BBD 2018
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Adventures in Monitoring Mechanical Systems
Building Systems, Both Residential and Commercial- Marc Rosenbaum, South Mountain Company
How do we know that the mechanical systems we specify are operating the way we think they are? South Mountain Company has a couple of compulsive measurers. This session will examine performance of a high-end energy recovery ventilator over a heating season; the energy usage of residential hot water recirculation systems; operation of multi-zone cold climate heat pumps; and the CO2 levels and operation of a retrofitted ERV system at an elementary school. If there’s time, we may add a segment on radon monitoring. Insights and lessons learned will be freely shared, even the embarrassing ones.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
Marc Rosenbaum
Marc Rosenbaum, P.E., is a longtime student of making great buildings. He uses an integrated systems design approach to help people create buildings and communities connected to the natural world, supporting both personal and planetary health. Much of his recent work has been net-zero energy buildings, deep energy retrofits, and Passive Houses. His work has been recognized nationally by ASHRAE, AIA, EEBA, and NESEA, but they didn’t see all the mistakes along the way.
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Putting It All Together Using Integrated Project Delivery, Passive House, Big BIM, LEAN, Networked Learning, and Respect to Deliver High-performance Buildings at Market Rate
Commercial, Commercial- Adam Cohen,
The climate change imperative combined with political, economic, and social realities in the United States has made a strong case for disruptive change in the building industry. The Build SMART construction system is one tool for high-performance buildings, but it is aimed specifically at the multifamily segment. The presenter has started an initiative to help teams consistently deliver all types of high-performance buildings at market rate using integrated project delivery. The concepts introduced in this session are seeds that need to be tended. Once teams have a basic understanding of concepts, they are invited to become part of a broader community. This community is a no-cost, online, open source networked learning platform designed to help participants hone skills; create, use, and simplify tools and systems; and share best practices in what will be an international community of practice. Each team will adapt to its own environment, and each team will find that some things work and some don’t; the vision is that they will share both successes and failures in order to move the community forward, changing and adapting as they go.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
Adam Cohen
Adam Cohen is a leading North American Passive House practitioner whose innovative work on market-rate delivery of commercial high-performance buildings has touched projects across North America. He has presented technical papers at both national and international conferences. His leadership in commercial Passive House design has made him a sought-after speaker, consultant, and teacher of advanced courses in ultra-low energy design. He served as vice chair of the Passive House Institute U.S. technical committee for five years and is co-creator and teacher of the Passive House Institute U.S.’s builder training curriculum. Adam is a board member of Yestermorrow Design/Build School and Passive Buildings Canada.
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Concrete Detailing for a Low-carbon Future
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- Russ Miller-Johnson, Engineering Ventures, PC
- Ashar Nelson, Vermont Integrated Architecture, PC
Architects, structural engineers, and civil engineers need to contribute to meaningful reductions in carbon from concrete use. In this session, attendees will acquire the technical background and model language to confidently specify and construct more sustainable concrete on every project. The session will cover reductions in Portland cement content, supplemental cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag, and methods for adapting curing time and strength requirements. We will also discuss minimizing the thickness of concrete elements such as slabs on grade, elevated slabs, and walls. In addition, SMART detailing of concrete elements in a building can improve thermal performance and save energy. In exploring the technical aspects of cement reduction, this session will demonstrate how global warming potential can be included in a performance-based specification. Participates will learn about environmental product declarations (EPDs) and how they can be used with or without life cycle analysis (LCA) to verify the global warming potential of various concrete mixes. Ultimately, the session will present model specification language, details, and strategies for achieving more sustainable concrete on all projects.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Russ Miller-Johnson
Russ Miller-Johnson, P.E., Senior Engineer/Principal, has 37 years of progressive experience in sustainable structural engineering design including lead engineer roles in management and execution of projects. Russ has been involved in sustainable projects throughout his practice. He is currently serving on the American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Sustainability Committee. In this capacity, co-authored the masonry section of ASCE's “Structural Engineer’s Guide to Sustainability”, has presented at Structures Congress' and the NASCC on thermal break and fabric-formed concrete practices. Russ chairs the SEI Sustainability Committee’s Thermal Bridging Working Group. He has written for national structural engineering magazines on foundations and thermal bridging reduction as well. Russ leads the EV Green Team's implementation of structural material re-use, Life Cycle Analysis and CO2 load work.
