These days, sustainability is everywhere, and no one understands that reality more than
Brandywine Realty Trust's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Brad Molotsky. Charged with keeping Brandywine's assets green, Molotsky's current specialty may not have existed 10 years ago. Today, some buyers are attracted to certifications like
LEED and
EnergyStar as a way to save energy, making sustainability efforts a priority. Brandywine has gone from four EnergyStar Certified properties in 1999 to 29 today. This week, the Radnor firm added three more to that list, receiving the EPA's top certification for ts 401 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Meeting; 5 Eves Drive, Marlton, NJ; and its 3 Barton Skyway, Austin, TX projects.
"There is a lot of good data that the EPA publishes to suggest that if your building is EnergyStar Certified, it will consume 35 percent less energy, which is significant," says Molotsky. "Are people paying attention to this? Not yet but I think the brokerage community is coming around to this, and tenants are getting smarter about it."
As certain municipalities begin to mandate publication of sustainability information, Molotsky says, certifications like EnergyStar will become increasingly valuable as the U.S. moves toward more sustainable building assets.
"You are going to see this in New York, for instance, this January where every building over 50,000 square feet will be required to measure and publish their EnergyStar score," says Molotsky. "What's that going to do? All these buildings will be measured against each other, creating a natural competition and people will start paying attention."
Source: Brad Molotsky, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: John Steele