MEDIA ADVISORY: $2.46 Million Sustainability Retrofit Begins at LINC Housing's Low-Income Apartment Community in Lancaster

LANCASTER, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 15, 2014) -

When: Monday, September 22, 2014 -- 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Where: The Village at Beechwood, 44063 Beech Avenue, Lancaster, CA 93534

What: The California Energy Commission and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have funded a pilot project that aims to retrofit low-income multifamily housing to be more energy and water efficient. The goal of this $2.46 million research project is to bring inefficient, multifamily housing units to as near-zero net energy as possible. This type of effort can become a model for lowering energy and water costs for similar affordable housing communities nationwide.
The Village at Beechwood is a 100-unit family community in Lancaster, Calif. SEED Partners is developing retrofit packages for individual units that are scalable and replicable. To date, two apartments have been completed with a net energy savings of about 70 percent. Now, the project has the green light to complete the additional 28 units in The Village at Beechwood research project.

Retrofit packages include new insulation, ENERGY STAR kitchen appliances, and efficient lighting. SEED expects gas usage to be reduced by 45 percent, electricity use to be reduced by 33 percent, and irrigation water to be reduced by 21 percent. Energy use will be offset by an on-site solar photovoltaic system producing 145,000 kWh per year, and a solar domestic hot water system generating more than 4,300 therms per year. SEED will also install an efficient boiler and smart irrigation controllers with new sprinkler heads.

In addition, Everyday Energy and Labor Ready are providing green job training to eight residents. When they're qualified, the residents will install the site's new solar panels and can seek employment related to solar panel installation. They'll be recognized during the ceremony.

Who: The project is backed by LINC Housing and SEED Partners with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) as the project lead, in collaboration with BiraEnergy, California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Southern California Gas Company, and Southern California Edison.

Ceremony participants include:

Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission (invited)
Ray W. Brewer, Los Angeles Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Ram Narayanamurthy, Senior Project Manager, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Hunter L. Johnson, President and CEO, LINC Housing Corporation
Samara Larson, Director of Sustainability, LINC Housing and SEED Partners, LLC

Visuals:

• Ceremony with residents and partners to highlight the upcoming work and the reason sustainability retrofits are important
• A ceremonial tree planting with resident children
• A brief recognition ceremony for the residents participating in the green job training
• Post ceremony celebration to include children's eco activities and mini green expo