Page 79 - Designing for Zero Carbon-Volume 2_Case Studies of All-Electric Multifamily Residential Buildings

This percentage could also be increased significantly if more canopies with solar PV arrays were installed over the remaining parking areas. However, when the utility grid is completely decar- bonized as planned in 2045, the buildings will operate at zero-carbon because of this retrofit project.
Post-Occupancy: Observations and Conclusions
This retrofit project was one of four similar research and demonstration projects assessing new building technologies that had been proven in other locations but had not received wide applica- tion in Calfornia. It was to be a learning experience for the client, the professional consultants and the individual contractors that carried out the construction work. The intent was, therefore, that there would be many constructive “lessons learned” in the process.
The client shared several observations on the process:
• The project organization needed to be more direct, especially for the construction work. A conventional general contractor role, for example, would have resulted in better coordination of all the construction activities. This “GC role” fell at times to the client/owner, Self-Help Enter- prises, who worked with the other project team members to oversee the project work.
• This need for a coordinating general contractor role was especially important when planning the installation of the replacememt windows and HVAC components with the tenants and with regard to weather events.
• Construction cost inflation and impacts of the pandemic were factors in this particular time period, and required an unusual amount of contingency planning.
As noted above, dust created by nearby agricultural activites at certain times of the year can affect the performance of the solar PV panels and will necessitate a special cleaning schedule.
The unexpectedly high energy use in the apartments in 2022 was caused in part by the gradual completion of the retrofitting in the early months of that year. Many of the residents used electric resistance space heaters in this winter period while work was being completed and this resulted in the higher energy use.
There were two types of project activities at this project site: the research/demonstration type in the two designated buildings and the standard building retrofit type in the remaining part of the site. The common aspect of both types of work was the electrification of the entire project site—the apartments, community buildings and shared infrastructure. The research portion of the project was successful in demonstrating that some non-mainstream technologies offer per- formance and/or installation process improvements, indicating that further study and application is warranted in future projects.
VERA CRUZ VILLAGE CASE STUDY NO. 3
(Following Pages, pp 66-67)
Aerial view of completed Vera Cruz Village retrofit project in August 2022. (Photo courtesy of John Paul Lababit, SHE.)
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