All-Electric Remodel Construction Site Tour - February 11

Do you love visiting construction sites? We do too! So we’ve partnered with 3C-REN to offer tours of high performance, all-electric projects on the Central Coast.  The first will be in San Luis Obispo on February 11 at 3:30pm, visiting a major residential remodel. The builder, Mike Horgan of Cairn Collaborative, will lead us through the energy efficiency and electrification upgrades, providing first-hand information on implementation, lessons learned and best practices.

Topics covered include:

• Installation requirements and options for heat pump mechanical systems.

• Observe an installed heat pump hot water system and learn the space and location requirements and potential pitfalls to avoid.

• Discuss ventilation and indoor air quality and different options appropriate for retrofits versus new construction.

• Review wall, floor and roof assemblies for both insulation and air sealing best practices.

Project location will be provided to registered participants. To register for this free program, go to the 3C-REN calendar page HERE.

Stay tuned for tours in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Have a project you would like to include on a tour? Let us know!

All-Electric Multifamily Housing Project Pismo Terrace is Open!

In Balance is excited to share that the all-electric multifamily housing project, Pismo Terrace, is complete and open! The project in Pismo Beach is comprised of two three-story buildings with 50 affordable housing units and amenities such as a community room, commercial kitchen, laundry, playground, and bike racks.

In Balance Green Consulting worked with architect, Ravatt Albrecht & Associates, and contractor/developer, People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH), on energy optimization, photovoltaic (PV) sizing, and other sustainability consulting.

The team decided early in the design process to go all-electric and implement features targeting energy efficiency to reduce overall energy consumption. The project incorporates electric heat pump space heating, heat pump water heating, and electric ranges, eliminating the need for gas infrastructure. This saved money as there was no need to place gas meters, nor run gas piping throughout the building.

Quality insulation installation (QII) and a high-performance roof with R-32 cavity fill insulation and continuous R-5 roof insulation reduce heat transfer that would cause higher energy use. The PV system was designed to generate 133,696 kWh of electricity per year, offsetting 65% of the predicted annual residential energy use.

In Balance is excited to see more of our multifamily housing projects going all-electric and prioritizing sustainable measures to contribute to healthier and more comfortable homes. As California’s energy grid becomes cleaner, going all-electric and eliminating fossil fuels from our buildings continues California’s progress to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Congratulations to the team!

Have an all-electric project you are working on, contact us!

New 2022 "Electric-ready" Requirements for Multifamily Buildings

You may have heard that newly constructed single-family homes in California have to be “electric ready,” but did you know that under the new 2022 Energy Code, that requirement has been extended for new multifamily buildings of all sizes? 

Under the 2022 Energy Code to take effect January 1, 2023, gas appliances installed for individual dwelling units must also include the electrical infrastructure to allow for the easy transition to electric heat pump technology for space conditioning and hot water generation, and energy-efficient electric options for cooking and cloths drying. 

For multifamily project this could be a significant cost consideration. The Energy Code does not dictate whether a project uses natural gas, but it does prevent a new project from precluding the current owner or future ownership from easily and cost effectively making the necessary switch to electric and presumably cleaner energy.

The Energy Code includes language for accommodating minimum physical space for future heat pump water heaters, adjacency requirements for the location of dedicated circuitry, and panel/subpanel wiring and labeling.

Additional Resources

• For more information and to preview the approved code language see the CEC’s webpage on 2022 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.

• Or visit the 3C-REN Resource Library for code information and case studies.

• See also the new Multifamily Energy Code Sections 160.4 and 160.9 for the complete code language.