About

The association tests and refines green apartment association idea, to make Madison an even better place to live and play and to find models that could work in other cities in the USA and Canada.  We are building and developing a learning network to disseminate successful program approaches and best practices.

We provide a structure and a point of contact for the transformation of residential rental housing to sustainability.  We see needs to be met and gaps to be filled: How do providers of sustainable services find the property owners in their target market?  Who will advocate to neighborhood associations, Common Council, and County Board for policies driven by environmental sustainability as it applies to apartment buildings, investors, and residents?  How do green tenants find green apartments? How do green property owners find renters who will care for their property and the land during their tenure?

We leverage partnerships of common interests.   We build relationships with government, utilities, energy service companies, retail businesses, schools, UW, real estate groups, nonprofit organizations and grassroots organizations.

We do this in three areas:

1. “Green apartment” brand awareness, making it credible and real in the marketplace; creating a brand that is visible and valuable to all our partner groups. The brand should both be distinct from and take advantage of existing building and rating brands such as Energy Star, LEED, and Madison Gas and Electric's Green Power Tomorrow.  Initially, we will focus on making examples of Madison's “Greenest apartments – Most Eco-friendly Landlords.” We will have a contest and promotion to feature residences that have made significant and visible improvements.  We could organize a 'parade of green rental homes' possibly concurrent with Madison's Parade of Solar Homes, held each October, or the Sustainable Showcase held each April.  We would highlight more obvious features like high efficiency mechanicals and Energy Star appliances as well as less tracked items like the walk score www.walkscore.com, i.e. a building's "locational greenness," just beginning to become used more frequently on real estate sales listings.

2. Landlord-tenant cooperation.  We are already in communication with our local gas and electric utility to resurrect a dormant program called the Landandlord Tenant Partnership, in which tenants saving energy are rewarded with financial incentives in situations where the landlord pays the utility bills.  The University of Wisconsin has established a “Be The We” initiative, which encourages energy savings and solid waste reduction and green living on campus through local business promotions.  Of special note in this area is to address the “Split Incentive Problem” or “Renters Dilemma” in which the owner has insufficient financial incentives to invest in energy- and water-efficiency measures because the tenant pays the utility bills.

For owners and property managers: promoting and educating about Green Residential Leases, providing model language for such leases. The leases will enumerate green standards and expectations for the lessee living at the property. The rental rate will take into account the split incentive - so landlords and tenants share benefits of the improvement made on the part of tenants’ behavior as well as building improvements 50/50 or other negotiated arrangements.

For tenants and people who sublet: Organize workshops to educate tenants and target their concerns if their landlord is not yet a member of our group. Partner with Tenant Resource Center and the UW-Madison Housing Office.  Educate tenants on keeping track of their own energy use, using for example existing web based assistants such as myenergyplan.net, and neighborhood EnAct programs. Circulate documents on energy saving tips for renters available through the local utility the list compiled by MG&E atmge.com/Home/saving/Renters.html

3. Transforming buildings to green.   Empowering and enabling owners to implement deep retrofits and remodel the buildings.  

Amazing raised-bed garden available to residents at Green Apartment Network member apartment house.