One of our Title 24 clients, Okamoto Saijo Architecture, recently completed a  $50M retrofit that included creating a 900-kW PV system that is currently one of the largest affordable-housing solar installations in the world. We interviewed one of the principal architects, Eric Saijo, about how the Crescent Park project went from his perspective. He was actually quite happy with the outcome, and after 4+ years of budgeting, negotiating with utilities, the project is completed.

Crescent Park, an affordable-housing solar retrofit by Okamoto Saijo Architecture.

How were you selected?

In the last 12 years we’ve done lots of affordable housing rehabilitation projects. In this day and age people get put into certain categories. We’ve developed a reputation.

Eric Saijo and Paul Okamoto of Okamoto Saijo Architecture, at one of their own project sites

It’s less glamorous, but that’s OK. This client had been working with another architect and the project got put on the back burner for half a year. In 2005, they came to us. We spent 2 years in design and documentation to figure out the project scope.

How was scope determined?

Identifying the budget is always a challenge. They had a wish list of many items, including PV for 100% of electrical needs. We did feasibility studies to analyze whether they had the budget for all the things they wanted to do: update kitchens, flooring, waterproofing. The solar portion was only one aspect.

You did a lot of analysis in addition to design.

We worked hand in hand with our contractor (Brandon Slater of West Coast Contractors) from Day 1 on pricing and budget.

What would you do differently next time?

A better question might be what have we learned? Let’s talk about this instead. We learned more about handling the specific challenges of pulling off a PV installation in a 40-year-old multi-building complex.

Okamoto Saijo Architecture has done "green" private residences as well as sustainable public housing.

We started off with plans for 100% of onsite electrical needs generated by PVs. Our solar engineer did a layout showing where we could put panels on all roofs, taking tilt and orientation into account for each building. We also had an idea of the number of kWh that we needed to generate. Then we could look at all the other constraints.

What were the other constraints?

Not enough roof area on the existing buildings, and existing building systems that were not designed for the structural loads of the panels and the installation process.

Are solar panels really that heavy?

No, but retrofitting existing buildings triggers all sorts of re-analyses, and one of these is to re-analyze for seismic load. Any building that’s 40 years old won’t pass today’s seismic code requirements. And any increase in load over 5% triggers this seismic analysis… it’s a huge limiting factor.

Most PVs get installed in a design-build fashion.

When installing panels, there should be no live load on the roof where the panels are… adding even a minuscule amount of weight can be a problem sometimes.

What was the problem with retrofitting to use existing equipment?

How to make the most of the existing electrical service equipment in a retrofit! The simplest thing to do for an individual building is to install a large PV system and replace all the service equipment and tie in the PV to the entrance panel breaker.

Connecting those beautiful photovoltaics to the public utility's metering and grid system can be a "non-trivial exercise".

The electrical code is written in such a way that PVs are considered a “load” meaning that you might have to up-size the service equipment. The secondary field lines from PG&E, with extra runs to each building, for 24 buildings on 6 acres… this becomes a huge cost.

However, the electrical code does allow for line-side tap between the meter and the main shutoff switch. The equipment is now 40 years old which the code still allows, but it is physically difficult to implement line-side taps. We had to persuade PG&E and the head building official to conceptually approve it.

The larger buildings had enough space in their service equipment to clamp onto existing conductors when we needed to do that. We had to modify the charge condition meter main shut off and route it through a new gutter. We could do new tap here. and then clamp to conductor.

UL certification was another issue. The existing equipment, being 40 years old, wasn’t UL fabricated. Small enough to service meter and switch board were separate pieces of equipment. When the contractor, the electrical building inspector, the electrician, and the solar engineer got together – it was a tense moment!

When architects and building inspectors meet…

The next challenge was getting our systems approved by PG&E. You have to get approval from your local utility in order to submit for solar tax rebates. A 900 kW system like this one must undergo review at PG&E’s engineering department. They analyze their own infrastructure, including their transformers and underground conduits. In this case, PG&E’s equipment was also 40 years old, and perhaps built to prior standards. It took them quite awhile to analyze our proposal.

