Chestnut Hill Realty (CHR) owns and operates more than 4,500 apartments and townhouses at 27 multifamily properties in Greater Boston and Rhode Island. For 40 years, CHR properties have been leaders in energy conservation for multi-family units. In 2005, CHR enhanced that commitment by establishing an Energy Task Force comprised of property managers, senior executives, and its director of maintenance. Since then, the Task Force has initiated no less than 40 energy and resource conservation projects involving 25 CHR properties. They include:
- replacing 89 aging boilers and 400 conventional water heaters with new high efficiency boilers and indirect water heating serving 789 townhouses at its flagship property, Hancock Village, in Brookline, MA.
- 15 projects involving conversion from oil to gas.
- additional insulation for more than 1,200 apartments and townhouses.
- digital mercury-free thermostats in all apartments.
Thanks to efficiency projects in the past eight years, CHR has achieved an 11 percent overall reduction in energy for both fuels and kWh. More than 425,000 therms of energy have been conserved by replacing older, inefficient equipment, installing new controls, tightening building envelopes, and changing resident behaviors.
From the beginning, National Grid has worked side-by-side with the CHR Task Force. Along with offering attractive funding incentives and professional expertise, National Grid co-funded an engineering study that identified opportunities for improved HVAC and water heating efficiency.
National Grid is continuing its partnership with CHR on several current projects, including incorporating Energy Star standards into the design of 75 new units, installing LED lighting in hallways and common areas of several complexes, and equipping more than 5,000 low flow toilets with a new technology that will reduce water consumption.
As if all this was not enough, CHR’s energy efficiency mission extends to its residents and its communities. CHR’s Living Green initiative includes educational programs, resident contests, and special events offered to more than 10,000 residents. And among countless community projects, Chief Operating Officer Robert Zuker spearheaded the creation of the Brookline (MA) Teen Center. A renovation of the center’s garage and parking area will achieve LEED status under his stewardship.
CHR already knows how cost-effective energy efficiency is. By promoting that message far beyond its properties, they exemplify the best of what a community can be.