Green Rock Apartments Transform Multifamily Housing
from Old to Sustainable
March 12, 2023
Dale Howey, in six years, has transformed his Green Rock Apartments into a model of carbon- neutral housing. Howey, a Minneapolis owner/renovator, has completed eight multi-unit building retrofits. The physical improvements, coupled with enhanced livability amenities, have dramatically reduced each building’s utility usage/cost of energy, increased owner profits, and improved livability for residents. Most importantly, the retrofits have significantly reduced the use of fossil fuels, and thus contribute toward lowering the world’s extreme carbon emissions.
Howey’s intention is to open-source his unique retrofit approach so that others may gain ideas, inspiration, and guidance. To that end, the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, in collaboration with Green Rock Apartments, has produced a detailed guide documenting Howey’s projects, noting the carbon-reducing products used, retrofit project financing, key contacts and sources for further research.
Howey encourages, and even challenges, other multifamily property owners to use their business leverage to invest in and create positive environmental change. He points to statistics— “the world has 1.6 trillion square feet of building stock, of which 99 percent is not green, and buildings contribute over 40% of the world’s carbon emissions”.
“We must do what we can with what we have. Now. I learned by doing; you can too.”
Howey became aware of the climate crisis in the year 2000 and, as he learned more about it, he began to network with people in the renewables industry while continuing to research all ways to mitigate climate change.
He first adopted a low-energy-usage lifestyle for his home, using it as an experimental tool. By installing new windows, insulation, and a solar photovoltaic system on his own rooftop, he began to live in a net-zero environment.
He emphasizes the choice we face, we can either despoil our planet for money–or—by eliminating energy bills, do our part to save the planet for future generations. He has concluded that we must modify our existing multifamily housing stock, because there is not enough time to rebuild all our existing housing stock as net-zero before cataclysmic results of climate change become irreversible.
“We must retrofit our existing multifamily housing stock, and there is no time to waste.”
Green Rock Apartments are multifamily buildings of various sizes and ages, ranging from 24-unit city dwellings to 10-unit brick brownstones in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their transformation over the past six years includes as many energy-efficient and enhanced healthy living features as financially possible. Near-carbon-zero retrofit projects include solar energy systems over car parks and on rooftops, variable heat pumps to replace inefficient baseboard heat, and many more.
Livability is Howey’s focus for his properties—not only now, but for future generations. “Green” amenities offered to residents at Green Rock Apartments include:
Recycling/organization of waste services
Gardening opportunities
Bike share program
Free locally-made soap, hand, bath and toilet paper
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations
Rent credit for EV Car purchase
“This is what they want— a lifestyle. The traditional view of apartment living is changing...and you know what? Showing residents that Green Rock Apartments and I value the planet, community and, most importantly, them... has netted me zero outstanding rents and zero vacancy rates. These offerings make ALL the difference.”
Dale Howey is confident that his unique approach to updating multifamily buildings to carbon-zero can be learned and even improved upon by others involved in the world’s housing stock.
His first consideration when acquiring a building is its health. Where is it ailing? What is the toxicity of the building? The air quality? Are the windows fogging in the winter, indicating poor air flow? Is the roof leaking into the floors below... and if so, does it need to be replaced, or simply patched? Is the electrical bill astronomical? There are probably baseboard heaters. Do residents complain of insufficient hot water? Consider variable heat pumps. Howey acquired one Minneapolis apartment building that still had coal on the floor of the boiler room from the days of coal heating. The building is now outfitted with infrared heaters in each unit and variable heat pumps. That boiler room is now a workout gym.
Each building is evaluated for potential improvements:
THE ENVELOPE/THE SHELL – tuckpointing, double- or triple-pane windows, door and window weather sealing, roof integrity, asbestos abatement (if needed), insulation, reflective film on windows, painting rooftops white to reflect heat.
