The role of new landlord technology in tackling climate change

Smart technology to heat and cool rental units

Smart technology has been used to cool rental units for a while now but the technology is still developing and is certainly a way for landlords to reduce their energy bills.

Especially as there is a push towards more sustainability by the government, the implementation of smart technology is one of the first things that will be included in a property business of a landlord as the use of the technology isn’t that expensive.

On top of this, it can be integrated well into property management software which means landlords can effortlessly start to implement smart energy solutions in their units without much work and through remote monitoring that is easy to manage.

Automatic lighting systems

If you leave the lights on in a property, energy is wasted and it could be a few hours or even days before it is turned off. This means you, as a landlord will be burning electricity and increasing your carbon footprint without you knowing.

Especially because tenants may not be the ones paying energy bills in a property, there is a good chance that they may not care or have the same motivations to save electricity like you do.

So, installing sensors on light or even having a remote system that monitors who is in the house and in what rooms so that light can be turned on or off accordingly may be a good idea.

LED lighting

LED lighting, unlike other forms of lighting such as conventional halogen bulbs that produce a lot of heat, are far more efficient in terms of the amount of energy used relative to the amount of light.

This is because halogen bulbs emit light by running electricity through a thin piece of metal called a filament that glows bright as a result of the charge running through it. Hence, a lot of heat is emitted as well.

On the other hand, LED lighting is far more energy efficient as the technology in the bulbs is completely different and the light isn’t produced in the same way. So, for the same amount of energy you can get a far brighter light and a bulb that burns for far longer than another bulb.

On top of this, LED bulbs physically last longer before you have to replace them so this means you produce less waste in a property and a property is able to produce less waste overall and landfills contribute to climate change by producing greenhouse gases.

Property management software

Some property management softwares, especially those at the higher end of the market, are able to have advanced building automation systems built into them so that they are able to monitor all the aspects of a building.

From the lighting used in each room to the amount of energy lost within the property to the amount appliances are being used as and when it happens. This allows a landlord to keep track of their property and the impact on the climate through energy usage in real time without having to guess or gather data once a month or every few weeks.

Access to more advanced architecture

As technology develops in the architecture space, landlords are also able to benefit from this technology as well. For example, if a developer uses an architect that designs a house for maximum sun exposure and perhaps with solar panels or other renewable energy sources.

This would enable a landlord to buy the property and benefit from the reduction in greenhouse emissions without having to do any additional work. Ways that a property can be designed to reduce its impact on the climate includes:

• • Design to maximise the amount of natural light
  • The use of green roofs and walls
  • The implementation of natural ventilation
  • The recycling of rainwater