Charlie Simek
Username
Charlie Simek
Proposer First Name
Charlie
Proposer Email
charles.simek@newecology.org
Proposer Last Name
Simek
Proposer Company/Organization
New Ecology Inc.
Proposer Phone
(617) 557-1700
Proposer Job Title
Energy Engineer

Boston 2023 Areas of Focus

Proposed Session Description
While electrification of domestic hot water is picking up steam, outdated sizing guidelines result in oversized, expensive, and inefficient systems, especially for affordable multifamily housing. New Ecology’s data, from over 20 affordable housing sites, reveals differences between the measured loads and traditional guidelines, presenting opportunities for savings in upfront system costs and operational efficiencies as these buildings move to electrify their domestic hot water.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
The foundation of our research is built upon the question of "how do we electrify everyone?" not a select group. Our session will address how the new framework we are creating around domestic hot water system design lowers the barriers for decarbonization in affordable multifamily housing. New Ecology has been instrumental in bringing sustainable building design to affordable housing and our foray into data driven domestic hot water system design is another step in that journey.
Learning Objectives
Understand the impact of over sizing on operational efficiency and costs.
Discover the discrepancies between common sizing tools and real measured data.
Discern when monitoring DHW loads will make sense ahead of system selection and sizing.
Understand differences in selection and sizing decisions between existing condensing gas equipment and central heat pump DHW systems.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Session Format Details
40 or 60 minute presentation followed by Q&A. There is a lot of data and nuance in the research so it would be preferred to dive into it in a 60m presentation but it could also be condensed to 40m.
Recommended Length
60-minute session
90-minute session

Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2023

Comments about your speaker roster
Charlie and Neil are both engaging and charismatic speakers that have experience presenting technical knowledge in an easily digestible format. Too often do people get lulled to sleep by boring datasets, instead the pertinent nature of the research and the pragmatic approach taken by Charlie and Neil will ensure the audience is engaged.
Reviewer 1
Field, Keirstan
Reviewer 2
Ngo, Tammy
Proposal #
209
Committee Decision
Being Considered

Presenters

Full Description
• Central heat pump domestic hot water (DHW) systems are currently sized by a small number of engineers, but the demand is high. Supporting these system designs with measured data will ensure reliable performance—without over sizing—and help to build confidence with these right sized, high efficiency systems. • Sizing and selecting systems can have significant impacts on up-front costs & operational costs. Both of these can currently keep an affordable property from upgrading or electrifying, expanding gaps in equity. • Real data from appropriately sized vs oversized systems shows the real cost of over sizing with current condensing gas technologies • New central DHW systems are separating out the re-circulation load from the tenant use load with very basic guidelines