EMPOWERED Solutions: Commercial Building Electrification Pathways

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You can also access this EMPOWERED Solutions webinar series in the free learning management system, CleanEnergyTraining.org. Each recorded webinar is broken up by presentation to make it easier for you to listen in to the topics that you are most interested in. Make it a lunch and learn! Click here to sign up.

Commercial buildings have the potential to lead the way to a decarbonized, electrified future. The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will accelerate these efforts in states and cities across the country. With this great opportunity comes the chance to learn best practices for scaling electrified building solutions safely, efficiently, and economically. In this commercial building electrification webinar, experts from across the country discuss successful strategies being adopted today. 

Topics Include:

• What Zero Net Energy goals mean in an age of accelerating decarbonization
• How building codes and other policies can play a critical role in helping jurisdictions pursue carbon-neutral building policies and programs
• Case studies of critical building-scale technology solutions and products that promise to help advance buildings toward carbon neutrality in new construction and retrofits
• Electrification of the small and medium-sized commercial and multifamilybuilding sectors 
• Challenges and opportunities that can arise in cold climates
• How all-electric installations for large commercial buildings compare to conventional approaches from the design, installation, cost, and energy use perspectives
• How to overcome barriers in choosing the best all-electric options
• How the New York State Clean Heat program is helping commercial building owners adopt cost saving solutions

Speakers:

• Alexi Miller, Acting Director of Building Innovation, New Buildings Institute (NBI)
• Scott Hackel, Vice President of Research, Slipstream
• Adam McMillen, Director of Sustainability, IMEG Corp.
• Mark Ditch, Senior Energy Engineer, National Grid Energy Services

Slides:

1. Interstate Renewable Energy Council Slides
2. Slipstream Slides
3. IMEG Corp. Slides
4. National Grid Energy Services Slides
5. New Buildings Institute Slides

Additional Resources:

1. The Building Electrification Technology Roadmap: A guide for utilities and other organizations developing, implementing, and supporting electrification technology programs 
2. An Insider’s Guide to Talking about Carbon Neutral Buildings: A guide that identifies what it means to design, construct, and operate buildings that contribute little or no carbon emissions. 
3. Building Performance Standards: A Technical Resource Guide: A guide for cities and states considering policies to improve energy performance and reduce emissions in commercial and multifamily buildings
4. Existing Building Decarbonization Code: Model code language for net zero retrofits
5. The Present and Future of Decarbonizing through Electrification in Commercial Buildings in the Midwest: This paper describes each typologies’ electrification technologies, as well as barriers and solutions to deployment at scale
6. The State of Commercial Electrification: HVAC: Slipstream field study examining VRF in cold climates
7. Become a NYS Clean Heat Program Participating Contractor
8. New York State Clean Heat Program Manual
9. Decarbonization Of The Built  Environment: Solutions From  The International Code Council
10. SUNY Energy Futures: Fundamentals of Building Controls Systems: Free short online courses on building controls system basics for facility managers and staff
11. Webinar Q&A Report