At first, they rejected it and wanted us to pay to upgrade all the transformers serving the complex. This was due to a loophole in the agreement for rebate systems for PVs, which allow the utilities to charge the client for these upgrades.

But if the power is generated onsite, why do you need those transformers?

In the middle of the day in a residential complex, power will be flowing out towards the grid. Changes to the photovoltaic systems had to be calibrated on the utilties’ side as well as ours. They had to change their meters so they could spin backwards.

Is that a smart meter?

No. A smart meter is one which is read remotely. [Communication is essentially what makes a smart meter more intelligent than a dumb meter]

Does PG&E do enough to support people like you?

There are people in various departments who did. The engineers really got behind us and worked with us to MAKE it work. Then there are other departments. All of them get delayed for a number of months without clear explanation. It could just be under-staffing.

Here’s an example of the type of problem we had to solve together with PG&E engineering… in one area of our project, there were 5 buildings served by one transformer. At first the told us that we had to pay for a new transformer, as well as pay for new primary and secondary feed lines – this would cost $200K.

Naturally our client wasn’t happy. PG&E countered that they were concerned that the kW would bump up the voltage above what they’re legally required to keep it under. Then they said, “But.. if you set the trip point on the inverters down, then we’ll approve.”

Inverters are normally set to 132V and they wanted us to set them at 127V. The PG&E grid is 120-122V but it just happens to be high in this particular location. As we installed systems in those 5 buildings, the inverters started to trip off. We’re still negotiating with PG&E over what to do.

What would you do different?

I wouldn’t accept a trip point! It was a sign that PG&E has real concerns about its own systems, that they were worried about the potential for voltage to increase too high . Our solar engineer had never run into that before. It was a real learning experience!

Even a genius can have a learning experience.

At this stage, our client didn’t know yet how much financing they could get. The budget was still in flux, and they really weren’t willing to accept sudden new costs. Especially in large renovations, you have to hold a large contingency fund; with our project, those funds are now available for post-construction.

What do the residents think about it?

Affordable housing is a very complex thing in our society. These are extremely low-income people. I didn’t have much contact with them but my sense is that they are appreciative of the renovations that included window replacement and other building improvements which improved their comfort and quality of life.

Another affordable housing project from Okamoto Saijo Architecture, PositiveMATCH is an adaptive re-use of a historic building in San Francisco, serving women with HIV and their children.

The buildings were made more airtight, with better insulation, new windows. And… cleaning the duct work after 40 years most likely improved the air quality.

Drainage for the entire site was improved. It’s very close to the Bay, with a high water table, so flooding is a concern. The storm drains were constantly backed up prior to the renovation, and ground floor units had water infiltration. All of these measures made the units more comfortable.

Another private residential design from Okamoto Saijo Architecture, a passive-solar farmhouse in Napa, CA

We also worked with the client to improve the visual appearance of the buildings. New paint schemes, and individual colors for each building. Before that, all 26 buildings on 24 acres had been colored the same. How monotonous!

Of course the resident’s don’t pay their own electric bill. That’s usually the thrilling part for homeowners is seeing their utility bill reduced. In this case, our client financed the PVs because they also pay the utilities.

Financing was through bonds. Our client was not the original developer. The project was originally built by a market-rate developer together with HUD. Our client bought it later, around 20 years ago.

When I first ran the numbers on the new Title 24 project from Klopf Architecture, the numbers were so high – 50% over compliance – that I immediately assumed that I had made a mistake somewhere in the calculations. After an internal review, however, we realized that it really was one of the most efficient projects we had ever taken through the energy compliance process. How did they do it?
Turns out that John Klopf, whom I’ve known through the AIA-SF Small Business Committee, is a huge fan of Eichler homes, and so were the clients who commissioned this new home in Cupertino, CA. They found Klopf through the Eichler Network, which is an online community “dedicated to supporting the lifestyle of the nearly 11,000 homeowners in Northern and Southern California who own an ‘Eichler’ home.”

