The Path to Greener HVAC Refrigerants

Transitioning to Low Global Warming Potential Refrigerants is outlined as a key strategy for New York State to achieve its long-term climate goals. During this session, you’ll gain a better understanding of existing state (focus on NY) and Federal initiatives, regulations, and history impacting the use of refrigerants in heat pumps and other HVAC equipment, the existing equipment and refrigerant options available today, and the challenges facing New York City and its workforce in adopting this technology.

Clean Energy Financing: Collaboration in New York State

NYSERDA and HCR co-developed and launched a pilot called the Clean Energy Initiative ("CEI") program, which integrates technical assistance and clean energy funding through NYSERDA's support into HCR’s affordable housing finance application process. This panel will cover the collaboration, program design, opportunity for scaling, and lessons learned to date, as well as highlighting a project currently participating in the CEI program.

Engineering Design Considerations for Energy and Carbon Reduction Recommendations

To comply with NYC Local Law 97, buildings will need guidance on how to implement capital measures that effectively reduce carbon emissions. However, even detailed energy studies can have unrealistic recommendations if engineering design considerations are neglected. Meanwhile, design engineers tend to focus more on system sufficiency instead of efficiency. Practitioners are tasked with narrowing this knowledge gap and identifying crucial details that could make or break a building’s ability to implement recommendations.

Fast Track to Equitable Electrification in NYC

In 2021, HPD and NYSERDA launched a joint $24 million pilot giving direct grants to HPD Preservation projects to (holistically) electrify hot water, space heating or both. This was possible by relying on HPD's rigorous oversight paired with dedicated Technical Assistance from Steven Winter Associates and Taitem Engineering. By Fall 2022, we will have our first cohort (nearly 175 housing units) under construction and be in the design stages with a second cohort.

Prescription for Better Buildings: Phius Prescriptive Path from Start to Plaque

Phius (formerly the Passive House Institute U.S.) introduced a new version of their certification standard in 2021 with the goal of making it easier and more affordable for single-family residential homes to achieve certification. In this presentation, you will learn about this new Prescriptive Path and how it can simplify the design and certification process for single-family homes and make certification available for a wider range of project teams, project sizes and project budgets.

Thermal Bridging '22 What to Know and What to Do

Thermal Bridging can lead to problematic condensation, increased energy usage, reduced occupant comfort, and even noncompliance with energy codes. However, we have the tools to address this challenge. In this session, we will review the three types of structural thermal bridging, briefly cover foundation and slab edge insulation placement and detailing, summarize the conductive thermal requirements of the Energy Codes and, most importantly, identify strategies to calculate the impact on code compliance of structural thermal bridging conditions and mitigated details.

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