New multifamily project includes energy storage as an amenity

A new multifamily complex in Herriman, Utah includes a first-of-its-kind amenity in each of its 600 units: a battery that is linked to an on-site solar panel array. The network of solar powered battery storage systems is known as a Virtual Power Plant and is fully managed by Rocky Mountain Power.

The 600 sonnen ecoLinx batteries will provide emergency back-up power, help manage peak energy use, and demand response for the electric grid. Each battery is monitored 24 hours a day. When completed, the all-electric project will include 5.2 MW of rooftop solar panels, 12.6 MWh of residential storage, and 104 electrical vehicle charging ports.

Soleil Lofts exterior

The project also features amenities more typical of a multifamily community, such as an indoor and outdoor pool, a fitness center with a yoga studio, an on-site convenience store, a dog park, three spas, an outdoor kitchen, a full-size indoor basketball court, volleyball and futsal courts, and a landscaped community garden with a waterfall and seating options.

Soleil Lofts apartment unit interior

Apartment units are offered in two studio layouts and one-, two-, and three-bedroom options. Each unit includes a washer and dryer, panoramic windows, wood-grained flooring, 15-foot ceilings, private patios and balconies, and quartz countertops.

Residents began moving into Soleil Lofts in late 2019. The final building is slated for completion in December 2020.

The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.

Engineers | Sep 15, 2023

NIST investigation of Champlain Towers South collapse indicates no sinkhole

Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse.

MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023

Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock

Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.

Deciphering the Differences in Smart Lock Networks

Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023

New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions

New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.