Sundance Housing Cooperative: Creating a Sustainable Future
This video demonstrates the Deep Energy Retrofit Project currently being undertaken by Sundance Housing Co-op. It was produced for the City of Edmonton Renewables series within their Change for Climate initiative. Members of the Sundance Planning and Development Committee, Jean Ure and Sandy Susut, are interviewed, as well as Stuart Fix, engineer, and one of the managing partners in Butterwick Projects, the design-build firm contracted by Sundance.
Additional public information about the project will be available in the coming months as well as a Retrofit website to share a broad spectrum of information.
1. Background
2. Current Building Upgrading and Modernization
An Overview of the Community
Sundance Housing Cooperative has been providing affordable housing to its membership since 1978. Its 78 homes include 59 town homes, 10 duplex units and a 9 suite seniors apartment. Sundance is a mixed income community that serves households of all ages including both young and mature families, singles, and seniors. Nearly 40% of the members have lived in Sundance for more than 20 years. The Cooperative is self-managed and the members have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the community.
Sundance is well managed and maintained, it has a long term plan and a replacement reserve that is funded based upon this long term plan. Because of the nature of the cooperative management model, as well as its non-profit operations, the Cooperative has managed to maintain average economic housing charges that are less than average market rental rates. Even without additional assistance Sundance offers housing that is affordable. Sundance’s cooperative base has allowed it to provide housing to individuals who would otherwise have been institutionalized or homeless. Many studies in Canada, US and the UK have concluded that cooperatives provide a very effective and efficient way of providing affordable housing.
Future Proofing: the Building and the Community
Sundance Co-op is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and increasing the energy efficiency of its housing. When the town homes were built in 1978, the Cooperative used a much higher R-factor insulation than required by code at the time. It has undertaken other energy saving and environmentally friendly projects over the years. One example is the recycling shed that Sundance built an number of years ago. The money collected from recycled items have paid for low-flush toilets and a number of rain barrels to catch rain water for use on gardens.
The venture known as the Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) actually started in 2016 when Sundance made an application under a CMHC Reno/Retrofit Project. While Sundance did not receive funding under that program, it did decided to explore further options.
In June of 2017, the membership agreed to undertake a feasibility analysis with the intent of producing a comprehensive refinancing and revitalization plan for Sundance. As part of this process Sundance hired ReNu Engineering to assess its options. ReNu identified three options:
- Repairing and refurbishment of the building envelope
- Retrofit the buildings to bring them up to existing Building Code
- Undertaking a Deep Energy Retrofit (DER)
Based upon the analysis, of the three options Sundance decided to pursue a DER approach to the building renovations.
When the opportunity arose in early 2018 to submit a proposal under the Green Infrastructure Phase II – Energy Efficient Buildings RD & D Program Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Sundance collaborated with Butterwick Projects to submit an application. In early 2019, Sundance received confirmation that they would receive a contribution from NRCan for the retrofit work.
A Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) involves the retrofit of a building enclosure and other building systems (heating and air control) in a way that results in a high performance building. It also provides benefits to building durability, comfort, and indoor air quality. NRCan agreed to provide a contribution to Sundance for its retrofit because the project would accelerate the adoption of new technologies, provide a more cost effective solution, and become a real world demonstration. The Minister of Natural Resources highlighted this in his speech at the official announcement on May 24th , 2019.
- Energy efficiency in buildings lowers costs, creates jobs and helps the environment. Promoting energy-efficient practices is key to Canada’s approach to a clean energy economy.
- The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a federal investment of $2.5 million for the Sundance Housing Co-operative to retrofit 59 units of its wood frame townhouse complex in Edmonton to be net-zero ready.
- The retrofit will focus on installing new, energy-efficient exterior wall panels, which will be designed and fabricated off-site by using digital imaging. The panels will be installed over the existing exterior walls, thus requiring no demolition and allowing the work to be done quickly and with less disruption to occupants.
- This demonstration project aims to accelerate the uptake of panelized prefabricated deep energy retrofits across North America — cutting costs and reducing pollution. Natural Resources Canada is funding the project through its Energy Innovation Program (EIP), which supports initiatives to accelerate clean technology development. The project is also part of Canada’s $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.
The retrofit work is being done by Butterwick Projects Ltd, whose principals include Peter Amerongen (Habitat Studio), Stuart Fix (ReNu Engineering) and Dave and Annalee Butterwick (Butterwick Construction). Sundance has contracted with the Communitas Group to provide overall project management services. The retrofit work is being done in two Phases. Phase 1 (research and development phase) involved two adjacent units. The work on this Phase started in March 2019 was completed in July 2019. Between the completion of this work and the fall of 2019, the design and development team is testing the performance of the building envelope and assessing the results. The team will modify the approach as required in Phase 2. Construction work will start on Phase 2 (balance of the 57 units) in January 2020. The work that Sundance is undertaking as part of its retrofit is important not only as a leading edge possibility for existing buildings but to help reduce the amount of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the Paris Agreement Canada agreed to reduce its greenhouses gas emissions by over 30% below the 2005 level by 2030. Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of total global greenhouse gasses and 70 to 80 % of the buildings we will be using in the future are already built.
Financing its Share
The estimated total budget for the project is approximately $7.6 million (construction work, soft costs and the repayment of the initial CMHC mortgage) NRCan will cover $2.5 million dollars of the construction cost. Currently the Cooperative has approximately $194,000. in its renovation fund. The Cooperative will secure a long term mortgage to cover the balance of the costs. Long term financing is a fundamental prerequisite to ensure long term sustainability.
For Sundance long term sustainability does not just mean providing affordable housing. It also means being able to ensure financial stability for the cooperative , to maintain and upgrade its buildings as required, as well as ensuring active member participation in the management and governance of the community.
Completed Units
