CedarStone Receives 2023 CFU Energy Award

May 26, 2023

CedarStone is the recipient of the CFU Energy Innovator Award as part of the 2023 Cedar Falls Business and Industry Awards.

CedarStone is a senior living community licensed for assisted living and memory care services. Located in the Greenhill Village Estates neighborhood, CedarStone has 120 apartments ranging from studio to two bedroom.

CedarStone opened in July 2022 and worked with CFU as part of the CFU business new construction program. In this process, the CFU Energy Services team and engineering consultants worked with the CedarStone design and construction team to analyze ways their new building could not only meet the needs of their residents but also be energy efficient.

A significant utility expense for a project like this is heating and cooling a large building. For an efficient and practical option, CedarStone chose to utilize variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology. This technology uses the unique properties of refrigerant to both heat and cool allowing residents to adjust temperatures for comfort in their individual units. VRF also uses less energy than traditional HVAC systems.

"VRF technology is advantageous to the building owner and occupants in that it makes a very comfortable living condition, lowers your utility bills and is more environmentally friendly," says Matt Hein, CFU Energy Services Manager. "And from a utility perspective, it reduces overall electric demand."

Projects like this are one way CFU works with the community to reduce energy consumption and keep utility costs low.

Reduced energy consumption means we need to buy less energy to supply customers, especially on high-demand days when energy is expensive, reducing costs for all customers.

To learn more about how CFU works with residential customers to save energy, visit cfu.net/save-energy.