UTILITY SYSTEMS – boiler, water, no hot water? Possible installation of a modulating HVAC water heater. Arranging a Home Energy Squad audit (free by most utility companies)
ENERGY SOURCE IMPROVEMENTS – what energy is supplied by fossil fuels? Gas dryers? Change to heat pump units.
LIVABILITY — what environment-focused amenities can be provided to enhance quality of life for residents and help the planet? Some of Howey’s ideas are listed above. What ideas do you have? What livability enhancements would your residents like? This is a movement toward healthy living...and you can own it.
After an analysis, Howey creates a “hit list” of projects, ranked so as to be done in the order determined to have the most impact on the health and energy efficiency of the building. To put it simply, his goal when he begins to retrofit an apartment building is to plug the biggest holes first. Each building is different and must be attended to in an individual way, with different projects in a different order. He also knows to remain flexible in case new opportunities or resources become available.
He also does a cost benefit analysis for the building, considering what he can do with his available resources and whether there are city programs that are donating products and/or expertise.
In order to remain nimble, Howey has no set budget for his apartment building retrofits. He typically has multiple projects going on simultaneously at various buildings. Work is done incrementally, one unit at a time, as he believes an occupied building is better than one emptied for renovations. Whenever possible, he will move a resident within the building during renovations. By not emptying buildings, there is still incoming rent, and residents are disrupted as little as possible.
Examples of retrofits include the installation of air source heat pumps, electric pump water heaters (HPWHs), new windows and window coatings (since windows can be responsible for leaking 25-30% of the energy used in residential heating), infrared space heaters, solar PV systems, eco-friendly insulation, solar exterior lighting, level 2 EV chargers, heat pump dryers, energy efficient cook tops, and electric snowblowers. Outside the buildings, there is no traditional landscaping—that is, no grass but only native plants. As mentioned earlier, gardening opportunities are made available for residents to produce some of their own food.
As retrofits continued, Green Rock Apartments began to exhibit changes far beyond appearance—lower electric bills for common areas and for residents, fewer units charged on the water bill, and solar credits from the utility company. Residents were (and are) enthusiastic about warmer units and sufficient hot water. Motion sensor LED lighting in the garages and solar-powered exterior lighting provide efficient and safe areas. After one year, and then two... the lower electric bills, the complete deletion of a gas bill, lower water meter readings... all provided measurable data as to the effects of these retrofit projects leading to carbon-zero living.
Informal surveys show that residents of Green Rock Apartments value this interest in providing a healthy living environment even beyond the financial benefits. The rental properties experience little to no turnover. Online resident reviews are extremely positive—a result prized by property owners, as it greatly helps overall business. Howey also believes that as more residents become aware of what is possible, they will seek out such healthy living accommodations as are provided at Green Rock Apartments.
The comprehensive guide for retrofitting multifamily dwellings mentioned earlier, Green Rock Apartments Transform Multifamily Housing from Old to Sustainable offers a plethora of information both general and specific—including metrics for the eight buildings Howey has transformed in the past six years and suggestions for products, providing both type and specific brands (for a general idea of options, how much they cost, etc.). The guide also lists specific resources—organizations, books, movies, websites, and podcasts, where one can go to learn more about what is being done and what still needs to be initiated and maintained. That guide can be found here.
Since every single step taken contributes toward the goal of reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change, Dale Howey encourages property owners to determine what they can do right now. He asks owners:
Look at your property in a new way, knowing you can profit from carbon-zero retrofitting. Schedule an Energy Efficiency Audit through your utility company. Understand the impact that retrofitting your building to carbon zero will have for you, your residents, and the planet.
Make one change this month that reduces your building’s energy use.
Email your residents asking what healthy livability amenities they would like most.
Create a hitlist for green energy ideas for your property.
Spread the word to other property owners and managers so the combined impact is greater.
Email your members of Congress to encourage green legislation.
Join a green building advocate organization such as Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to stay on top of green energy building news.