Page 84 - Designing for Zero Carbon-Volume 2_Case Studies of All-Electric Multifamily Residential Buildings

CASE STUDY NO. 4 THE PALO ALTO APARTMENTS
The Palo Alto Apartments
Case Study No. 4
Data Summary
Project Type: Market-Type
Units For Rent (New) Location: Palo Alto, CA California Climate Zone: 4 Gross Floor Area: 22,500 sq.ft. Fully Occupied: 2018
Modeled EUI (Site):
8.3 kBtu/sq.ft. per year
Measured EUI (Site):
18.6 kBtu/sq.ft. per year (2022)
On-Site Renewable Energy System Installed:
69.8 kW (DC) Solar PV
On-Site Storage Battery:
None
Measured On-Site Energy Production:
64,000 kWh per year (2020) 9.7 kBtu/sq.ft. per year (2020)
Owner/Client
Sageleaf Forest LLC, Palo Alto
Design Team
Architect:
David Solnick Architect, Palo Alto
Structural Engineer:
Wright Engineers, Irvine
Construction Drawings (SIP)
RDH Building Science,
Seattle,WA
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering: ACIES Engineering,
Santa Clara
Energy Modeling:
EnerWhiz, Palo Alto
Landscape Architect
Linn Winterbotham, Redwood City
General Contractor:
Sageleaf Forest LLC,
Palo Alto
Solar Contractor:
Staten Solar Corporation, Milpitas
Introduction
This case study represents another type of multifamily residential development in California housing: new construction of market-rate rental units in the general housing market. Often adver- tised with the descriptive term “luxury homes”, some developers seek to maximize profit through leasing rather than sales. In a market where the cost of purchasing new homes is relatively high, leasing is an attractive option, particularly if the duration of the living arrangement is seen as lim- ited or temporary. This is the case in expensive urban areas, in communities where a college or university is located or where the job market is somewhat fluid. All of these characteristics apply to Palo Alto, California, the location of Case Study No. 4.
Background
The developer of this project, Sageleaf Forest LLC, was motivated to create a project of leas- able “luxury condominium units” that were “sustainable” and technically sophisticated. This was based on a general commitment to zero-net-energy and zero-carbon goals for their buildings, but also on an understanding of the appeal of these features to the target clientele in this project location that is centered on Stanford University and the surrounding tech industry. The developer partners, electrical engineering alumni of Stanford, were naturally inclined to try out new tech- nologies with the normally-conservative building trades, stretching the usual practices to include more innovative systems new to the building industry. This gave rise to several of the design strategies discussed below.
The developer had completed a smaller project nearby when the opportunity arose in 2015 to ob- tain an available site close to the main street of downtown Palo Alto, near the Stanford campus. This site was occupied by a one-story office building and a large parking lot for the Northern Cali- fornia club of the American Automobile Association (AAA). Located in a mixed-use zoning area of the city, it was surrounded by single-family homes, low-rise apartment buildings and single-story medical practice buildings. The developer purchased the property, assembled the design team and proceeded with the innovative design strategies for the project.
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Designing for Zero Carbon: Volume 2
Existing Building - 2015