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Ashar Nelson
Ashar Nelson is a lifelong Vermonter with extensive experience in design and construction. As co-founder of Vermont Integrated Architecture, occasional faculty member in the architectural studies program at Middlebury College, and past faculty advisor to the college’s Solar Decathlon, he is committed to promoting sustainable building designs and innovative construction methods. Ashar believes that an integrated design process, representing users, constructors, estimators, and craftspeople, is essential in achieving high-performance buildings. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and a master’s degree from the University of Oregon. Ashar prides himself on helping his clients make well-informed decisions about energy and resource use in their buildings.
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Maximize Savings, Maximize Control: The Value of Lighting Design
Lighting, Commercial- Stephen Beard, LC, NorthEast Electrical Distributors
- Ravi Parikh, RAB Lighting
The most common approach to traditional lighting upgrades has been a one-for-one fixture replacement. This approach to lighting upgrades often does not account for proper light levels, occupant comfort and health, or the maximum potential for energy savings. Facilities are beginning to optimize their lighting by reducing the number of fixtures, maximizing utility incentives, implementing networked lighting controls, and making their lighting a dynamic and interactive resource for their staff and patrons. This presentation will discuss these benefits in detail and the resources available to help guide you along the way. We will review a local project and describe how lighting design not only offered the benefits listed above but also a few unexpected benefits, all of which helped improve the end user’s bottom line.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Stephen Beard, LC
Stephen Beard has 23 years of experience in electrical distribution, with a focus on lighting project management. He earned his NCQLP Lighting Certification in 2011, is a member of the IES, and is a Participating Designer in Efficiency Vermont’s Lighting Design Program. Stephen enjoys working closely with lighting manufacturers and electrical contractors to find the best solutions to the real-world energy usage, functionality, and budgetary problems that his clients face.
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Ravi Parikh
With years of experience managing and implementing utility efficiency programs, Ravi Parikh now works as Business Development Manager for RAB Lighting, where his focus is educating industry members on the value in maximizing energy savings through the use of lighting design and networked lighting controls. As a member of the IES Energy Efficiency Program Committee and Efficiency Maine’s Networked Lighting Controls Advisory Group, Ravi has established himself as an advocate for energy-efficient lighting. His work includes education and training for various local utility programs, including Efficiency Vermont, Burlington Electric Department, National Grid, Eversource, and Efficiency Maine.
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High-performance Homes 1: It’s Achievable Now—Integrated Design
Healthy Homes, Residential- Karen Bushey, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
- Gregor Masefield, Studio III Architechture
- Cooper Smith-Stackhouse, Silver Maple Construction
High-performance and net-zero homes are gaining remarkable traction in the new construction market. The Efficiency Vermont residential group has worked with well over 100 of these homes in Vermont. This session will begin with the building blocks of efficient home design, exploring the implications of siting, shape, and orientation. It will then dive into slam-dunk, affordable building assemblies, synergies that allow affordable HVAC systems to be incorporated, and how others have transitioned to airtightness levels of 1.0 ACH50 or less. We will discuss items that should never be value engineered, how to get subs on board, and high-performance experience with modular homes. The presenters will speak to how some of the most successful projects have used integrated design work and communication across the project team, and how this can be crucial in achieving benefits such as reduced-cost HVAC and MEP systems. A case study will present the architect and builder perspectives on the process, and how it can result in a building that performs beautifully and affordably.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
Karen Bushey
Karen S. Bushey, AIA, LEED AP, CPHC, joined Vermont Energy Investment Corporation in 2014 as a residential energy consultant with the goal of helping homeowners, builders, and architects create comfortable, durable, low-energy homes that optimize building performance. A licensed architect, certified Passive House consultant and PHIUS+ rater, Karen has over 20 years of experience in the field of architecture. Karen earned a bachelor of architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Her knowledge of high-performance design and experience working closely with numerous contractors has been key to the success of many residential and commercial projects in New England. Karen is secretary of Vermont Passive House.
