Palo_Alto_Ventura_Community_Center__Excerpt_from_FCA.pdf
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- Attached to
- Electrification of City Facilities
- Solicitation number
- PE-24001
- Issued by
- Santa Clara County, California
About this file
This is a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) excerpt prepared by Bureau Veritas for the City of Palo Alto's Ventura Community Center, a 21,481-square-foot daycare and community center facility located at 3990 Ventura Court, Palo Alto, California. The assessment, dated April 4, 2024, was conducted on March 16, 2023, and focuses specifically on the electrification scope for the facility, which is part of the City's broader initiative to achieve an 80 percent reduction in natural gas usage by 2040. The Ventura Community Center, originally constructed in 1957 as an elementary school and converted to community child care use in 1983, currently operates with wood-frame construction, heating systems comprised of underfloor radiant heating in one wing and suspended hydronic heaters in another (each with dedicated boilers), and a multipurpose room with a suspended gas furnace. The facility's original electrical system features copper wiring and switches with modernizations made as equipment was installed, while the plumbing system remains largely original with copper supply piping and cast-iron waste piping. To support electrification of all gas-fired equipment, the assessment identifies the need for an 800-ampere electrical service upgrade and recommends that any changes to the electrical system be evaluated by an electrical engineer and the utility company to ensure compliance with all electrical codes.
The assessment emphasizes that converting gas-fired equipment to electrical alternatives will require a complete infrastructure evaluation and potential rewiring due to the age and condition of existing wiring, though the scope was visual only and did not include detailed review of concealed wire specifications. The report notes that electrification improvements are categorized as energy and sustainability replacements rather than traditional "like and in kind" replacements, with expected reductions in greenhouse gas emissions despite potential lack of overall cost savings due to initial capital investment and solar panel costs. The contract includes access to an online database enabling scenario generation for replacement sequencing aligned with the City's natural gas reduction goals of 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040. No specific cost estimates or budget allocations are provided in this FCA excerpt; however, the document establishes baseline facility data and equipment specifications that will inform design proposals and cost estimates for the five-facility pilot program referenced in the related RFP, with the Ventura Community Center representing one of the pilot locations requiring electrification design and engineering services.
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FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT (FCA) - EXCERPT
Palo Alto Ventura Community Center kjarero Text Box The following pages are excerpts from the City's Facility Condition Assessment Report and include only sections relevant to the electrification scope for this project.
Ventura Community Center 3990 Ventura Court Palo Alto, California 94306
FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT
prepared for
City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, California 94301
PREPARED BY:
Bureau Veritas
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 200
Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
800.733.0660 www.us.bureauveritas.com
BV CONTACT:
Anas Sadkhi
Program Manager
800.733.0660 x7296568
Anas.Sadkhi@bureauveritas.com
BV PROJECT #:
150140.22R000-047.354
DATE OF REPORT:
April 4, 2024
ON SITE DATE:
March 16, 2023
Bureau Veritas
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 200 | Ellicott City, MD 21043 | www.us.bureauveritas.com | p 800.733.0660 http://www.us.bureauveritascom/ http://www.emgcorp.com/
VENTURA COMMUNITY CENTER BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-047.354
www.us.bureauveritas.com | p 800.733.0660
1 . Ex e c u t i v e Su m m a r y
Property Overview and Assessment Details
General Information
Property Type Daycare and Community Center
Main Address 3990 Ventura Court, Palo Alto, California 94306
Site Developed 1957
Site Area 4.1 acres (estimated)
Parking Spaces 31 total spaces all in open lots; two of which are accessible
Building Area 21,481 SF
Number of Stories 1 above grade
Outside Occupants/Leased Spaces Country Day Little School
Heffalump Preschool
Youth Community Services
Date(s) of Visit March 16, 2023
Management Point of Contact Mr. Murdo Nicolson Jr., Project Manager, Public Works
650.617.3154
Murdo.nicolson@cityofpaloalto.org
On-site Point of Contact (POC) Eduardo Gella
Assessment and Report Prepared By Aren Hofland
Reviewed By Daniel White
Technical Report Reviewer for
Anas Sadkhi
Program Manager
Anas.Sadkhi@bureauveritas.com
800.733.0660 x7296568
VENTURA COMMUNITY CENTER BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-047.354
Signif icant/Systemic Findings and Deficiencies
Historical Summary
Ventura Community Center was constructed in 1957. The facility was an elementary school until 1979. Palo Alto Community Child Care took over the site in 1983 and changed the name at that time. A renovation was planned for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the renovation from occurring. No renovations are planned at this time.
