Save Some Green with Green Condo Initiatives
Maybe it’s the novel of flipping over the calendar to a new decade rather than just a new year, or the notion that we’re finally living within the “’20s” – such a great ring to it! – but it really feels like we’re living in the future – or at least the near future.
With great futuristic power, though, comes great futuristic responsibility, which is why we’re taking a moment in today’s blog to talk about the one thing that’s constantly teetering on the edge of everyone’s minds lately: living green. Don’t worry, this isn’t about to turn into another long-winded lecture about how we need to change the way we live to combat some sort of climate disaster we might be headed toward (although we really should because we sort of are). Rather, we’re talking about sustainable condominiums, and how taking the time to live a little more environmentally friendly could save your board a little green (see what we did there?) when it comes time to pay those monthly bills. Saving the planet while saving some cash? Sounds like a win-win to us – let’s dive in.
Shining an LED Light on Green Condo Living
It used to be that the government bent over backward and showered you in cheques, rebates, tax breaks, and Alberta condo initiatives for investing in green living alternatives. Things are a bit different today, though, and while there are still a few government-sponsored incentives for making the switch, most of the savings you’ll experience by going green will come in the form of smaller numbers on your utility bill at the end of each month. That said, a penny saved is a penny earned, so let’s talk about one of the easiest ways to start saving those now-defunct pennies: with your lighting.
Making the swap from power-hungry incandescent lighting to their more-efficient LED counterparts is one of the easiest ways to start trending your building toward greener living. Keep in mind, though, that while you’ll be saving some cash going this route, there is an initial investment to consider in swapping those bulbs out. While the savings are noticeable, they’re often not as astronomical as people sometimes expect them to be.
There are additional steps you can take while we’re on the subject of lighting to amplify those cost benefits, though, and the obvious low-hanging fruit here is lighting that’s on 24/7. Now, we definitely understand the need to have areas of a condo building that feature lighting without the need to stumble around a dark room to find the switch (imagine having to sort out where the lobby light switch is when you get back home at 3 am after a night out!), but there are certainly alternatives to simply having a big room lit up like a Christmas tree at all hours of the day and night. Consider alternatives such as motion sensors or auto-dimming lights in these sorts of spaces until you find a solution that makes sense, and make it happen. Your condo community’s collective wallet will thank you.
Technology-driven Green Living
Swapping over to LED lights isn’t the only thing you can do to start living green. There are all sorts of different technologies and innovations available to put your building on the path towards environmental friendliness – including some that Catalyst has collaborated with Calgary’s own BiLD technology firm to bring to your building, should you decide to make it happen.
Take BiLD’s unique smart-building sensor networks, for example. By using state-of-the-art sensor arrays integrated into crucial mechanical components within your condo building, Bild is able to monitor your building’s health and compare it to other, similar ones out in the world, identifying opportunities for efficiency and pre-emptive maintenance to keep things running clean, lean, and green.
Catalyst also maintains a strong, ongoing relationship with Natural Energy Generation, a Canadian solar panel provider, and installer that provides Catalyst partners with free solar panel installation, monitoring, and maintenance, allowing your condo to reap the rewards of solar power with minimal fuss or muss involved. If that’s not putting power in the hands of the people, we don’t know what is.
Get Started Getting Green Today
These are just a few examples of the simplest, most obvious transitions toward greener living. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to just how small you want to reduce your building’s environmental footprint, and while you do eventually start encountering some diminishing returns the deeper in that you go, there’s definitely a sweet spot where you’ll find that you’re saving green while living green all at once.
Looking for more advice on how to embrace the future and start living green today? Keen to learn a bit more about solar power or our unique partnership with Bild? Reach out Condo Management Companies to talk more about environmentally friendly living and what makes the most sense for your condo building’s unique needs. We won’t leaf you hanging!