National CORE recently unveiled its first “Green Rehab” project at the Indian Wells Villas community. The most impressive component of the green rehab was the installation of 1,092 high-efficiency photo-voltaic panels, or solar panels, to the rooftops of every building on the property. The photo-voltaic panels produce direct current (DC) electricity by combining solar radiation with silicon particles located in each panel. This DC electricity travels to 56 inverters which then convert it to usable alternating current (AC) electrical power. This AC power then travels back to the meters and then to Southern California Edison’s (SCE) grid. In exchange for supplying SCE with this electrical power, the property generates credits which are significant enough to reduce residents’ bills to nearly zero.

For the nearly 200 senior residents who live at Indian Wells Villas, a California desert community near Palm Springs, this 80%–100% reduction in electrical bills is an important savings that directly contributes to their quality of life. The project was partially funded by a generous grant of $1.8 million from SCE’s Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program. According to SCE’s MASH website, the goals of MASH are to:

• Stimulate adoption of solar power in the affordable housing sector
• Improve energy utilization and overall quality of affordable housing through application of solar and energy efficiency technologies
• Decrease electricity use and costs without increasing monthly household expenses for affordable housing building occupants
• Increase awareness and appreciation of the benefits of solar among affordable housing occupants and developers

On National CORE’s website there is a link that allows the public to see in real time the amount of electrical power being generated. To see this data, please click on the following link http://solardistributorsinc.com/monitor.html.  

The photo-voltaic panels were the biggest and most ambitious part of the green rehab. In addition to the panels, National CORE also upgraded the HVAC systems; installed tankless water heaters; cool roofs; dual flush toilets; “smart” irrigation controls; and electric vehicle charging stations in each unit. National CORE also installed a variable speed pool pump in the common area pool which will operate with up to 90% energy savings and solar pool heater with will deduce energy costs by 50%.

Challenges included scheduling roof and panel installations while the property was fully occupied, ensuring our compliance with SCE grant requirements, working in summer weather conditions that often exceeded 112° temperatures, and working around existing site constraints. However, the team effort of many made the project possible. The result is a better quality of life for our senior residents and an improvement of our carbon footprint on this planet.

Special acknowledgements should be awarded to the following National CORE and other teams:

• Development
• Property Management
• Hope Through Housing Foundation
• IT
• Construction
• City of Indian Wells
• SCE
• Solar Distributors, Inc.
• Arethane Roofing, Inc.