Achieving Zero Net Energy in Multi-family Buildings
Strategies for Achieving Zero Net Energy Multifamily Buildings
Franklin Energy Services, LLC
Recipient
Oakland, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
18th
Assembly District
$1,952,557
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The project is complete and the final report is published. The project demonstrated the potential breakthrough of electric water heating and space conditioning technologies as a pathway to zero net energy.
The Issue
There is a critical need for more research and evaluation of zero net energy multifamily design and construction approaches and practices. Many key design issues remain poorly understood in the multifamily sector, particularly for emerging all-electric heating, ventilating and air conditioning and domestic hot water technologies. These include the performance and economic trade-offs of technology solutions, lack of agreement between design and actual performance for key emerging technologies, and a lack of understanding of how these technologies will impact tenants and property managers.
Project Innovation
This project demonstrates the potential of breakthrough electric water heating and space conditioning technologies as a pathway to zero net energy. The project explores the complex, interdependent systems in multifamily buildings and how they work together to achieve zero net energy status for the buildings in a cost-effective manner. Four multifamily buildings, designed to be affordable, are to be evaluated in various stages of design and development. These buildings share a goal of all electric zero net energy construction with 100 percent renewable energy generation, and utilize innovative new heat pump technologies to serve the buildings water heating and/or space conditioning needs.
Project Benefits
The project demonstrates the technical and economic feasibility of zero net energy design for large multifamily projects and establishes design and installation best practices that minimize risks for developers. This includes documentation of best practices to ensure that energy and cost benefits of zero net energy are fully realized and identified, including the trade-offs between technology solutions, capital costs, operating and maintenance costs, environmental benefits and grid impacts.
Affordability
This project helps developers make more informed zero net energy design decisions which may reduce construction costs for multifamily buildings up to $2,000 per apartment and lower future operating (e.g., energy) costs for building owners and occupants.
Key Project Members
Amy Dryden
Subrecipients
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Association for Energy Affordability
Redwood Energy, LLC
Stone Energy Associates
Propelsion
Abraxas Energy Consulting, LLC
Match Partners
Corporation for Better Housing
MidPen Housing Corp.
