Taking your HOA to a place of energy efficiency doesn’t have to mean accepting a different standard of living. With today’s technological advances, becoming energy efficient can be as simple as switching out light bulbs or practicing strategic landscaping. Going green not only saves your community money, it can also increase desirability for buyers committed to green living. While some may fear the amount of work required to go green, here are four simple and easy things your community can change right now.

1. Measure

Before doing anything else, first measure your current energy usage. Just like a financial budget, you need to know where you are overspending energy-wise before you can make any changes.

2. Eliminate obvious waste

This can include putting lights on timers or motion sensors, and using a programmable, wifi enabled thermostat that you can control remotely to adjust the temperature when the space isn’t in use.

3. Buy energy efficient products

This can be as simple as buying LED bulbs to purchasing Energy Star appliances. This is a good time to remember your water heater. Not only will an Energy Star water heater save you money, but The United States Department of Energy estimates a 3-5% savings for every 10ÂşF reduction in water temperature. And the savings doesn’t stop there – check to see if your power company has a savings rebate just for buying energy star products.

4. Use your landscaping strategically

One of the best ways to save energy is to take advantage of shade trees to keep homes cool in the summer, and trees/shrubs to act as a wind break and reduce wintertime drafts. Depending on your community, you may also want to consider a rainwater collection system to reduce water costs during hot summer months.

Related: About HOA Executive Sessions

So there you have it! Four simple things your HOA board can do to better manage your community’s energy efficiency. Obviously there are other ways, you can try including solar power and green construction materials, but these four tips are low risk and high reward when it comes to going green. We’ve seen associations get creative, and we’d love to share the best ideas we’ve seen for community energy efficiency with you. Just give us a call at Spectrum!