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Gregor Masefield
Gregor Masefield, AIA, NCARB, CPHC owns Studio III architects in Bristol, VT. His firm is committed to design with sensitivity to our unique northeast climate, commitment to the use of native materials, and strong partnerships with talented local craftsmen and builders. Recently Studio III completed two Passive Houses in Addison County, Vermont, in an evolving quest to develop prototypes for affordable, energy efficient homes.
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Cooper Smith-Stackhouse
Cooper Smith-Stackhouse is a second-generation carpenter, living in Addison County, Vermont. Employed by Silver Maple Construction in New Haven, he specializes in building high-performance homes. Cooper has been instrumental in the recent successful completion of several high-performance homes and Passive Houses in Vermont.
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Integrated Teams for Young Professionals: Guiding New Homeowners through Deep Energy Retrofits
Healthy Homes, Residential- Alex Beck, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
- Eli Gould, Precraft Services, LLC
- Candace Pearson, BuildingGreen
- Peter Yost, BuildingGreen
This session will present a particular deep energy retrofit’s team structure, decision-making processes, and design challenges through a guided overview of key project components. This pilot project will be of technical interest to many for its use of air to water heat pumps, advanced HVAC, and newly available interior insulation materials. Each member of the panel will present his or her own area of expertise and tie it back to the shared vision and goals of the integrated team. One will discuss enclosure, HVAC, and space plan, design questions/considerations, another will discuss building envelope and moisture management, and the third will talk about healthy and sustainable building products, as well as how her experience facilitating integrated project delivery helped build the current team. The homeowner is a rural economic and community development specialist with a background in environmental science and sustainability, as well as the program director for the Southern Vermont Young Professionals program. He will discuss how a deep energy retrofit/gut rehab can align with nearly all regional and statewide economic development goals, including engaging underserved markets (young professionals and new families).
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Alex Beck
Alex Beck studied and worked in rural sustainable development in Ecuador, China, Liberia, and Rwanda, until settling in Brattleboro, Vermont, at the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Windham County’s regional development group. As a workforce specialist, he trains, supports, retains, and recruits the millennial and young professional population the Vermont economy needs to thrive. He collected a team of New England’s most skilled builders and building scientists to turn a nearly blighted home from the 1850s into a perfect starter family home in downtown Brattleboro. Alex holds an M.A. in sustainable development and a B.S. in environmental science.
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Eli Gould
Eli Gould left his hometown in southern Vermont in the early 1990s to develop a new dual-major track at Yale in architecture and forestry and then founded the design/build firm Ironwood Brand. After working in the national timber-frame and custom prefab markets, Eli returned to Vermont to lead a small firm dedicated to top-tier projects. The Ironwood Brands now include dedicated manufacturing under PreCraft Inc. and wood product focus under STIX, L3C. Eli’s project highlights include a “Best of the Best” Passive House and the Open_1 Prototype home by Bensonwood. Recently he has focused on broader and more affordable mainstream practice.
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Candace Pearson
Candace Pearson is currently a student at Vermont Law School where she is studying how to draft Integrated Project Delivery contracts for high performance buildings. Candace got her start as a writer at BuildingGreen, Inc. where she published articles spanning from healthy materials to indoor air quality. As she moved into consulting, she began facilitating integrative process workshops and was amazed by how offering building professionals the chance to collaborate resulted in a better project all-around. She since worked to execute the first Integrated Project Delivery contract in New England for the construction of a circus trapezium in Brattleboro, Vermont.
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Peter Yost
Peter Yost is a principal and Vice-President Building Performance with BuildingGreen, Inc. in Brattleboro, Vermont. He has been building, researching, teaching, writing, and consulting on high-performance homes for more than 25 years. His expertise includes construction waste management, advanced framing, energy efficiency, and building durability. Peter was the principal author of the NAHB Advanced Green Building: Building Science course materials and a co-author of the USGBC REGREEN workshop curriculum. Peter is currently technical director for GreenBuildingAdvisor.com and an instructor for several prestigious institutions. He holds a B.S. in agronomy from Virginia Tech and an M.S. in resource economics from UNH.
