Thinking Green: WMI’s Focus on Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
Happy Earth Day!
This year’s Earth Day focuses on the theme “Our Power, Our Planet” and calls for a global movement to embrace renewable energy. Wellington Management has been focused on sustainability across our portfolio for years, and we are happy to embrace this during Earth Day’s 55-year anniversary.
22 buildings in our portfolio are energy benchmarked, which means the efficiency of the gas, electric, and water services are monitored. The system tracks usage trends and notifies us when a major problem is flagged so we can address it and ensure the affected system is remaining functional and sustainable. Benchmarking allows these properties to save energy while also saving our tenants money.
In addition to the years of benchmarking we’ve done, we also take small steps across the portfolio to upgrade older buildings to more eco-efficient systems. These upgrades include implementing LED lights and installing new energy-efficient HVAC systems. WMI has utilized MinnPACE loans to help make some of these upgrades a reality. MinnPACE loans through the St. Paul Port Authority eliminate upfront costs and provide low-cost, long-term financing to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades. Several of our properties have utilized this financing, including the historic Atrium, Bandana Square, and Drake buildings; Burnsville Medical Building; Roseville Office Plaza; Riverview Business Plaza; Energy Park Financial; and the Greenway Office Building, among others.
Wellington Management purchased Greenway Office Plaza (formerly the Green Institute) in 2011. Greenway works toward sustainability with and 80kW solar array, geothermal power, and native prairie grasses for stormwater retention. Also featured at Greenway Office Plaza is a rooftop apiary, managed by The Beez Kneez, located in the rooftop garden. Take a tour of the rooftop here! You can read more about the Greenway Office Plaza’s sustainability initiatives here: Finance & Commerce and Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT).
Our newest development, Rivkin Apartments, also features several sustainability initiatives including rooftop solar array, electric vehicle charging stations, and a stormwater re-use system wherein water can be stored and used for on-site irrigation. This building meets Energy Star and Green Communities requirements.
We look forward to continuing to implement new energy-efficient upgrades in our older buildings and utilizing innovative new sustainability solutions at our new developments. Happy Earth Day!