David Cohan
Username
David Cohan
Proposer First Name
David
Proposer Email
davidfcohan@hotmail.com
Proposer Last Name
Cohan
Proposer Company/Organization
Institute for Market Transformation
Proposer Phone
(503) 477-0851
Proposer Job Title
Senior Adviosr
Boston 2023 Areas of Focus
Proposed Session Description
A proven systems approach to commercial HVAC has shown that buildings can be converted from gas to electric heat without increasing overall electricity use or summer peak demand and that ventilation can be improved without an energy penalty. Rigorously documented by the non-profit Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, results from 12 small-to-medium buildings in the Northwest showed an average 69% reduction in HVAC energy use. Similar results were achieved in a 71,000 sf office building in New York. VHE HVAC is a performance specification, not a specific technology and uses equipment that is familiar to industry. It is a total system replacement applicable to buildings with a wide variety of existing HVAC systems.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Only indirectly. Building electrification that increases demand on the grid will necessitate expansion of the grid – both power plants and transmission lines – which will inevitably lead to rate increases and higher bills for consumers. By helping to minimize that expansion, VHE HVAC will limit increases of the energy burden for those who cannot afford it.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the relationship between and concerns about building electrification and expansion of the electric grid
2. Identify the elements of a very high efficiency approach to HVAC that includes dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) versus conventional HVAC systems
3. Understand the resiliency, health/IAQ and energy impacts of this system approach versus conventional HVAC systems
4. Identify priority building types and applications for this HVAC system approach
Has this session been presented before?
Yes
When and Where?
A variation on this presentation was done at the ACEEE Summer Study in California in August.
Additional Comments
It has been submitted to the Getting to Zero Forum which will be held in Minnesota in May.
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
25 minute presentation followed by Q&A and facilitated discussion
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2023
Comments about your speaker roster
David is a senior advisor at the Institute for Market Transformation where he has worked for the past five years. He was a co-author of the first-ever building performance standards model ordinance and is currently focused on promoting Very High Efficiency HVAC systems for commercial buildings. Previously, he ran the Building Energy Codes Program at the U.S. Department of Energy for four years and before that was the Senior Manager for Codes & Standards at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. David has been a plenary speaker at both the DOE Building Energy Codes Conference (prior to running the program) and at the Idaho Energy Conference. He developed an Introduction to Energy Efficiency course at Portland State University and taught it for three years.
Anything else you'd like to tell us about your session proposal?
It's great!
Reviewer 1
Rosenbaum, Marc
Proposal #
109
Committee Decision
Rejected
Presenters
Full Description
The need for decarbonization to address climate change relies heavily on electrification, but how buildings are electrified matters. Increasing electricity use and demand on a grid dominated by fossil fuel generation exacerbates the problem rather than solves it. With HVAC representing over 40% of energy consumption in small and medium buildings, it is a key to decarbonization. HVAC replacements are costly and once in place they’ll remain in operation for up to 30 years. The VHE HVAC approach presented here offers a proven, scalable solution for over half of commercial floor space.