Silicon Valley office energy modernization
Modernizing a premium two-building office property through a phased all-electric strategy aligned with tenant operations and lease turnover.
The challenge
The two-building property is located in one of the country’s highest-rent commercial office markets. Its heating and cooling systems operated independently, resulting in simultaneous heating and cooling, distribution losses and unnecessary energy use. In one building, the assessment found that nearly 80% of HVAC energy was lost before reaching tenant spaces. The property also needed to maintain tenant comfort, uninterrupted operations and leasable space throughout the transition. The strategy therefore had to modernize the landlord-controlled infrastructure first, while allowing tenant systems to connect progressively as leases turned over.
The system approach
URBS evaluated the existing systems and developed a phased alternative to both like-for-like equipment replacement and an immediate full-building overhaul. The plan establishes a high-efficiency central backbone using air-source heat pumps, hydronic distribution, heat recovery and integrated controls. The central infrastructure can be upgraded with limited intervention within occupied tenant spaces. Individual tenant systems can then connect to the new backbone during lease turnover, allowing performance to improve progressively. URBS also incorporated approximately 1.6 MWp of rooftop solar, 6 MWh of battery storage and advanced controls. Together, these systems provide a pathway for the property to manage peak demand, optimize electricity use and participate more actively in the grid.