Eichler homes, which were mass-produced tract homes designed by top-flight Modern architects, are highly prized today among fans of Midcentury Modern and California Modern architecture for their distinctively contemporary features – spartan simplicity, clean lines, open floor plans, post-and-beam construction, concrete slab floors with integral radiant heating, and integrated outdoor and indoor spaces.

Architect John Klopf, AIA

“Eichler homes are fun to renovate,” says Klopf. Eichler was unusually egalitarian for his time – non-discriminatory housing policies weren’t the norm at that time – and he made quality California Mid-Century Modern designs accessible to people of relatively modest means. “The homes employ limited technology, but are still relatively comfortable. Today, Eichler homes offer tons of potential as green projects, because their energy performance can be easily improved by affordable measures such as improved insulation and replacing the original clear glass with high-performing windows in the floor-to-ceiling glass walls.”

The owners are a high-energy couple with two young children who needed more space, more flexibility, and to remain in the highly-ranked Cupertino school district. Their desire to continue the Eichler aesthetic in their new home led them to John Klopf, who is widely known for his respectful work with Eichler homes.

However, the new home would be situated in an area of midsized 1960s ranch homes, on a small cul-de-sac where at least half the residents are retirees. They didn’t want it to stick out. So, the front aims for a “typical” suburban ranch feel with only a bit of modernizing. The client selected a cement fiberboard siding in horizontal planks, Artisan from Hardie, that is energy efficient and termite-resistant but which nonetheless blends well into the neighborhood. Then, as the view moves towards the rear, the Modern portions shine forth with a wall of glass at the rear. All that glass makes the home’s efficiency all the more amazing.

How did you design this home to be so efficient?

John Klopf responded, “We started off with a proper solar orientation. The home is designed to stay as cool as possible without A/C, because the client did not want A/C. Then we made the west wall mostly solid, without windows, with the exception of one portion of the western wall that featured spectrally selective, ultra high performing glass.”

“On the north wall, we used floor to ceiling windows to let in lots of light. This helped with stack-effect cooling as well. We kept the south facade relatively closed, with punched windows. This was not only for energy performance, but also to keep the front of the house in keeping with the ranch-style homes that surrounded it.”

Other basic energy design measures included 2×6 studs instead of the standard 2×4, in order to fit more insulation into the walls. “A lot of it is just using good quality construction, which should be what we’re doing anyway,” said Klopf.

Solar features include a giant sloping roof to the south, always intended for a big solar array, using solar hot water for radiant heating, and solar thermal. “We haven’t gotten to the interiors yet, so interior air quality is still ‘up in the air’. There’s no carpeting, which will do a lot to improve indoor air quality, and heat recovery ventilation systems will also help with air quality.”

Geoff Campen, another designer at Klopf Architecture, added, “Our contractor Phil is very into sustainability. He really helped us out a lot.” This was Phil Carey at Starburst Construction, a Certified Green Builder who’s well-known in the Cupertino area.

“Also, the client is VERY interested in sustainability, very adventurous. He likes to try out things that could work, even if they don’t have much precedent. He’s willing to take risks and make sacrifices. He’s open to the possibility of it not working quite as expected,” observed Geoff. “He asked us to look into SIPs and ICFs, was interested in solar PVs and water heating. We even considered gray water at one point. What we did was we walked through the GreenPoint Rating system with him, with the idea of doing everything possible.”

How does the client feel about the design?

“The house will be more than triple the size of the previous structure,” the client says, “yet it will use far less energy and it will not be a looming monster home out of character with the area. The beautiful modern design and advanced technology are well integrated into the neighborhood. We’re very happy with the plans.”

The client confirms that “the neighbors are very pleased with the look”.  “In fact,” he says, “it seems the only comment the planning department received was an email that said “I approve!”.  That was sent by a neighbor who is a big supporter of PV, hybrid cars and social change.  But the more conservative neighbors seem impressed as well, and may for the first time believe a greener lifestyle could be a reasonable and practical choice.”

How did the contractor influence the design?

