Carbon, Cost, Code - Defining the "Smart" Energy Retrofit
Elaine Hoffman
Username
Elaine Hoffman
Proposer First Name
Elaine
Proposer Email
elaine.hoffman@goodyclancy.com
Proposer Last Name
Hoffman
Proposer Company/Organization
Goody Clancy
Proposer Phone
(617) 850-6552
Proposer Job Title
Associate
Proposed Session Description
1960’s dormitories across North America are suffering from deferred maintenance and original designs uninterested in operational energy conservation. Too often schools are choosing to replace rather than retrofit these structurally sound buildings, which creates an oversized and immediate impact in embodied carbon and material use. The case study of two 1960’s multi-story dormitories in New England is a replicable and sophisticated model for evaluating retrofit options based on operational carbon, embodied carbon, code compliance, maintenance needs, first cost, and operational cost.
To facilitate decisions, a live spreadsheet tool was developed to sort and view aggregate cost and carbon impacts of different project scenarios. This allowed different scope bundles to be explored quickly. This tool can be readily applied to a number of project types to build project scope that supports institution-wide carbon neutrality goals.
Energy conservation measures evaluated and modeled included a range from minimal to maximum levels of intervention. The purpose of evaluating this wide breadth of scope was to identify the relative impacts of each measure and to determine which combination of energy conservation measures would comprise a “smart” energy retrofit – one that balances the improvements made to operational performance with upfront dollar and carbon costs. For context, the analyses also illustrated measures that would constitute a “deep” energy retrofit - one that would result in the greatest absolute reduction in energy use – allowing comparison of upfront costs and payback time in both carbon and dollars.
Comments
Yes, but needs curating to
Yes, but needs curating to hone in on major topic. Case study is a feasibility study to reuse 1960's towers (not built project). Focus of presentation is the tool developed to evaluate deep energy retrofit strategies and their resulting embodied and operational carbon. Particularly useful at very early planning stages or as a way for clients to evaluate an existing building portfolio. David and Ale are experienced speakers. Elaine is enthusiastic, but I don't have a sense of her abilities as a presenter.
Yes, but needs curating to
Yes, but needs curating. Case study is a feasibility study to reuse 1960's towers (not a built project). Focus of presentation is a tool the team developed to evaluate deep energy retrofit strategies and their resulting embodied and operational carbon. Particularly useful at very early planning stages or as a way for clients to evaluate an existing building portfolio. David and Ale are experienced speakers. Elaine is enthusiastic, but I don't have a sense of her abilities as a presenter. Important and timely topic. Recommend 60 minutes.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Our speaker panel is diverse in terms of gender & ethnicity. One of the speakers is an emerging professional.
Learning Objectives
Champion the reuse of 1960's dormitories in the drive to a carbon-free world
Describe a methodology for a three part building evaluation that addresses maintenance, operational energy, and embodied carbon
Create a framework excel tool for sorting, combining, and weighting individual scope items by embodied carbon, operational carbon, code requirements, maintenance urgency, and cost.
Understand the carbon value of an achievable smart energy retrofit vs. a deep energy retrofit, which may be both cost and carbon intensive
Has this session been presented before?
No
Additional Comments
A similar presentation on this project as a case study has been presented by the architect.
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.
Session Format Details
This session will consist of three 15-minute presentations followed by a brief panel discussion that will be opened up to 30 minutes of audience Q&A.
Recommended Length
90-minute session
Comments about your speaker roster
Speaker Bios
Alejandra Menchaca
Alejandra is a Vice President for Thornton Tomasetti’s Sustainability practice, and has been based in the Boston office since 2017. She combines expertise in mechanical engineering and building science to give clients a clear understanding of the impact design strategies and innovative solutions have on a project’s carbon emissions. Alejandra leverages research and simulations to provide project teams with sustainable design knowledge and energy expertise. She is experienced in the design of both passive buildings and energy-intensive structures such as laboratories and healthcare facilities. Her expertise also includes thermal comfort, energy modeling, daylighting and computational fluid dynamics. Alejandra holds a PhD from MIT in Mechanical Engineering, and has taught courses on natural ventilation and energy in buildings both at MIT and the Harvard GSD.
David Madigan
Dave has more than 30 years of professional experience in new and renovated buildings in a variety of sectors that includes colleges & universities. A recognized expert on sustainable design, Dave has worked on numerous projects with high performance design objectives. Of particular note is Dave’s experience in the design and planning of high efficiency, sustainable laboratory facilities and the design and implementation of campus energy conservation measures. He has served as Vice President and Principal of van Zelm since 1993. Dave holds a Master of Science in Building Energy Engineering from the University of Colorado and a B.S.C.E. degree from Villanova University. Dave is a LEEDTM-accredited professional who has been utilizing sustainable principles in his own projects since the early 1980s. A frequent lecturer on the practice of energy conservation and sustainable design, Dave has addressed industry groups such as ERAPPA, NNECERAPPA, APPA, NESEA, Lab Wize, and I2SL.
Elaine Hoffman
As a Certified Passive House Consultant, Elaine is a champion for high-performance envelope design and a leader in the use of analytical modelling as a design tool. As Co-Chair of Goody Clancy’s 2030 Committee she has expanded firm-wide conversations about WELL and Fitwell for creating healthy facilities while stewarding the project energy goals and data collection for the AIA 2030. In addition to managing this process internally, Elaine also participated in the AIA 2030 Commitment–DDx Development Task Group to improve the data-exchange interface. Her background in environmental studies expands these conversations beyond energy and water consumption into the life-cycle impacts of our buildings on the natural environment and human health. In this case study, Elaine led the thermal detail and life cycle assessment modeling that accompanied Thornton Tomasetti’s thermal comfort and energy modeling, demonstrating how to use performance analysis during concept design to create a project scope that enables campus-wide carbon reduction plans.
Reviewer 1
Nielson, Christopher
Reviewer 2
Nugent, Julia
Proposal #
163
Committee Decision
Being Considered
Presenters
Full Description
To meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, we must reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% in the next decade. Recognizing the time value of carbon, it is imperative to seek carbon reduction strategies that reduce emissions in the near term, not over the next 50 years. Buildings play a key role as they represent 39% of global emissions-roughly 28% from building operations and 11% from materials and construction. Building reuse therefore represents a critical two-part strategy to meeting reduction targets: it reduces embodied carbon emissions by reusing resource-intensive building components, avoiding the need for production of new materials; and it provides opportunities for dramatic reductions in operational emissions through improvements to energy efficiency. While the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has long assumed that deep energy retrofits are the most sustainable way to reuse a building, this view neglects the high embodied carbon cost of energy retrofit measures. The case study presented here examines a prototypical higher education campus renovation project to investigate what a “smart” energy retrofit looks like-one that considers the carbon payback as well as the cost payback of the renovation to target strategic energy retrofit measures that provide maximum carbon reductions with minimum carbon and cost investment. Attendees will come away from this session understanding why it is critical to shift away from a singular focus on annual operational impact relative to a performance baseline and towards total carbon impact as a function of time, as well as how to approach the analytical methodology for renovations.
Round 1: Yes. Excellent and
Round 1: Yes. Excellent and relevant topic, experienced speakers, and appears to offer a strong tool for helping designers/owners who are often challenged to understand cost/benefit of renovation vs new.