In Step with Sustainability (JPM)

Bentall LP Applies State-of-the-Art Technology and Best Practices to Green Properties in Canada

by Cheryl A. Gray, CPM®

The following is an excerpt from the May/Jun 2010 issue (Volume 75, Number 3) of JPM^®, Journal of Property Management.

Sustainable property management is currently at the forefront of industry thinking in Canada. The move toward more energy-efficient buildings has presented my organization, Bentall LP, with an opportunity to not only reduce energy costs, but to evaluate the very criteria by which we measure the value of an asset. This progression represents a natural evolution in responsible property investing (RPI).

As a real estate advisory and services organization, we view the tenets of RPI as a framework to assess risks, identify opportunities, deploy continuous improvement thinking into our practices and operations, and create long-term value for our clients and their assets. This view, along with the many questions we receive from clients, tenants and colleagues, such as, “How do you measure sustainability?” and “What is sustainability worth in dollars, in energy, in preservation of the asset and in reputation?” have continually shaped our green efforts since we began evaluating properties in 2006.

ESTABLISHING A BASELINE
In order to answer the questions above, we had to prove that lower utility costs realized through energy-efficient programs, tools and technology, operational best practices and social responsibility initiatives, offer a competitive leasing advantage.

We started this process by using Eco-Tracker, our online tracking system for streamlining our assessment, measurement and reporting practices. Through this technology we are able to get real-time views of energy performance at properties. Eco-Tracker analyzes and compares the performance of our properties with other buildings, and benchmarks against performance averages over multiple years. Reporting can be consolidated at regional, portfolio and client levels.

The full article is available as an online exclusive in the May/Jun 2010 issue of JPM^®, Journal of Property Management.

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