Senior residing supplier The Springs Residing has over 20 areas throughout Oregon, Washington and Montana. The group has one purpose in thoughts: treating their residents like household by way of high quality service. Since 1996, The Springs Residing has maintained a excessive customary of care at their senior residing communities. By means of common facility enhancements and upgrades, the group constantly innovates to additional improve the lives of their residents. Heating and cooling tools replacements are some of the frequent initiatives their upkeep workers offers with.
To keep away from compromising the standard of care they supply, neighborhood administration appears to be like for long-term options versus fast fixes when issues come up. When previous, inefficient HVAC tools at one in every of their communities, The Springs at Clackamas Woods, “began to fail regularly,” mentioned Chris Shelby, director of design at The Springs Residing, they started making strategic replacements to enhance heating and cooling reliability whereas minimizing resident inconvenience. “Elevated consolation and extra reliable tools make a big effect,” he mentioned.
The group’s need to decrease operational prices by decreasing power utilization was an extra cause Shelby selected to exchange tools as an alternative of continuous to make repairs. “We take into account power effectivity with all capital initiatives and upkeep prices had been creeping up as nicely,” he mentioned. Over the previous few years, The Springs at Clackamas Woods has decreased power waste and ensured extra constant HVAC efficiency by putting in new packaged terminal warmth pumps (PTHPs) and a brand new condensing fuel furnace.
PTHPs present high quality heating and cooling that residents can depend on
Since 2020, workers at The Springs at Clackamas Woods have changed 47 house heating and conditioning models with energy-efficient PTHPs. The group has acquired greater than $12,000 in money incentives from Power Belief of Oregon for buying and putting in these PTHPs. Mixed, the superior effectivity of those models will save The Springs Residing simply over $11,700 per yr in power prices and pay for themselves in underneath three years.
The residents say the PTHPs are simple to make use of, and the reliable in-unit house conditioning is very appreciated as current summers have been highly regarded in Milwaukie. Lowered noise was one other profit residents famous. “The brand new PTHPs are so quiet. They don’t rattle just like the previous ones did,” Shelby mentioned.
A brand new furnace made HVAC operations extra environmentally pleasant
Utilizing power extra effectively goes hand-in-hand with The Springs Residing’s dedication to minimizing their impression on the surroundings, which is one thing their residents maintain them accountable for. “As we make replacements, our residents count on us to take steps to be much less wasteful,” Shelby mentioned. “A lot of them are actually targeted on sustainability and wish our amenities to mirror that.”
In 2023, The Springs at Clackamas Woods put in a brand new high-efficiency condensing fuel furnace that reaches an Annual Gasoline Utilization Effectivity (AFUE) ranking of 95 %. Older furnace fashions, just like the one The Springs Residing changed, usually solely hit an AFUE ranking of 56 to 70%. The Springs Residing acquired money incentives from Power Belief to assist cut back the price of the brand new furnace.
To save lots of much more power, The Springs Residing added a secondary warmth exchanger to the condensing furnace that recycles wasted warmth from outgoing air. The captured warmth warms incoming air, which reduces the quantity of effort required by the furnace. “Eradicating warmth from the air earlier than it’s exhausted helps us present residents with clear, contemporary air whereas utilizing much less power,” Shelby mentioned.
Power-efficient tools helps maintain residents safer and extra comfy
At each one in every of their communities, The Springs Residing workers tries to go above and past code necessities to understand extra power financial savings and set up higher techniques. In his opinion, the ability upgrades at The Springs at Clackamas Woods have solely had a constructive impression on residents. “By making the surroundings in our neighborhood higher by way of new tools, we’re enhancing our residents’ high quality of life,” Shelby mentioned.
The data and expertise The Springs Residing workers gained by way of working with Power Belief has made figuring out potential initiatives and budgeting simpler for his or her workforce. Shelby plans to exchange growing older tools in different communities that want frequent upkeep to get forward of potential failures. “Using incentives from Power Belief makes putting in higher-quality tools and techniques potential,” he mentioned. “It has actually opened the door for us as we retrofit our present communities and plan new ones.”
Power Belief may also help your assisted or senior residing facility develop into extra environment friendly for much less. Head to our multifamily property incentives web page to discover ways to get began.
Photograph courtesy of The Springs Residing
