Going “Green” in Social Housing

1. Going “Green” in Social Housing Affordable Housing Action Network November 20, 2008

2. Social Housing a “Green” Leader • Environmental changes made in virtually all 100 social housing buildings • Over 2,200 units • Changes have been fairly straight forward approaches • Require careful planning and staff time to implement

3. Green Initiatives • Replaced 14,177 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs • Replaced 2,477 T12 with T8 • Annual reduction of 2,918,477 kwh • Saves about 800 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

4. Green Initiatives • 724 new energy star refridgerators • Annual reduction of 604,692 kwh • Saves about 166 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

5. Green Initiatives • Replaced exterior light fixtures at 32 buildings with compact fluorescent and LED light fixtures • Annual reduction of 16,538 kwh • Saves about 4.5 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

6. Green Initiatives • Replaced weather stripping and re-caulked around doors and windows at 1,379 units

7. Green Initiatives • Installed 1,373 low-flow shower heads • Saves about 7,216,498 litres of water each year

8. Green Initiatives • 30 new energy star stoves

9. Green Initiatives • 336 new low flush toilets • Saves about 5,886,720 litres of water each year

10. Green Initiatives • Installed 2,083 new thermostats

11. Green Initiatives • Replaced 594 wooden doors with metal insulated doors

12. Green Initiatives • Retrofitted 342 exit lights from PL7 to LED • Annual reduction of 16,477 kwh • Saves about 4.5 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

13. Green Initiatives • Updated attic insulation and ventilation in 503 seniors apartments and 297 family units

14. Green Initiatives • Replaced 8 – 100 gallon hot water tanks with tank less hot water “on demand” systems • Saves about 44 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

15. Green Initiatives • Installed 1,411 new taps • Saves about 188,000 litres of water each year

16. Green Initiatives • Installed 40 new windows

17. Green Initiatives • Installed solar panels to offset hot water heating for 82 apartments • 41,000 kwh of thermal solar energy produced each year • Saves about 10.9 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year

18. Green Initiatives • Total savings of 3,597,184 kwh annually • Total reduction of 1,065 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year • Equal to removing 568 cars from the road • 13,291,218 litres of water saved each year

19. Green Initiatives • Conducted energy audits for 17 apartment buildings and 6 town house complexes • Implemented use of latex paint instead of oil paint for 1,379 units when tenants move out • Planted over 60 trees

20. More to Come in 2009 • Replacing 437 refridgerators • Replacing 172 windows • Replacing 429 stoves • Installing energy automation system for energy consumption in building • 330 light bulbs • 120 light fixtures

21. More to Come in 2009 • Installing 749 new low flush toilets • Use of bio-degradable garbage bags • Using bio-based cleaning supplies • Installing 449 new thermostats

22. More to Come in 2009 • Replacing 153 furnaces with high efficiency models • Replacing 10 – 100 gallon hot water tanks with tank less hot water on-demand systems • Re-caulking of over 500 windows

23. More to Come in 2009 • Installing food waste composters at 33 multi residential sites • Implementing aggressive recycling programs, complete with education programs • Further reduction of 1,973 tonnes of green house gas emissions

24. Conclusion • Tenants living in social housing already have a small environmental footprint • Units are relatively small and modest • One-bedroom seniors apartment is less than 500 square feet • With a reduction of 1,065 tonnes of green house gas emissions each year, and reduction of another 1,973 tonnes planned for next year, the environmental footprint of social housing gets smaller each year