Heather Village: Decarbonizing a Multi-Owner Equity Community
November 18, 2024
New Quick Start Grant Report
Viridis Consulting aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of transitioning a multifamily residential community away from the status quo of like-for-like replacement of gas boilers to high-efficiency heat pumps. About 35 percent of Californians live in homeowner associations (HOAs), and the ability to leverage this organizational structure to expedite heat pump deployment had not been explored prior to this Quick Start Grant project. The Heather Village Quick Start Grant Project focused on the electrification of a 404-unit multifamily complex, which is comprised of a mix of condominiums and townhomes in Culver City, California, and in doing so, prioritizing water heating conversion from gas to electric heat pumps.
The market barriers to heat pump deployment encountered by Heather Village are common among older HOA-run multifamily properties. The electric panels in Heather Village were 50 years old and were not suited for electrification. Like much of California's aging multi-family housing stock, accurate electrical capacity, current loads, and original electrical plans are either not known, not available, or no longer exist. Updating to today’s standards is expensive. HOA boards might deprioritize upgrading to high-efficiency heat pump technology, especially when the homeowners or board members are not familiar with the technology or its benefits.
Addressing such a wide-ranging array of barriers requires transparency and open communication between the project team and the HOA residents, and a detailed understanding of the cost implications of the project. The project conducted an initial central heat pump water heater demonstration project and a feasibility study to understand the costs and benefits, as well as the planning required for completing electrification projects in the HOA.
The results of the HOA-specific demonstration project and feasibility study provide valuable information as to both the immediate-term and the long-term benefits of high-efficiency heat pumps, versus traditional water heating and HVAC solutions. It empowers the HOA board to feel that they are making an informed decision of whether to continue. Ensuring transparency throughout the process can mitigate the trust and intra-HOA board political barriers that HOAs often run into.
Upon grant completion, the HOA board will convert all of the property’s central water heaters to heat pumps, as well as continue planning projects for full electrification, including space conditioning, laundry, and cooking. Work on the project has continued and, in fact, expanded. The successful installation of the initial heat pump water heating system not only resolved longstanding issues with the old gas boilers, but also demonstrated the tangible benefits of electrification, consistent hot water, lower operating costs, and minimal maintenance.
The TECH Clean California initiative is funded by California ratepayers and taxpayers and administered by Southern California Edison Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The TECH Clean California team is led by Energy Solutions and partners with Anchor Blue Consulting, Ardenna Energy, Association of Energy Affordability, Building Decarbonization Coalition, Central Coast Energy Services, Inc., Electrify My Home, Frontier Energy, National Comfort Institute, Energy Outlet, Recurve Analytics, The Ortiz Group, Tre’ Laine Associates, and VEIC.