Architectural
The building structure is wood-framed with a wood framed flat roof. Exterior finishes are painted stucco and wood-framed windows. The roof was updated to a TPO/PVC finish in 2018. Interior finishes are the responsibility of the various tenants and are updated as needed.
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire (MEPF)
The facility has heating only, with supplemental cooling provided by a PTAC for one room only. One wing is served by underfloor radiant heating. The other wing has suspended hydronic heaters. Each system has a dedicated boiler supplying heating hot water to the system. The multipurpose room has a suspended gas furnace for heating. The electrical system is generally original to construction with portions modernized as new equipment is installed. Electrical distribution is copper wiring and switches. The plumbing system is also original to the construction of the building. Plumbing supply piping is copper and the waste piping is cast-iron. Fire suppression is provided by fire extinguishers. A fire alarm system communicates with a fire alarm control panel. The panel and sensors are at the end of their expected life and Palo Alto Community Child Care is in the process of updating the system.
Site
The site has asphalt lots and play surfaces around the school. In addition, play structures with wood chips and rubberized flooring are present. The site has moderate landscaping. No irrigation was identified at the time of site visit.
Recommended Additional Studies
No additional studies recommended at this time.
VENTURA COMMUNITY CENTER BUREAU VERITAS PROJECT: 150140.22R000-047.354
3 . E l e c t r i f i c a t i o n
This Electrification analysis investigates replacing all fossil fuel consuming equipment within the buildings with electric alternatives. These improvements are identified as Energy and Sustainability replacements instead of traditional “like and in kind” replacements that are generally included in a FCA report. These replacements may not have an overall cost savings due the initial investment and the cost of solar panels to generate electricity. There is expected to be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of these improvements.
The tables below lists all of the gas-fired equipment currently in use at the Ventura Community Center building.
A cost and timing estimate for the “Electrification” of fossil fuel consuming system has been prepared based on the expected remaining useful life (RUL) of the gas-fired equipment. This initial table identifies when the equipment is expected to be replaced. This provides a logical sequence for replacement at this facility. When the replacement is considered on a city-wide basis there may need to be changes to the schedule shown in this report.
Part of this contract includes access to an online database that can be used to generate various scenarios for replacement toward the City’s goal of an 80 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2030. A 40 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2030 and a 80 percent reduction in current natural gas usage by 2040 can also be generated using the software.
In order to convert the gas-fired equipment to electrical usage, an increase in electrical demand at the building will occur. This will require ensuring that the electrical service equipment is of adequate size to manage the increased load.
There are several things to consider before replacing the gas-fired equipment with electrical equipment.
1. Updating your present infrastructure will be required for the replacement of larger equipment. Depending on the type of equipment proposed (e.g. gas-fired water heater to heat pump water heater or wall-mounted heater to heat pump), a complete system re-design may be required to accommodate refrigerant piping. Generally, replacement of a single gas-fired water heater can be accomplished with the existing electrical system, as long as 240 volt service is present in the building. Updating your present electrical wiring may be required, based on the age and condition of your wiring.
2. For the purposes of this report and capital planning estimate we have assumed an increase in the service to be required for the new electrical equipment. In addition, the new boilers and other larger equipment will require separate wiring from the new electrical panels or service noted below to the equipment.
a. 800 amps for Ventura CC
3. Any changes made to your electrical system should be evaluated by an Electrical Engineer and the Utility Company to ensure that the facility electrical system and the public electrical service to the property will meet the new load requirements and for compliance with all electrical codes. A cost for that study has been included in this evaluation.
4. The scope of this assessment is visual only and the wire size, type, age and condition are concealed and were not reviewed. If your wiring is at the end of its useful life replacement of all or part may be required. Things to consider beside the cost of a new electrical system, is the cost of shutdown of your present electrical system during the changeover and remodeling.
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