Community Stories, Eden Updates

Green Accomplishments for Earth Day

April 22, 2021

This Earth Day we are proud to share some of our sustainability wins from the past year. Of course, residents benefit and our planet benefits from these green improvements but there is an even bigger benefit.

When we save money on electricity and water, it means more money that Eden Housing can direct towards the ultimate goal – building more safe and affordable homes for more people who need them.

Eden saved energy from water heating and lighting and earned $1 million in incentives to cover 95% of costs by changing common areas' design in our new developments. In 2020, the solar we installed at our properties generated 3.3 megawatts of power. The projects will offset resident electricity costs by $45 per unit per month, on average!. Eden implemented green food scrap recycling programs at 10 Hayward communities, with assistance from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority. The program taught residents how to compost and help Eden reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Eden obtained $360,000 per year in energy bill savings from renewing California Alternative Rates for Energy discounts. Eden's Asset Management staff partnered with Eden Resident Services to Initiate "Everyday Heroes" at 20 properties. It is an after school education program on climate change and recycling targeted to youth. • We updated the sustainability, energy, and water-related sections of the Development Dept. Design Guidelines for Eden Housing staff, architects, and development consultants to reduce future development's carbon footprint. • The average annual electricity cost per Eden community decreased 11%, and despite a 6% growth in units, total electricity usage is down 9%. • Eden has a 2% improvement in portfolio-wide average energy use intensity (64 kBtu/SF/year) from the baseline set in 2018. • We designed and launched a new training program and maintenance checklist for property operations staff that keeps appliances working longer. • We created working groups with local sustainability officials at Bay Area cities to align on climate change goals.