Energy-efficiency upgrades reduce costs and enhance comfort at Arborpoint Apartments
Arborpoint Apartments in Madera isn’t just another affordable housing property; it’s a vibrant community of families, couples, and individuals. With plenty of shared outdoor space and amenities like a pool and playground, it’s easy to see why people enjoy living in the community’s 65 units.
Multifamily housing developer The Pacific Companies owns Arborpoint, while Buckingham Property Management manages day-to-day operations. As the property aged, management started receiving more and more maintenance requests from residents. While most issues were standard wear and tear, management noticed a concerning trend: many residents were reporting drafty windows, faulty thermostats, and outdated appliances.
To elevate resident quality of life and improve the property’s condition, the team behind Arborpoint made upgrades to both apartments and common areas. With incentives from the Multifamily Energy Savings program, The Pacific Companies and Buckingham Property Management saved on new equipment and appliance upgrades as well as other improvement projects that boost energy efficiency.
Project Details
Efficiency upgrades made more affordable
Arborpoint’s upgrade journey began when Sean Toombs, an asset manager for The Pacific Companies, reached out to the Multifamily Energy Savings team after learning from a colleague that the program could help with property upgrades. “With the rising costs of utilities and expenses, we’re looking to cut costs where we can,” said Toombs. “Something we have very little control over is the cost of repairing and replacing aging equipment.”
In total, The Pacific Companies received over $33,500 for LED lighting, smart thermostats, and occupancy sensor controls for Arborpoint’s common areas that help lower energy usage and utility bills. The upgraded outdoor lighting improved nighttime visibility for residents and supports a greater sense of security. “What Multifamily Energy Savings offered made a big difference and really dropped our out-of-pocket costs,” said Toombs.
“What Multifamily Energy Savings offered made a big difference and really dropped our out-of-pocket costs.”
— Sean Toombs,
Asset Manager, The Pacific Companies
These common area improvements were only part of what The Pacific Companies accomplished with Multifamily Energy Savings. The developer also sealed leaks around windows and doors in Arborpoint residents’ units and installed new appliances and equipment, like smart thermostats and high-efficiency clothes washers.
In-unit upgrades benefit residents beyond energy savings
Adding improved weatherstripping to doors and resealing window frames has paid off, according to Rebeca Chia, Arborpoint’s property manager. “Since the upgrades, I haven’t received any comments about drafts or residents being too hot in their units, which is a good thing,” she said. Since leaks around windows and doors make heating and cooling systems work harder and use more energy to maintain comfort, this project was a great step toward improving efficiency.
The new in-unit equipment and appliances also helped ease maintenance demands. This was a welcome change for Chia, who now has fewer repair requests and complaints about older, troublesome thermostats, for example. She has only heard good things about the new equipment and notes, “The new thermostats work so well residents say they don’t even have to think about them.”
“Everyone was really nice to work with and efficient with their time. They came in, did what they needed to do to get the project completed, and left. It couldn’t have been easier.”
— Rebeca Chia,
Property Manager, Arborpoint
Not only do new equipment and appliances raise the overall quality of the property, but they also help households save on utilities year after year. ENERGY STAR®-certified high-efficiency clothes washers, like those The Pacific Companies installed in Arborpoint’s resident units, use about 20% less energy and about 30% less water than regular washers.
Why wait? Start planning your affordable property improvements today
Interested in making your property more efficient and improving comfort for your residents? The Multifamily Energy Savings team is ready to help you plan and install equipment upgrades that improve comfort and safety and reduce energy use. “Everyone was really nice to work with and efficient with their time. They came in, did what they needed to do to get the project completed, and left. It couldn’t have been easier,” said Chia.
Explore available incentives, view eligibility requirements, and connect with our team to get started.
