All-electric Buildings for an Equitable Low Carbon Future – Greenbuild 2020 Session Review

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Last year Berkeley passed the first municipal ban on gas connections to new buildings.  Since then dozens of cities have followed suit in order to lower their carbon emissions and ensure healthier air quality.  City Council Member Kate Harrison who championed that ban will share how she built a coalition to champion this policy, its many benefits, and the hurdles overcome along the way.  Los Angeles is also working on an electrification ordinance and Michele Knab Hasson from Energy Efficiency for All will share how electrification will benefit 17 million Los Angelenos.  Current estimates are that air pollution translates into almost $22 billion in health care costs annually due to air pollution, which disproportionately impacts low income communities.  In California direct combustion of gas in buildings emits 82 tons of NOX per day, compared to 12 tons from gas power plants.

All electric zero energy buildings have been an exciting step in reducing carbon emissions, but haven’t been scaling up fast enough to reduce emissions at  a national scale.  Renewable energy on the other hand has been growing exponentially and making a real impact on lowering emissions.  Scott Shell at EHDD Architecture will share how they have expanded their vision of zero energy buildings to include an office wide commitment to all-electric buildings that take advantage of California’s rapidly decarbonizing grid.  EHDD has partnered with John Andary at Integral Group on many zero energy and all electric projects.  John will share examples of their all electric buildings and innovative strategies for designing these buildings at lower cost and higher performance than mixed fuel projects.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Assess how all-electric building ordinances can help a city achieve their climate action goals

Articulate how electrification results in healthier buildings and reduced impacts to under-served communities

Demonstrate how an electric grid that is rapidly decarbonizing provides a pathway to very low emissions buildings at scale

Show the cost benefits and key strategies to mechanical systems without using fossil fuels

CE HOUR(S): 1

GBCI, AIA LU HSW

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Scott Shell
Principal
EHDD
Scott is a nationally recognized expert on high-performance buildings. For the past decade he has led the design of EHDD’s university buildings for science, such as the Design & Innovation Building at UC San Diego designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and be an iconic active hub at a major new entry to campus. He brings a strong integrated design approach to each project, partnering with clients, researchers, and the broader design and construction team to create facilities that excel in all aspects
of their performance.

A pioneer in low energy and sustainable design, Scott is a Fitwel Ambassador and has led the design of several of the nation’s first Net Zero Energy buildings. He has a particular focus on evidence-based design to verify actual performance and occupant satisfaction of the facilities and to apply lessons learned on future projects to advance the practice of architecture.

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Michelle Hasson
California Policy Manager- Energy Efficiency for All
The Natural Resources Defense Council
Michele Knab Hasson leads EEFA’s healthy building materials work, as well as California policy for Energy Efficiency for All—dedicated to linking the energy and housing sectors together to tap the benefits of energy efficiency for millions of low-income families. Before joining NRDC, Hasson worked alongside environmental justice communities to advocate for improved planning, investment, policy, and legislation in air quality, land use, goods movement, and transportation.

Hasson, who is from Mexico City, Mexico, began her career under the auspices of the United Nations, working for equitable frameworks for financing for development, arms control, and gender justice. She has a bachelor’s in Spanish literature from the University of San Francisco and an MPP in international development and cooperation from Mexico’s National Council on Science and Technology at the Mora Institute. She is based in NRDC’s L.A. office.

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Barry Hooper
Senior Green Building Coordinator
San Francisco Dept of Environment
San Francisco’s Climate Action Strategy boils down to three numbers: 0-80-100, representing three goals: zero waste, >80% of trips via sustainable modes, and 100% renewable energy. In support of those goals, Barry Hooper leads development of the San Francisco Green Building Code – which requires new buildings to be all-electric or meet enhanced efficiency standards, install solar photovoltaics or living roofs, provide for electric vehicle charging, and meet credible 3rd party green building standards. Barry manages the Existing Buildings Energy Ordinance, which motivates improvement in building performance through annual energy benchmarking and disclosure of energy use, and by requiring each building to have an action plan for cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. He is Technical Advisor to the Bay Area Regional Energy Network Codes & Standards program, co-leader of the C40 Cities Private Sector Energy Efficiency Network, and active in the Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance.

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JOHN ANDARY
Senior Principal
Integral Group
John Andary is a Mechanical Engineer and Senior Principal at Integral Group where he brings over 35 years of energy-focused consulting experience to the firm. As Bioclimatic Design Leader, John’s work at Integral focuses on passive and climate-based architectural and engineering design solutions to improve occupant health, thermal comfort and energy efficiency in the built environment. Mr. Andary has led the design of numerous LEED Platinum Certified buildings and over 40 Net Zero Energy (NZE) and Net Zero Carbon (NZC) projects. Notably, John led the MEP Engineering and Energy Consulting teams for the Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). At 360,000 square feet, this LEED Zero and LEED Platinum Certified facility is considered to be the largest measured and verified Zero Net Energy building in North America. Currently, John is working on a NZE/NZC design for the new ASHRAE Headquarters in Atlanta.