The session will describe the Empire Building Challenge (EBC) process and Resource Efficient Electrification, expanding on the recent BuildingEnergy Magazine article on the same topic. We will update our learnings based on the work conducted by Cohort 1 of the Empire Building Challenge, and we'll be able to announce Cohort 2, as well as examining the work conducted with that group of real estate owners and MEP engineers. We're excited to continue updating the NESEA community on these efforts.

Current pathways to carbon emission reductions are primarily driven through electrification of heating via heat pumps. Types of heat pump technology that are underutilized in the NYC area are ground source heat pumps (GSHP)/geothermal energy and other thermal networks. Heating and cooling from geothermal energy and other thermal networks are not novel technologies and have been used in urban areas in North America and Western Europe for some time. However, these systems are still facing barriers to adoption.