Multifamily Solar Thermal Case Study: Portrait Construction
Maktinta designed and built a commercial solar thermal system for a 60 unit multifamily development in Los Angeles. Completed in March 2025, the system uses 24 solar thermal collectors and 1,500 gallons of storage to deliver approximately 1.2 million BTU per day and supply roughly 75% of the building's domestic hot water demand.
Client Background
Portrait Construction develops multifamily housing throughout Southern California. For this Los Angeles project, the building design called for a solar thermal system capable of meeting a substantial portion of the property's domestic hot water demand.
Portrait needed a partner that could take responsibility for the complete system, including engineering, permitting, installation, integration, commissioning, and training, without adding another handoff to the construction process.
Company: Portrait Construction
Industry: Multifamily Construction
The Challenge
A 60 unit multifamily property creates a substantial and consistent domestic hot water load. The system needed to reduce natural gas consumption while fitting within the project's budget, schedule, available structural space, and Los Angeles permitting requirements.
Constraints
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Tight project budget
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Strict construction schedule
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Los Angeles permitting requirements
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Limited space for solar thermal equipment and storage
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Integration with the building's existing domestic hot water system
System Design
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Application: Multifamily domestic hot water
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Technology: Solar thermal
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Building Size: 60 residential units
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Solar Thermal Collectors: 24
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Thermal Storage: 1,500 gallons
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Design Output: Approximately 1.2 million BTU per day
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Hot Water Contribution: Approximately 75% of building demand
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System Integration: Building boiler and domestic hot water storage
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Controls: Variable speed pumping, remote monitoring, and automated system controls
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Project Delivery: Engineering, permitting, installation, commissioning, and maintenance training
The Solar Thermal Solution
Maktinta delivered the project as a complete design build system, maintaining engineering responsibility from initial design through commissioning.
The scope included engineering and system sizing, permitting, equipment specification, installation, integration with the building's domestic hot water system, system controls, commissioning, and training for maintenance personnel.
This allowed the solar thermal system to be integrated as part of the building infrastructure rather than treated as a standalone piece of equipment.
Results
The completed system was designed to provide approximately 1.2 million BTU of thermal energy per day and meet roughly 75% of the domestic hot water demand for the 60 unit property.
By offsetting a substantial portion of the building's conventional water heating load, the system reduces reliance on natural gas while maintaining the hot water capacity required by residents.
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75% Approximate domestic hot water contribution
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1.2M BTU/day: Designed thermal output
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1,500 gallons Solar thermal storage
Client Testimonial
We are also extremely satisfied with the quality of the system components, especially compared to competitors. Maktinta Energy specified ASME-rated solar storage tanks with superior insulation and high-temperature capabilities, ensuring greater thermal efficiency and system durability through seasonal temperatures and system requirements.
Why the Project Worked
A quick overview of the project’s impact and the value Maktinta brought to the build.
Design Build Responsibility
Maktinta maintained responsibility from engineering through commissioning, reducing the handoffs between system design and field installation.
Built for the Actual Hot Water Load
The system was engineered around the domestic hot water requirements of a 60 unit multifamily property rather than a generic solar capacity target.
Designed for Long Term Operation
ASME rated storage, system controls, variable speed pumping, and remote monitoring were selected to support reliable operation beyond initial installation.