Success Stories are listed in alphabetical order: A - L M - Z
20th
Street ApartmentsSanta Monica, California
When the inefficient radiant ceiling heating system in the 20th
Street Apartments needed replacing, the City of Santa Monica and
the Community Corporation of Santa Monica used the opportunity to
undertake a more comprehensive energy retrofit of the property.
Based on recommendations from consultants, a number of measures
were installed, including repair of solar-assisted hot water heating
system, Energy Star refrigerators, increased attic and wall insulation,
double-glazed windows and sliding glass doors, compact fluorescent
lighting, setback thermostats, and skylights. The measures will
collectively reduce electricity consumption by 39% and natural gas
consumption by 22%, totaling some $10,000 each year.
Affordable
Modular Housing ProjectCarbondale, Colorado
Developers of a new modular housing project in Carbondale, Colorado,
are relying on energy efficiency to make the homes affordable for
residents. The Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB)
and Steven Winter Design made energy recommendations for the project
based on lessons learned through other Building America projects.
The 52-unit modular home developmentwhich includes both single-
and multifamily unitswill boast many energy-efficiency features
and keep energy bills low for residents over the long term. A model
home for the development is now complete. Building America is a
project of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Arizona Tribes Leverage Funding with Weatherization
In Arizona, Indian tribes have banded together behind a regional organization - the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) - to coordinate weatherization work on reservations. ITCA coordinates training and technical assistance and is responsible for monitoring program implementation as well as administrative reporting requirements for the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). View more information about WAP and its potential for Indian tribes.
Boston Solar-Powered Housing
Maverick Landing, a redevelopment of the Boston Housing Authority’s
Maverick Gardens public housing development, is building 396 new
rental units with several advanced efficiency features that promise
to save the authority energy and money. Almost 80 percent of the
apartments will be available for public housing residents.
The project will include solar photovoltaics, a solar hot water
system, and microturbine, as well as efficient lighting and appliances.
The development will be certified under the LEED Rating System.
For more information, visit http://www.masstech.org/Project_lst_rslt.asp?ID=449
or contact Sam Nutter, Project Manager, Green Buildings & Infrastructure,
at (508) 870-0312 x277 or nutter@masstech.org. View the BHA press
release at http://www.bostonhousing.org/detpages/press35.html.
Learn more about building with solar from the Southface Institute’s
Solar Roadmap at http://www.southface.org/solar/.
Brookview
Senior HousingSan Diego, California
San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation developed a 102-unit senior
housing project that boasts improved energy performance, substantial
comfort improvement, and significant operational savings. Installed
measures include through-the-wall heat pumps for each unit which
provide both heating and cooling, recirculation loops with temperature
controls to provide efficient water-heating, and windows that reduce
solar heat gain by an impressive 75 percent. These measures increase
initial costs by only $6,749, yet reduce energy costs by nearly
$10,000 each year.
Cincinnati
Metropolitan Housing Authority
A major infrastructure renewal program is saving the Cincinnati
Metropolitan Housing Authority more than $875,000 in energy costs
annually. The $7.2 million program affects more than 4,600 housing
units at 33 developments and 900 scattered sites. Implemented measures
include boiler replacements, water conservation efforts, chiller
replacements, comprehensive lighting retrofits and replacements,
and energy conservation training and awareness.
Citizens Housing CorporationSan Francisco, California
Citizens Housing Corporation is responding to the severe shortage
of affordable housing in San Francisco by building new affordable
homes and preserving existing units that are at risk of conversion
to marketrate housing. With assistance from HUD's Partnership for
Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), CHC is building 98 units
of multifamily housing affordable to residents at or below 60 percent
of the Area Median Income in the heart of San Francisco's South
of Market district. The development includes several innovative
technologies that improve energy efficiency, health and accessibility.
City of Raleigh Housing Authority Designs HOPE VI Project to Earn the ENERGY STAR®
The Housing Authority of the City of Raleigh is working with its partners Advanced Energy, North Carolina State Department of Energy, and Progress Energy, to design and construct a HOPE VI revitalization of Chavis Heights. The housing authority has requested an ENERGY STAR designation.
The development will consist of senior housing (40 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom units), villas (40 one-bedroom units), and town homes/triplexes (46 two-bedroom town home units and 27 three-bedroom triplex units). Ninety-five of these units will have tankless water heaters. Tankless water heaters can cut water-heating bills by 10 to 20%.
To learn more about this project, contact Gail Keeter at 919-831-8300.
