El Camino Real Apartments

21 South Chile Capital Lane, Hatch, NM 87937

Project Details:

Multifamily Farmers Work Force Housing project (Phase 1 was 4 multifamily buildings = 30 units plus a community building and Phase 2 was 4 multifamily buildings = 30 units) in Hatch, NM. Green Insight’s scope of work included project green goal facilitation, work with the contractor before design started to identified cost-effective design solutions, LEED for Homes credit verification and testing during construction, energy modeling, building material assessments, review of specifications, construction documents and project submittals.

  • Hatch, NM
  • LEED Platinum registered
  • Developer – Thomas Development
  • Contractor – Cress Builders
  • Developer Contact – Tom Andrews 575.642.4617

Challenges:

The Village of Hatch, New Mexico sits on a floodplain that is periodically deluged with stormwater. There have been numerous floods over the years causing many millions of dollars in damage. The worst flooding episode was in 2006. In response to this natural hazard, the project team was tasked with developing a design that protected the new project from stormwater events and improve the surrounding infrastructure making the area a more sustainable and safer place to live.

Meeting Federal 45L tax credit and the Sustainable Building Tax Credit was also very challenging in this remote area of NM. The team developed many different site designs, building systems, and materials that were considered and reviewed to meet the project goals and obtain available funding.

Solutions:

The project employed energy modeling during the design phase to maximize energy savings of design features while remaining within budget. This approach allowed the project team to test and validate a multitude of components and strategies including wall systems, HVAC, windows, water heating, ventilation, and appliance options all before the final construction drawings were completed. 

The process of minimizing energy use began by reducing the heating and cooling loads of each dwelling unit through appropriate examination of wall, roof, and insulation systems. Equipment and fixtures were then selected to maximize efficiency. Finally, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels were added to generate electricity from the sun to offset the remaining energy usage.

RESULTS:

  • LEED Platinum Certified
  • NM Sustainable Building Tax Credit of $360,412.00
  • Federal 45L Tax Credit – All 40 units of this project met the 50% energy reduction requirement of the 45L which resulted in $80,000.00 of tax credit

What our clients are saying

“Green Insight is always available on-site and in real-time. Their ability to turn things around and keep a project on track distinguishes GI from competitors. They are also creative and willing to roll with the punches. In my world, things don’t always work out perfectly but the team at Green Insight is always open to finding creative solutions to figure out the most timely, cost-efficient way to resolve issues.”

Casey Cameron

Casey Cameron
Project Manager, Pavilion Construction

“Green Insight’s team is responsive, available, and provides a tremendous sense of security. We recently had a project where the goalposts changed quickly and often during the approval process. We were able to get our project approved, but I honestly don’t know how that would have gone if we didn’t have the backup and knowledge that Green Insight provided.”

Chris Beabout
Director of Development, Landmark Homes

“When it comes to green energy consultants, Green Insight takes the stress away like no other. They bring an unbeatable combination of value-engineering, industry knowledge, and out-of-the-box creativity for solutions that work. What I value most about working with Green Insight is the relationship – which is more like a partnership that has been one of the key drivers in our success. They take the stress away. And frankly, this has been the best relationship that I’ve had with somebody in this business.”

Ceri Jones

Ceri Jones
Owner, Trailhead Homes

Improve your green building performance

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