Did he advise you on things like window placement? “It wasn’t so much about design as working out the mechanical equipment. Phil is actually a Certified Green Builder, with a lot of experience. He advised us on what was possible or not possible. Some of the GreenPoints are for use of certain materials, some of which are harder to obtain in California,” said Geoff.

“We started working with the subs like Solar City early on, and they provided the schematics for their systems.” These consultants included the solar, mechanical, and the landscape architect – and you guys [Green Compliance Plus] for the Title 24. There was no need for a lighting consultant, because the Eichler style calls for simpler lighting.”

Our discussion veered into what green building meant. I mentioned Green Compliance Plus’ recent Jeff King interview, and Geoff agreed. “Green Building is about living simpler, really, and less being more. But the flashier side can serve more as a mechanism for social change.“

John Klopf was more emphatic. “Sustainability is not a part of architecture. Architecture is a part of sustainability.” So what does this mean?

Even the experts don’t always agree on what “sustainability” itself really means. Klopf actually has several definitions of sustainability on pages 9 and 10 (PDF 17 and 18) of his report on sustainability for the University of California Merced Campus, available on his web site under “Research”.

Most “green” practices today are focused on mitigating degradation by incremental measures: slowing pollution, reducing toxins, increasing reuse. More ambitious approaches to sustainability actually seek to enhance the Earth’s carrying capacity by eliminating the concept of “waste” altogether.

But then there’s the practical side of what actually gets built, how it gets built, and with which materials.

When researching new materials like Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) or Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), Geoff stressed the importance of selecting vendors with some financial stability. And, the best people to provide practical, useful information about these things are not the vendors – it’s the contractors.

“For one thing, not all SIPs are seismically approved for California. For another, it changes some of your construction methods for the trades. How the subs cut into the material to lay their systems is different with SIPs. When you install them, you have to cut every piece by hand.”

ICFs – Insulated concrete forms – are cast in place concrete, but the forms are left on. They have rigid insulation inside and out. The builder can attach sheetrock to the inside insulation, and apply a special waterproofing treatment to the outside. Do ICFs cost more than conventional building materials? “Well sometimes. But you might save on labor because these products are modular, pre-manufactured, and quicker to install.”

When’s the project going to be completed?

“Assuming the permitting goes smoothly, it should be done by the end of 2010″.

How are Planning and Building officials responding to the project?

“They’ve been very helpful, because they see that we’re serious,” said Geoff. “They’ve supported the project by making it easier to get variances on roof heights (for the solar), and they’ve moved everything very quickly.”

How does Cupertino feel about GreenPoints?

“In Cupertino, a GreenPoint checklist may be required, but you can hit the 60-point minimum without even trying. We’re at about 270 points right now,” Geoff responded. Klopf mentioned that Cupertino will pay for a GreenPoint rater to come out, as long as the home scores at least 75 GreenPoints. Since all submittals now need to include a GreenPoint checklist (not the same as an actual GreenPoint rating, which takes place after the house is built), theoretically the owner would know in advance how their GreenPoint rating was likely to pan out.

Are the clients doing home automation?

The clients didn’t want a fully integrated home automation system, but they are doing interesting things such integrating spectrally selective “smart glass” into the extensive glass walls along the rear of the home. Geoff adds, “They focused more on the relationships between spaces. One of them is an artist with a home studio, and she wanted to be able to watch the kids as they played or did homework in other parts of the home.” The other client requested more isolated spaces for a media room and a quiet but sunny home office. Klopf’s design team was able to meet all of their goals.

Interior of home

“This process has been as good for us as for the client,” Geoff continued. “At my last firm, we designed $10-$15M homes, but those clients were just not as committed. They’d say, ‘Oh, can it be green? We want solar’ without really understanding what that means. And, when they realize that sustainability means they can’t have those exotic finishes that have to be shipped from across the world, they abandon the green. It’s just not that important to them.”

By contrast, in this project, the clients’ commitment to green was the vital enabling factor in this project. “He’s a marketing consultant for high-tech companies. He’s also very into ham radio, has huge antennas at his home. He has a good grasp of engineering, knows a lot about building… this client was willing make sacrifices that in turn helped us get more into the project. We’ve never been able to engross ourselves in a project to this extent. With this experience, and the added credibility, we’ll be better prepared to push it in other projects.”

