Sustainability
The Sundial Building doesn’t approach anything conventionally, and that includes its approach to sustainability. Sundial implements and combines new construction features and sustainability technologies in a way thats totally unique to other buildings of its kind.
It Starts With The Building Envelope:
Sundial is built different - this directly affects your comfort, your health and your pocketbook as a resident at the Sundial Building.
These walls are super insulated, 30% more than codes requires them to be. That means on those super cold days in winter, heat energy escapes much more slowly through it.
Let’s Talk About Air Quality and Thermal Comfort.
Temperature is not just the most important element of comfort in a building, but it also comes at the highest financial and energy cost. The use of recirculating kitchen fans, ERV exhaust fans and heat-pump, ventless clothes dryers prevents holes from being cut through the walls and limits places for heated/cooled air to be lost. It all adds up!
Summer or winter, the Sundial Building will be comfortable longer and cost less to run than most buildings of its kind.
Where Does Our Water Come From?
Sundial is a rainwater harvesting machine - water is collected, stored, treated, and then directed for non-potable use in the building.
This system is anticipated to collect approximately 90,000 gallons per year of impervious surface roof runoff. 76,000 gallons will be used for flushing toilets, and the remaining 14,000 gallons used for outdoor irrigation of native plants and grasses.
How About Hot Water?
Hot water is a quality of life question and an energy question - Sundial implements two different kinds of energy-efficient water heating approaches.
The first is a solar thermal collection system, which uses solar energy to pre-heat water before it heads to the rest of the system. The second is air source heat pumps, which transfer heat from the air into water in the tank.
What About Energy? Don’t Worry, Sundial Has Gone Solar.
Both the main building and the smaller out buildings are outfitted with solar panels. Because Sundial is a multi-family building, it’s energy capacity is larger than the average home.