Daro Realty Launches Sustainability Initiatives For Its Nine Residential Buildings

NEWS

Will Reduce Energy Consumption By 11% and Save Over 7 Million Gallons of Water Annually

WASHINGTON, D.C. — November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Daro Realty LLC, one of DC’s oldest and most revered residential brands with nine buildings and 700 rental apartments under management, announced today a suite of measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its operations while enhancing resident comfort. The efficiency upgrades were initiated as part of Daro’s sustainability program and are designed to reduce the consumption of natural resources, minimize waste, and create healthier living environments.

Earlier this year, Daro engaged Bright Power, the leading energy and water management partner for multifamily buildings, to complete an energy and water audit to identify opportunities to reduce Daro’s energy and water consumption, determine an actionable scope of work to achieve these reductions and mitigate the buildings’ overall environmental impact. With Bright Power’s completed audit and recommendations, Daro began to implement measures to effectively manage energy and water consumption, which include new energy-efficient lighting systems, new hot water heating systems and controls, low flow water conserving plumbing fixtures, pipe insulation, as well as the use of Green Seal® certified chemical free, eco-friendly cleaning products.

In total, seven individual measures will be installed across Daro’s nine properties, and will result in a 27% reduction of water consumption or 7.3mm gallons annually. Total energy consumption will fall by 11% annually, equating to 328,919 kWh of electricity and 29,238 therms of natural gas (the equivalent of driving across the country nearly 250 times). The full suite of conservation installations are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

“We are proud to be the premier rental option in Northwest D.C. and are committed to providing our tenants with a high-quality living experience which in today’s market also carries a responsibility to delivering eco-friendly sustainability improvements,” said Carissa Barry, Daro Realty’s President. “These upgrades will lower utility costs, save energy, reduce money and time spent on building operations, increase the value and long-term sustainability of our buildings, all without sacrificing quality of service.”

“We are thrilled to be working with an organization like Daro that understands the value of energy and water improvements, and the intersection between reduced operations and maintenance costs, improved tenant comfort, positive environmental impact, and increased asset value,” said Jeff Perlman, President and Founder of Bright Power.

The nine Daro properties receiving sustainability upgrades are: 1600 | 1600 16th Street NW1900 Lamont | 1900 Lamont Street NWArcher | 3701 Massachusetts Avenue NWParkway | 3220 Connecticut Avenue NWParkwest | 2929 Connecticut Avenue NWPhoenix | 1421 Massachusetts Avenue NWRodman | 3002 Rodman Street NWRodney | 1911 R Street NW Washington; and Sedgwick Gardens | 3726 Connecticut Ave NW.

About Daro Realty LLC (www.daroapartments.com)
Daro was founded in 1935 by Dunbar A. Rosenthal. The 83-year-old company employs approximately 50 professionals across nine revitalized historic properties and is known as a top owner-managed firm in the Metropolitan DC area. In 2013, Daro began operating under new management leadership with a focus on strong customer service and an infusion of capital into the portfolio. Daro is proud to offer its tenants the charm and grandeur of DC’s historic properties alongside the comfort of modern amenities and class-A service. Daro is an Infinity Real Estate portfolio company, operating independently in the District of Columbia, and its sustainability program is part of Infinity’s “Green Landmark Initiative” aimed at preserving and rehabilitating historic properties so that they operate with the highest efficiency and least environmental footprint possible.

About Bright Power (www.brightpower.com)
Bright Power provides strategic energy and water solutions to building owners and operators nationwide, with offices in New York City and Oakland, CA.  Specializing in multifamily buildings, Bright Power’s suite of services help clients reduce consumption and environmental impact, increase resident comfort, and increase the value of their real estate assets. Bright Power’s energy management solutions include EnergyScoreCards benchmarking software, energy audits, energy procurement, onsite generation, green building design services, turnkey installation of energy improvements, commissioning services, incentive program administration, and ongoing energy management. Clients of Bright Power include many of the largest owners of multifamily housing across the country – the company has worked with over 31,000 buildings comprising over 896,000 apartment units across 49 states.