Utility Tracking and Benchmarking Blog | WegoBlog

This has been a tragic week for the Boston area. We would like to send our support to all of our readers and customers who live in the area. When we wrote this blog post, we were excited for the marathon; many of our team members went there to cheer people on. Fortunately, none of them were injured. Despite the unpleasant and dramatic events outside our doors, we're determined to continue doing the work we love.

I’ll admit it, I am a recovering financial engineer.  I grew up around high finance, went to Wharton, and believed that financial structures could unlock the potential of energy efficiency.  In one sector of the market, it has worked. 

At WegoWise, quality comes first. We have heated debates over building characteristics, spend hours scrutinizing utility bills to make sure we're pulling every possible detail, and never create a benchmark with fewer than twenty buildings. 

Imagine you walked into a retail clothing store at a shopping mall. There are no articles of clothing in sight, only a table in the middle with a few experts seated around it. You sit down and discuss your needs. After a few minutes, the experts arrive at the perfect solution for you - a pair of denim jeans that is simultaneously comfortable and attractive. And the price is more than compensated by the additional coolness and enjoyment this pair of jeans will introduce into your life. You fork over the money and walk out of the store, thrilled with your new purchase. 

Last week, I had my first energy audit experience for my apartment in Cambridge. As an employee of WegoWise, a company focused on helping property managers improve energy efficiency in buildings across the country, I’ve often wondered how I can improve my own apartment aside from my personal energy saving habits. My auditor friend informed me of a free energy audit opportunity called Mass Save for NStar customers. I took her up on the offer and here is how it went:

Whether you're networking over some Green Drinks or schmoozing with your in-laws, you're going to need something to talk about this weekend, and WegoWise has got you covered.  For our new talking points series we're combing the internet to give you a primer on the latest energy, sustainability, and technological trends so that you can burn off a Friday afternoon, recharge your list of talking points, and go into your weekend with a fresh take on familiar conversations.

In 2009, multifamily residents spent $22 billion in energy utilities, amounting to roughly 10% of the total residential spending on utilities. If you think that’s a significant chunk of cash, by 2025, spending on utilities in the multifamily sector is predicted to increase an additional $15.9 billion.  This increase represents a significant opportunity to use our utility resources to improve the energy efficiency of multifamily homes, which tend to receive the short end of the stick when it comes to utility funded energy efficiency programs.  Last week, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) published a report, “Scaling up Multifamily Energy Efficiency Programs: A Metropolitan Area Assessment,” with all the information your heart could possibly desire about multifamily energy efficiency programs.  Didn’t have time to read the report yet? We’ll break it down for you.