Page 74 - Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes-Volume 2

CASE STUDY NO. 9 SILVER STAR APARTMENTS
Silver Star Apartments
Case Study No. 9
Data Summary
Building Type: Multifamily –
Low-Rise (New Construction)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Gross Floor Area: 33,923 gross sq. ft.
Occupied: June 2017
On-Site Renewable Energy System Installed:
127 kW (DC) Solar PV
26 Panels Solar Thermal Syst.
On-Site Storage Battery
None (Planned but not installed)
Measured On-Site Energy Production:
138,200 kWh per year 13.9 kBtu/sq.ft. per year
Modeled EUI (Site):
18.8 kBtu/sq.ft. per year
Measured EUI (Site):
18.7 kBtu/sq.ft. per year
Owner/Client
A Community of Friends (ACOF), Los Angeles, CA
Project Team
Architect:
FSY Architects, Los Angeles, CA
Energy and Sustainability Consultant:
Green Dinosaur, Culver City, CA
Solar PV System:
Promise Energy, Culver City, CA
Mechanical and Plumbing Engineering:
JaycoCal Engineering,
In Volume 1 of Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes, a mixed-use project that incorporates af- fordable multifamily housing rental units1 is included partly because of the recognized need for this type of housing but also since, as the case study points out,
“...the process of achieving the ZNE performance goal within the institutional structures of financing, approvals, design and construction for such a project is as informative as the technical features.”
The same is true for a similar type of multifamily housing, namely affordable housing for home- less individuals and families. The current societal problem of homelessness for a sizable part of the population in California has resulted in the initiation of government programs to provide incentives of various kinds to build this type of housing. With these projects, there is a need to keep operating cost as low as possible for the future financial well-being of the operator and the tenants, so a ZNE design is a natural part of any program of such a project—more so than with conventional multifamily housing development where the financial factors are very different.
Background
The project was initiated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and fund- ed by a local bond measure and various tax credits (the low-income housing tax credit program administered by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the renewable energy investment tax credit). The purpose of the bond measure was to provide affordable hous- ing for the homeless population of Los Angeles. The project was awarded to ACOF (A Committee of Friends), a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide affordable housing, with an eye toward the homeless population of Southern California, particularly those with men- tal illness2. ACOF also describes its mission as:
“Our focus is to build housing for people who have less than 30% of area median income (AMI) and have a mental, physical or developmental disability, with a primary focus on AMI3.”
This project is intended in particular to provide housing for military veterans who are homeless and living with disabilities, including mental illness, substance abuse and other chronic illnesses, as well as those veterans with income at or below 30% of AMI. Supportive services for these tenants are provided on-site.
ACOF engages in project development to build such housing, property management for those developments and supportive services for their tenants. The ACOF mission statement also in- cludes the statement that,
“The Living Building Challenge, LEED® Certification and NetZero are green building pro- grams that...are an integral part of ACOF’s housing development strategy.”
Commitment to ZNE performance of this housing project is therefore explicitly prescribed as a goal for this developer, who also is a partner in managing the property and providing support services. This commitment is partly practical in nature since the developer is required to maintain
1 Case Study No. 5 – Colonial House Multifamily Housing.
2
Pasadena, CA
Electrical Engineering:
Electrical Building Systems, Mission Hills, CA
Landscape Architect:
Yael Lir Landscape Architects, South Pasadena, CA
General Contractor:
Dreyfuss Construction, Los Angeles, CA
60
See: https://www.acof.org/
3 “Target AMI of 30%”, definition: The median income for all cities across the country is defined each year for each city by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The AMI is the “area median income” and that number is by definition 100% AMI. So, 30% AMI is a targeted income level at or below which applicants must qualify.
Zero Net Energy Case Study Homes: Volume 2