime cleaning to conserve energy.
For more information on Merit's green efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, please contact Merit's sustainability expert Andy Larkin at alarkin@meritpm.com.
The future will bring more emphasis on green management improvements, systems and solutions – "green" will be the trend in 2012 and beyond. Consequently, we have been reviewing programs and companies that are best in class to reduce costs and waste. We seek simple, affordable tools that will make sense for both communities and individual homeowners. With the right tools, board members and residents can make informed, prudent decisions.
Through our research, we were introduced to ZeroCarbon Alliance (ZCA), an independent energy management company offering unique benefits for both board of directors overseeing an association's common areas and for residents interested in energy savings for their homes.
ZCA provides energy assessment audits for communities, various techniques to cut energy consumption throughout communities, homeowner kits offering ways to reduce energy consumption and opportunities to buy renewable energy credits from clean energy sources. The program allows clients the opportunity to audit their current energy, water and waste use and solutions for reductions, which ultimately may have an impact on association's operating expenses.
Merit is not a partner with ZeroCarbon, and does not receive any financial benefits. Our interest and recommendation is based on educating our clients about potential savings and green solutions.
More information on ZCA.