Charlotte, N.C. — The commitment is to reduce energy consumption, portfolio-wide, by a minimum of 20 percent through 2023.
Solar panels at The Grove Flagstaff.Charlotte, N.C. — Campus Crest Communities will be participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, an initiative that brings together corporations, universities and municipalities to make commitments to energy efficiency and waste reduction in their facilities. Campus Crest has committed to reduce energy consumption across its student housing portfolio by at least 20 percent over the next 10 years.
On Dec. 3, the DOE and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) expanded the Better Buildings Challenge to include the multifamily residential sector. This expansion is part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which was announced in June.
“The Better Buildings Challenge is a great way for us to participate on a national level with the U.S. Department of Energy and help lead a transformation in the multifamily industry towards greater energy efficiency,” says Ted Rollins, chairman and chief executive officer of Campus Crest Communities.
Campus Crest’s strategies to reach the goal include a portfolio-wide plan that introduces lighting improvements, water-efficient landscaping and indoor water efficiency, heating and cooling system upgrades, installation of energy-efficient appliances and equipping buildings for solar energy installations.
Similar goals are part of Campus Crest’s NEXT initiative, a business approach that aims for balancing economic success with social and environmental stewardship. Campus Crest partnered in 2012 with Colorado State University’s Institute for the Built Environment to incorporate energy efficient design and operations across its portfolio. The same year, the company partnered with SolarCity to install more than 9,000 solar panels on three of its student housing communities.