The drive towards reductions in carbon emissions in the public policy sector and the push to create energy efficiency technologies and renewable power sources will lead to changes in the way things are done in the building sector. The increase of energy efficiency in buildings can lead to cost savings for developers and help to reduce global carbon emissions. Utilizing newly developed technologies and assessment tools for monitoring building systems is helping to guide decision-making in the management of making building improvements. These improvements have resulted in cost savings, but when the decisions are backed up with credible data, developers are able to measure and accurately show the benefits of making those improvements. These cost savings can allow non-profit building developers to more closely meet the goals of their mission and contribute to their long term success; the net result being an increase in affordable housing. This paper will describe the assessments of energy use gathered from buildings owned by Artspace, an affordable housing and art studio space developer and provider that started in St. Paul, and show how these results contribute to the achievement of their mission and success of the communities it serves. The following introduction discusses findings published by members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as well as some of the leading thinkers in the field of energy efficient building design. These findings can help developers plan for emerging standards and requirements in the future. Through the body of the paper are the standards used to develop a sustainability plan and the steps already undertaken by Artspace to reach the goals laid out in the plan. Additionally, five Artspace properties are profiled and the results of the study on these properties are explained. Following the background and project methodologies and findings, the paper presents a discussion of actionable steps going forward for that could save this organization money and help fulfill its mission. In conclusion, increasing energy efficiency is not only a logical step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also establishes a new vision of how we develop buildings and provide ways to meet affordable housing needs well into the future.