Insulation products are unique among construction materials, because their essential function is to reduce the operational space heating and cooling energy demands of buildings. However, 90 percent of the insulation currently available on the market consists of plastic foam, fiberglass or mineral wool, which are non-recyclable and made from the very fossil fuel resources they are intended to conserve. Innovative, renewable and cost-effective insulation products are now entering the market.

Refrigerants used in building systems have historically been a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. While eliminating chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) and moving towards refrigerants such as R-410a were steps in the right direction, there is still more work to be done. As we evaluate the full global warming potential (GWP) of a building’s life cycle, it is important to consider how different types of refrigerants can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Data-driven decision-making is the process of basing operational and investment decisions on actual data, rather than intuition or observation alone. With an 11,500-unit portfolio stretching across 14 states, we develop operational and design strategies around energy and water usage, costs, and tenant comfort for each building. Our data sources are public, invoice-derived, meter or sensor-derived, along with human observations and interactions, and range from continuous to quarterly.

Embodied Carbon (EC) emissions from the building sector produce 11% of annual global GHG emissions (second to transportation). Embodied carbon, unlike operational carbon, is out of sight, off site, and usually out of mind. As industry professionals, we have a responsibility to work towards a carbon-neutral built environment, and that work starts at design with a focus on the embodied carbon of a building and the materials that comprise it.

BREAKOUT SPONSORED BY BR+A CONSULTING ENGINEERS - Companies, campuses and cities are striving to build a carbon neutral future.  Fossil Fuel Free (Electrified) and Zero Net Energy (ZNE) buildings will play a key role in achieving this goal.  Many people are familiar with small ZNE buildings, but we need to rapidly scale up to Medium, Large, and XL.  The need is particularly acute, with the latest in new and existing building regulations, such as Local Law 97.  Join us as we demonstrate examples of this ZNE scale-shift, including detailed examples from 4,000 to 400,000 square feet.

BREAKOUT SPONSORED BY NYSERDA - Engaging tenants in the pursuit of energy and carbon reductions is key to meeting New York City’s and the State’s aggressive climate impact mitigation goals. Join us as we explore different ways to engage commercial tenants in the conversation about energy efficiency, from smart building technologies, to technical assistance incentives and other creative approaches to reducing energy consumption in tenant spaces.

BREAKOUT SPONSORED BY DAIKIN - This will be an overview presentation on how Daikin can help projects achieve LEED points by measuring the sustainability and performance of a building with regard to the VRV system applied as an HVAC solution. Variable Refrigerant Volume systems have been on countless high profile LEED projects to incorporate sustainable design practices around the world. These cutting edge heat pump systems offer a variety of paths to help secure LEED points.