At Sun Country Builders, we support our partners’ green building goals to ensure a sustainable future. We’ve built U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready, LEED and GreenPoint-certified multifamily projects in San Diego, Imperial County, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Riverside Counties.
Here is a look back at one of our most unique sustainable projects to date: Avocado Court, the first apartment complex in America to implement geothermal technology. The system serves as a renewable source of energy for climate control throughout the community’s buildings which are located at El North Parkway and North Broadway in the City of Escondido in Northern San Diego County.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal systems are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for heating and cooling buildings. Our team collaborated with the project’s developer, engineers and geothermal experts to design and implement a system that could effectively harness the consistent temperature of the earth below the surface.
As construction progressed, meticulous attention was paid to integrating geothermal infrastructure seamlessly into the project. This included drilling boreholes to depths where stable temperatures could be reliably accessed year-round, as well as designing a distribution system that effectively circulated heated or cooled air.
The system, widely used in Japan before its implementation at Avocado Court, includes a series of pipes and fans that circulate outside air down 15-feet into the ground where the temperature is stabilized before being returned to the surface and dispersed throughout the property. The system provides a 20-degree change in air temperature without the use of a traditional heating or air conditioning system, saving the developer thousands of dollars per month.
With our firm commitment to collaboration, we were able to overcome technical hurdles throughout construction and ensured the feasibility of the geothermal system within an urban setting. We also installed energy efficient insulation and lighting, drought resistant landscaping and a playground for residents that was made of repurposed wood as part of the property’s sustainable design. Today, the aptly green-colored property is also home to an organic garden.
Avocado Court was completed in 2013 and served as the first of many green building projects we have built. Since then, five properties built by Sun Country Builders have received certifications for their sustainability and energy efficiency:
LEED Platinum
- Villa Hermosa III (Indio)
Greenpoint
- Casa Anita (Chula Vista)
- Las Haciendas (Temecula)
- Mission Heritage Plaza (Riverside)
- Salvator Apartments (Sacramento)