Owner: The Rosenblum Companies | Location: Troy, NY | Completion Date: N/A
Passive House
Sol Apartments (Troy, NY) is a 71-unit, four-story, all-electric, zero-emission multifamily development by The Rosenblum Companies that transforms a vacant downtown lot at 1818 Fifth Avenue into high-performance, walkable housing. The 55,000 sq ft, roughly $22M project emphasizes Passive House strategies including geothermal heat pumps for space conditioning and hot water, continuous-insulation, airtight envelope with triple-pane windows, energy- recovery ventilation, and a rooftop PV array, and is pursuing Phius CORE certification to dramatically cut operational energy and improve indoor comfort. Thirty percent of units will be reserved as affordable at 65% AMI, and the design includes resident amenities such as coworking space, bike storage, and pet facilities to attract students and young professionals while supporting downtown revitalization.
Technical Details
| Walls | 2" R-12 Polyiso over 2x6 wood studs with R-21 batts |
|---|---|
| Windows | Intus Supera Casement U-0.175 Kawneer Storefront U-0.30 |
| Roof | Flat roof polyiso R-41 assembly accounting for fasteners |
| Slab | R-5 XPS insulation below 4" slab |
| Heating/Cooling | Whalen Vertical Stack Ground Source Heat Pump Annual 3.19 COP |
| Ventilation | Swegon Gold Semi-Central ERV’s 82% Energy Recovery |
| Hot Water | Water Source Heat Pump Watts by Lync Aegis W 350 with 1000 gallon storage |
| Appliances | All electric with condensing dryers |
| Plumbing/Fixtures | EPA Water Sense |
| Lighting | All LED Efficient Lighting |
NYSERDA Support
Sol was awarded NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Demonstration Award as well as the Early-Stage Design Funds to allow the project to research cutting edge decarbonization techniques, including the innovative Passive House and geothermal design, and producing a full air sealing guide. NYSERDA awards include:
Buildings of Excellence Demonstration: $1,000,000
Early Design Support: $250,000
NY-Sun: TBD ($0.25/W)
Integrated Design Process
NYSERDA’s early-stage design support was critical in enabling an integrated design process that brought together the developer, design team, and contractors at the earliest phases. This collaboration allowed for iterative energy modeling to evaluate envelope assemblies, window-to-wall ratios, and mechanical system options against performance and cost targets. The modeling was completed by Sustainable Comfort Passive House Consulting Team using WUFI Passive software guided by the Passive House program. The modeling informed the selection of a geothermal system, seamlessly integrated into the project to provide efficient heating, cooling, and domestic hot water without the carbon intensity of fossil fuels. In addition to modeling, drawing details were reviewed for compliance with the co-requisite programs including Energy Star Multifamily New Construction, DOE Zero Energy Reaady Homes, and EPA Indoor AirPLUS.
Air Sealing Guide
Sustainable Comfort was able to develop a full air sealing guide to ensure the ambitious airtightness goals of Passive House can be achieved. This customized air sealing guide includes detailed diagrams, sequencing, and photographs. This hands-on resource provides trades with clear expectations and visual examples, reducing errors in the field and ensuring that the design intent translated into measurable performance.