The client agreed, adding, “I think with this design we’ve managed to prove that a highly efficient, very green home can fit into an average suburban neighborhood quite well, requiring no uncomfortable sacrifices or anything that might seem like an eccentric lifestyle to the average neighbor.

“As the authors of Break Through argue, long-term environmental goals are more easily achieved when you can appeal to practical and immediate concerns like people’s wallets and their country’s energy independence, not by asking them to give up their lifestyle and get all crunchy just for the sake of the polar bears.”

“We’re very lucky that the client shared our passion for green design,” Geoff said emphatically. “The client’s commitment was the key. And, he’s savvy. We don’t have to teach him, we just have to meet and work things out.”

A principal in a local architectural firm approached us for T24 on a new house in Sonoma County that he was designing for himself and his partner. They needed Title 24 documents for their permit submittal, but beyond that, he wanted to qualify for solar rebate credits through California’s New Solar Homes Partnership Program (NSHP). He also wanted the house to be as “green” as possible, just because.

What do we need to do to get a rebate through California’s New Solar Homes Program?

Part of qualifying for California New Solar Homes Partnership Program (NSHP) is that the home’s Title 24 must exceed the baseline by 15%. As it turns out, the New Solar Homes Program has two tiers. Tier 1 is 15%, and requires Energy Star appliances. Tier 2 is 35%, requires Energy Star appliances, and you must demonstrate a 40% reduction in cooling load, presumably recovered from solar energy.

Well, the two buildings together were 15%, not 35. The main house was passing with flying colors, but the guest house was just squeaking by. So the question was, whether and how to modify the design aggressively enough to qualify for the higher Solar Homes tier. Since NSHP is tied to Title 24, there was some confusion over which features counted in which program.

Lessons Learned

Photovoltaics don’t count towards Title 24, but solar hot water does. However, using Solar Water Heating yields only small gains in the Title 24 results, not enough to make a difference in the Solar Homes incentive. Even without regulatory gains, though, adding solar hot water is relatively inexpensive, while PVs for electricity are not.

We also noted that the Solar Homes incentive has diminishing returns in the upper tier, because photovoltaics are expensive to buy and install, and can take many years to yield meaningful savings. Photovoltaics do count towards the solar credit, at $2.50 per watt, or 1500 watts for $3750. An additional incentive of $3.50 per watt or another $5,250 is available if you go for Tier 2. So, a Tier 2 home with 1500 watts of PV paneling would get a $9,000 rebate. But… it would cost $18K for the panels, plus installation.

Do we need a HERS rater?

When specific items are installed (Ducting, Solar P-V, certain EER-rated equipment etc.), these must be verified by a HERS rater who is a certified inspector with CalCerts, CHEERS, etc. When you have solar water heating or photovoltaics, it must be verified by an inspector who is specifically approved for the California New Solar Homes Program (aka “Title 24 HERS rated”).

What appliances count towards this credit under Energy Star?
Windows, heaters, lighting, fridge, freezer, dishwashers, washers, and dryers can earn Energy Star. Water heaters can be rated as High Efficiency under the Energy Star system, but they don’t “count” here towards the NSHP credit.

Where do Energy Star appliances get factored in for Title 24 compliance?

Umm, nowhere. Don’t confuse Title 24 calculations with the NSHP incentive. However, EnergyStar appliances count for plenty of other things – LEED for Homes, GreenPoints (which is strongly encouraged in some jurisdictions). And, of course, they contribute towards lower energy bills.

How much do you want to spend to improve the design?

Generally, adding more thermal mass, using fewer square feet of glass, using ultra low E glass, and adding a thermal envelope will all contribute towards improved energy performance, and all of these items are factored into the Title 24 calculations. But get it in before August 1, when the 2008 Title 24 requirements go into effect that are 15% more efficient than the old Title 24. With this added restriction, the main house would still comply, but not a 15% anymore, and the guest would not pass.