HOUSTON-In recent weeks, the US Department of Energy has recognized Transwestern for its leadership in the first year of the Better Buildings Challenge. And according to Dorothy Schwarz, vice president of Transwestern sustainability services, reaching out to tenants is an imperative when it comes to implementing and maintaining a building's sustainability efforts.

In fact, she tells GlobeSt.com, tenants are, for the most part, interested in receiving feedback on building operations. "Seeing as investments in a building are coming from their dollars as tenants, they want to know that the investment is paying off," Schwarz notes.

Incorporating tenant feedback is an important part of the Transwestern sustainability model presented at the Better Buildings Alliance Efficiency Forum in May. Schwarz notes that how tenants use a building is an important indicator as to how well sustainability efforts will work. If, for example, tenants leave lights or equipment on in the evening hours, they can be instructed to make sure everything is turned off before an office is vacated.

"We're doing more education with tenants, so they understand how buildings operate," she explains. "They don't always have an idea of how things operate, but after we educate them, they have a better understanding as to why certain decisions are made by a building's management."

Other tenant-based programs include encouraging recycling; Schwarz says recycling activities on the tenants' part can reduce the amount of garbage going into the landfills. "Each of them has a part to play in how buildings operate," she notes. "Little changes on their part can provide a larger result for the whole building."

Instant Insights /

Tenants are Vital to Sustainability Efforts

Related Stories

Recommended For You