Denny Park Apartments
The planning and design of Denny Park Apartments, a 50-unit development
of affordable housing serving families in the South Lake Union area
of Seattle, will create several benefits for residents and the surrounding
community, including storm water retention through collection of
water in landscaping planters, durable 50-year exterior materials
(roofing and siding), efficient centralized heating and hot water
system, maximum natural lighting, energy efficient lighting and
controls, continuous ventilation of bathrooms for moisture control,
and low maintenance landscaping.
Denver
Housing Authority
In October 2002, Denver Housing Authority upgraded plumbing fixtures
in its Hirschfield Tower building. The project involved installation
of low-flow toilets, faucet aerators, and shower heads. These measures
reduced water consumption in the complex by 22%enough for
10 Denver homes each yearsaving some $6,000 annually in water
and sewer costs. Denver Water provided funding for the $116,000
project cost.
El Paso Empowers Residents to Take Charge of Energy Costs
The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso, Texas (HACEP) has experienced first-hand that resident education is a remarkably effective energy conservation strategy. In 1998, residents of the Kennedy Brother Memorial Apartments began complaining about high electricity bills. The general contractor for the development conducted several random inspections, which revealed residents' lack of operational knowledge of the air conditioning units; improper closure of doors and windows; inadequate cleaning and/or replacement of air conditioning filters; and incorrect preventive maintenance. The housing authority responded quickly by arranging energy conservation seminars for residents. Over the first 2 years of the program, Kennedy residents’ electric bills gradually diminished to tenant-acceptable levels.
Eureka Audit Reveals Opportunities for Energy Improvements
In August, the City of Eureka Housing Authority completed a comprehensive energy audit. The Auditors determined that lighting and laundry accounted for the majority of annual electricity consumption, while water heating was the biggest consumer of natural gas.
Individual, natural gas-fired, 30-gallon hot water tanks were present in each of the units. The water heaters were typically set at the highest temperature setting, had no insulating wrap on the tank or pipes, and had no heat traps. Less than 10 percent of lighting fixtures had compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), although linear fluorescent fixtures were installed in the kitchens of newer units.
Auditors identified several simple energy- and water-efficient opportunities based on their observations. The following recommendations are all projected to have a payback period of less than 2 years:
For more information about this project, contact the City of Eureka Housing Authority Executive Director Bob Morelli at (707) 443-4583.
Gold
Dust Apartments
The non-profit organization homeWORD made an important contribution
to the community of Missoula, Montana, with its new Gold Dust Apartments.
The housing complex provides 18 affordable housing units that highlight
energy efficiency, renewable energy, and overall sustainable design.
In addition, the project relied on recycled materials, and is located
near public transit. According to Mayor Mike Kadas, the project
"serves as a model for other new housing construction in the
city." Funding for the project came from both public and private
sectors.
Hopi Nation
The Red Feather Development Group recently constructed a 2-bedroom, single-family straw bale home on the Hopi Reservation in Hotevilla, Arizona. The home not only provides high-quality housing to one family, but also served as an educational tool for many community members, who learned about its superior energy efficiency.
In addition to straw bale construction, the Hotevilla house also features a frost-protected shallow foundation, a compact design that can accommodate disabled residents and the elderly, radiant floor heating, solar panels, ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lighting and an ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator.
Housing
Authority of the City of Houston
HACH and the City of Houston Water Conservation Branch partnered
in a pilot project to assess the cost-effectiveness of installing
water-efficient plumbing devices in a low-income, multifamily housing
project. Following a water audit, existing toilets at the 60-unit
Kennedy Place were replaced with ultra-low-flush models, leaky faucets
were repaired or replaced, low-flow faucet aerators and individual
water meters were installed to monitor consumption. Additionally,
the project included water-conservation education for tenants. Following
the upgrades, average water savings totals nearly 1 million gallons
each month, or 72% of the average consumption for the complex. Average
monthly combined water and sewer bill decreased by 79%. Total cost
of the project was about $12,000, shared by the two partners.
Housing
Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
A comprehensive energy plan undertaken at the Housing Authority
of the City of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) will reduce energy consumption
and save the Authority more than $4 million over 10 years. The plan
includes a host of measures for eight properties, including a lighting
retrofit, water-conservation measures, and installation of radiator
control valves, boiler controls, and domestic hot water temperature
controls. The project is funded through an energy performance contract.
Housing
Authority of Henry County (Illinois)
Led by the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce, Rebuild Kewanee is taking
a multi-tiered approach to addressing local energy issues and is
developing programs and incentives to increase awareness among residents
and businesses of the benefits of adopting energy-saving practices.