Building Tour of Four All-electric Buildings to Reduce the Carbon Footprint – 2024 Central Coast Bioneers

On this tour, you’ll have an inside look at all-electric green buildings that are energy efficient and powered completely or in part with renewable energy, reducing their carbon footprints. The tour will cover one commercial building and three residential projects in San Luis Obispo.  If you’re thinking about decarbonizing your home or office, this is a great showcase of projects to inspire you.

People’s Self-Help Housing Office

Completed in 2022, this 24,000 SF office building has earned LEED Silver Certification. It’s all-electric with a variable refrigerant flow heat pump system for heating and cooling and an integrated heat pump water heater. The 115 kW-photovoltaic solar panels on the roof offsets the entire annual energy use making this a Zero Net Energy Project. The PV array is sized with additional capacity to add EV charging systems in the future. Other green building features include a drought-tolerant landscape design that includes almost all native plant selections, bioswales to process storm water on site, an induction cooktop in the break room, and a focus on indoor air quality for employees. Host: In Balance Green Consulting, LEED Administrator and Energy Consultant, with PSHH.

Patricia Ave Accessory Dwelling Unit

This is a new ADU located near Bishop Peak. Built with Passive House principles, this small home incorporates excellent insulation, construction assemblies to stop thermal bridging, strategic placement and sizing of high-quality windows, all-electric systems for heating, cooling and hot water, balanced ventilation with heat recovery and renewable energy. The project will be completing construction at the time of the tour. Host: Cairn Collaborative, Design-Build

Phased De-Carbonization of an Existing Residence

The owners of this single-family home have been working to reduce the carbon footprint of their home through a phased approach. To avoid the large upfront costs and scheduling impacts of a major remodel, they clustered renovations and upgrades, creating a handful of discreet projects over a few years, starting with roof replacement and solar panels, progressing through window replacements and mechanical system upgrades then strategic renovations for function and efficiency. Host: Cairn Collaborative, Design-Build

Major Remodel under construction

This major remodel in the Sinsheimer neighborhood, took the existing residence down to the studs. Construction includes new structural elements to expand the second floor and new insulation, roofing, siding, finishes and windows to improve comfort, performance, acoustics and, of course, aesthetics. Like most existing properties, the original home was heated with a gas furnace, but the new owners are committed to all-electric so had the gas meter removed and the gas line capped at the street. The tour will be of an active construction site, to show the work in progress. Host: Cairn Collaborative, Design-Build

All participants should plan on arriving at People’s Self-Help Housing, 1060 Kendall Rd, San Luis Obispo by 1:45.  Transportation to each location will be provided by Ride-On van. Fee:$35