Building a Sustainable Future: Unveiling the Sawara Building’s Affordable, Energy-Efficient Housing

Seattle City Light is excited to share our latest collaboration with the Seattle Housing Authority and Housing Development Consortium on the recent completion of the Sawara Building at Yesler. On July 26, we attended a grand opening event to celebrate the partnerships that made this remarkably efficient affordable housing building a reality.

The Sawara Building, the sixth new residential complex at Yesler, is located at Yesler Way and 8th Ave, Seattle. It fulfills the dual role of bringing affordable housing to the residents of Seattle while leveraging energy-efficient systems and appliances to ensure excellent energy performance.

When asked about the project, Joe Fernandi, City Light's Director of Customer Energy Solutions, shared some context for how the Sawara Building work got started.

"In 2019, City Light partnered with the Housing Development Consortium on an Exemplary Buildings Program to develop four affordable housing demonstration projects to test a range of approaches to building energy efficient, healthy, and durable housing. The goal was to demonstrate to the market that ultra-efficient affordable housing is achievable, affordable, and scalable."

As part of the Exemplary Buildings Program, Sawara showcases our commitment to creating a future with affordable, efficient housing. The Sawara Building is equipped with state-of-the-art energy-efficient features, all designed to minimize energy consumption while maximizing comfort.

Fernandi put the building's impressive energy performance into perspective:

"By leveraging CO2 heat pump water heaters, energy recovery ventilators, and high efficiency building envelope, lighting, and appliances, the building's performance is modeled at an energy use of intensity of 18.1 EUI relative to a baseline building of 35.8 EUI. That's a projected savings of almost 50%!"

[Link][Link][Link]City Light's Armando Berdiel, Energy Program Delivery Manager, and Joe Fernandi, Director of Customer Energy Solutions, attended the event.

In addition to these incredible energy savings, City Light has provided incentives amounting to approximately $595,000. This support helped with the construction of a 93-kW solar array that will supply clean and renewable energy to all Sawara tenants.

The Sawara building features 114 affordable housing units and environmentally friendly designs, like solar panels and energy-saving appliances. The apartments are thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of residents with hearing or visual impairments, and "Breathe Easy" units are set aside for those with respiratory health concerns.

The completion of the Sawara Building is a monumental achievement, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Seattle Housing Authority and all involved. This project is a shining example of what can be accomplished when organizations come together with a shared vision and commitment to sustainability.

We remain committed to encouraging the development of energy-efficient housing throughout the city. By supporting projects like the Sawara Building, we aim to demonstrate that sustainable, affordable housing is not only possible but also beneficial for residents and the environment alike.

We are excited about the possibilities for future collaborations on similar projects. The success of the Sawara Building has set a high standard, and we are eager to continue working with our partners to bring even more sustainable and purposeful housing solutions to Seattle.

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