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Case Study: Building Enclosure Upgrades at Facilities with High Moisture Emission Rates
Commercial, Commercial- Frederick McKnight, Turner Building Sicence & Design, LLC
This session will review the upgrade of the building enclosure of a historic landmark building to obtain additional energy efficiencies and the resulting evaluation that was completed to determine the root causes of the moisture-related problems that followed the upgrade of the walls. After completion of the renovation work, which consisted of removing the interior walls (gypsum board, plaster, and lathe) and installing insulation within the cavities of the framed wall, and then covering the insulation with a vapor barrier and new gypsum board, the newly applied exterior paint on the clapboard siding began blistering, peeling, and falling off. The presenters’ study identified sources of moisture within the facility and the associated migration pathways. This in turn allowed them to recommend a multi-step moisture control system that may lower the current emission rates to levels that can be tolerated by the existing exterior finish system, not require removal and replacement of the exterior finish system, and allow the facility to operate at a high degree of utilization.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
Frederick McKnight
Frederick McKnight is the senior vice president of building science at Turner Building Science & Design. He has over 30 years of experience in HVAC design, indoor air quality evaluations, and building enclosure, commissioning in commercial environments. Frederick McKnight and Turner Building Science are members of ABAA (the Air Barrier Association of America) and BCxA (the Building Commissioning Association). He is a registered professional engineer with the State of Vermont. In addition, he is a LEED accredited professional and certified commissioning authority. He has shaped his career with design, implementation and commissioning of energy-efficient and healthy building environments.
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The Future of Lighting
Lighting, Both Residential and Commercial- John Curran, LED Transformations, LLC
The combination of LED and lighting controls represents the future for lighting, as LEDs become the dominant light source and lighting controls become commonplace. This combination will bring new features not possible with conventional sources and systems. However, unlike previous lighting advances, this combination will also upend the industry, forever changing how lighting is used. How will customer needs change? What health benefits will color-changing products provide? Who will support tomorrow’s lighting control networks? Why will eliminating (or at least hiding) complexity be the key to future success? What skill sets will tomorrow’s companies possess? What do you need to be doing right now to prepare for this future? Attend this presentation and find out.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP, PHIUS
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
John Curran
John Curran has spent over 30 years in the area of product development. With 28 patents issued, he has been responsible for a wide range of products. Currently he is president of LED Transformations, LLC, a New Jersey–based technology consulting company specializing in providing guidance to companies entering the solid-state lighting field. He is a member of SPIE, IESNA, OSA, and ASA. He has given numerous talks to the lighting industry on the correct use of LED technology for general illumination applications both for his own company and on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Design-Bid-Build Is Dead
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- Mel Baiser, HELM Construction Solutions, LLC
- Kate Stephenson, HELM Construction Solutions, LLC
- Erin Rennoldson , HELM Construction Solutions, LLC
This interactive session is designed to introduce builders, architects, and clients to a new way of doing business. Whether it is a clash over who is ultimately responsible for a project going over budget, a struggle getting the architect and client to make timely decisions, or a communication breakdown with the builder, we see the same challenges over and over. As an alternative to the conventional design-bid-build method of creating buildings, the presenters will walk you through what it takes to create an integrated team that benefits all parties. This integrated approach compensates builders for their time in the pre-construction/design and planning phase, helps inform the design by incorporating cost estimating and builder feedback early in the process, and allows the team to create high-performance buildings, both residential and commercial, in which building systems and assemblies work together holistically. Sound complicated? Learn from two project managers who facilitate integrated teams and set your next project up for success.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Mel Baiser
Mel Baiser is a partner in HELM Construction Solutions, which works with owners, designers and builders to create high-performance and sustainable buildings and businesses. Mel has over a dozen years of experience in the construction industry, both in the field as a carpenter and weatherization installer and in the office as a project manager and estimator. Mel has completed certifications with the Building Performance Institute and the Passive House Institute US. Coming from a family of builders and a background in social justice and community organizing, Mel is passionate about weaving together efforts for climate justice, building high performance homes, improving the process of doing construction while maintaining triple bottom line business principles for the professionals involved.
