A leader in sustainability, TNDC is ramping up efforts to decarbonize across properties. Today, the Sustainability Team has completed seven projects decarbonizing domestic hot water systems by converting gas boilers to electric heat pumps. Per the current SF Climate Action Plan, all buildings should be 100% electric by 2040.
"Carbon neutral is an ultimate goal not only for affordable housing, but for all buildings,” said Magda Szymanska, Associate Director of Sustainability, “Burning gas poses significant risk to people’s health and safety. Historically, affordable housing communities are usually located in the areas with bad or the worst air quality. Decarbonization is beneficial for our tenants, our community, and the entire environment.”
After project completion, most properties dropped greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50%, and their total energy usage by an average of 43%. As such, TNDC is on track to reach our goal of 50% GHG reduction by 2031 with the 2018 baseline.
The total cost was 4.3 million, but TNDC only paid for 10% of total project cost as the rest was covered by grants, incentives, and rebates that the Sustainability Team pursued.
Additionally, the electrification project was noninvasive and did not disturb tenant’s daily lives.
“It is important to us to not to disturb the daily life of our tenants, not to mention- relocate them, even for a short time,” Szymanska said. “Even though in-unit visits are sometimes required, things like pressure checks, wait times for hot water, and distribution evaluations are brief and not invasive”
Carbon neutrality aligns with TNDC’s overarching climate goals. In 2021, TNDC became one of three multifamily housing organizations to sign onto the Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge—a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in ten years.
In 2019 TNDC upgraded all owner-paid electricity to 100% renewable energy through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's SuperGreen Program. We have extensively invested in onsite renewable electricity to reduce operating costs and carbon emissions. Currently, a majority of buildings have moved to LED and 52% of our buildings have rooftop Solar PV or Solar Thermal systems.
TNDC is committed to reducing energy usage by 20% by 2029, which is also part of the Better Buildings Challenge.
Because it starts from the ground up, TNDC is also a HomeFree partner, a national initiative supporting affordable housing developers in committing to improving tenant health by using safer and less toxic building materials.
