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.

New Incentive Program for Electrification

The TECH Clean California initiative was recently launched with the aim of accelerating progress toward California’s mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The initiative, which incentivizes home electrification, is geared toward eligible contractors and focuses on both Heat Pump HVAC and Heat Pump Water Heater installations in existing single and multifamily homes. It will target 40% of the program benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities, supporting more equitable access to sustainable technologies.

Enrolled contractors can earn at minimum $3,000 per installation, and up to $6,600 depending on the location of the project. For single family existing homes, contractors can earn:

• $3,000 for any Heat Pump (HP) HVAC installation

• $3,100 for replacing a gas water heater with a Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH)

• $1,000 for replacing an electric water heater with a HPWH.

For multifamily existing homes, the incentives vary based on whether upgrades are for individual or multiple apartment units, as well as the type of system being replaced. There are also incentives available for HVAC systems serving common areas and for electrical panel upgrades. A full outline of the incentives can be found here.

Additionally, certain regions of California, including parts of the Central Coast are located within enhanced regions where local utilities, like Central Coast Community Energy, have partnered with TECH to offer an increased incentive for contractors enrolled and participating in the partner program. The enhanced incentives for Heat Pump HVAC installations in single family homes increase with the efficiency of the unit installed and by following Quality Installation Measures, such as duct sealing/replacement and testing.

Contractors interested in participating can fill out an online enrollment form or contact TECH.contractor@energy-solution.com. Those looking to find enrolled contractors can visit The Switch Is On’s Contractor Directory. Visit https://energy-solution.com/tech-incentives/ for more information on the program, including handouts outlining the incentives, maps showing baseline and enhanced regions, and more.