The older section of the Twin Oaks Apartments in South Salem needed an upgrade, and owner Gary Bradley wanted to save energy, too. So he replaced windows and sliding doors, added floor insulation in crawl spaces and sealed air leaks in 73 of his 97 units.

Now his complex looks better, the windows don’t require mildew removal and his tenants are thanking him. “I’d like to think my retention rates have improved,” he says. “That’s even more important as our market has gotten increasingly competitive.”

Incentives from Energy Trust and Oregon State tax credits helped pay for it, and he’s planning more energy-efficiency projects in the coming year.

“It’s something I build in to my budget,” says Bradley “and the incentives and tax credits make it more affordable.”

• Energy-efficient windows and sliding doors
• Crawlspace insulation
• Air-leak sealing

• $142,200

• 285,000 kilowatt hours

• Energy Trust of Oregon: $61,300
  plus free compact florescent bulbs and a free water saving showerhead for each unit in the building
• Oregon Business Energy Tax Credits: about $49,800
  (Bradley chose a sell-through option that gave him $36,000 in cash up front instead)