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Kate Stephenson
Kate Stephenson is a partner in HELM Construction Solutions, which works with owners, designers, and builders to create high-performance and sustainable buildings and businesses. She’s worked with businesses and nonprofits to achieve triple-bottom-line metrics, develop business systems, and plan for a dynamic and resilient future. She led the Yestermorrow Design/Build School for over 13 years. Kate is a facilitator for NESEA’s BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines program, chairs the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee, and serves on the board of the Urban Death Project and the Vermont Council on Rural Development. She holds an M.S. in management from Antioch University New England.
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Erin Rennoldson
Erin Rennoldson is a project manager at HELM Construction Solutions, a Vermont-based firm working with owners, designers, and builders to create high-performance and sustainable buildings and businesses. Erin has spent the past decade in the construction industry. Her knowledge of interior design, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, windows and doors, and plumbing and lighting fixtures positions her well to support clients during the selection process. With a B.A. in environmental science, Erin is constantly seeking ways to lessen our footprint on the planet, from the simple tasks of specifying locally sourced and sustainable materials, to the big picture of being a part of creating high-performance buildings.
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High-performance Homes 2: News from the Field—the Homeowner Experience
Healthy Homes, Residential- William Kallock, Integral Analytics
- Matt Sargent, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
High-performance and net-zero homes are no longer a new thing. Hundreds of such homes are now in place across the Northeast, and the time has come to evaluate how they’re performing and what we can all learn from the early adopters. The presenter recently led a survey in which a dozen of these homeowners were interviewed. He’ll discuss perceptions, problems, and what homeowners value most. The session will focus on HVAC in particular. The discussion will include homeowners’ (and installers’) understanding of cold climate heat pump details (e.g., control settings, thermostat location) and awareness and operation of balanced ventilation systems. The presenter will compare how these HVAC systems are operating versus how those in non-high-performance buildings are operating, and how they impact the homeowners. A case study will also be presented in which a high-performance homeowner discusses his experience of the past three years. You’ll leave this session with insights gained from others’ trials and mistakes and clear takeaways for implementing HVAC systems with fewer problems.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
William Kallock
For the past 27 years Bill Kallock has worked with utilities around the country designing and evaluating energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including residential new construction programs. Bill currently works for Integral Analytics providing analytics tools to the electric industry to optimize the electricity distribution grid to include as much energy efficiency and local renewable generation as possible. In 2012 Bill and his family pursued their dream of building a high-performance house that saves valuable resources and has a strong financial return.
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Matt Sargent
A former builder and current senior energy consultant within the Efficiency Vermont residential new construction team, Matt has three decades of building and consulting experience. He was involved in a number of Vermont’s early high-performance homes, helping design and construction professionals bridge the gap between standard practice and the next generation of materials, design, and construction methods. He is passionate about helping Vermonters transform the residential building market.
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Passive House Retrofit of a Vermont House
Building Systems, Both Residential and Commercial- Enrique Bueno, E+ Buildings
- Paul Sipple, NECCO, Inc.
This session covers the incremental deep energy retrofit of a 1,200-square-foot house to meet the Passive House standard. The presentation will walk the audience through the energy modeling process to set the retrofit parameters required to meet the Passive House standard, as well as the incremental construction process, materials, and components used through a three-year period to complete the retrofit job. Presenters will compare the initial calculated energy performance of the house with the forecast predicted by the energy model. The house was fully occupied (by two adults and three children) during two of the three phases of the project. The blower door test before the retrofit gave 1,665 CFM50. After the wall cavity insulation and new windows were in place and before outer layers of insulation were completed, a new blower door test showed 48 CFM50, a reduction of 97% of air infiltration.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Enrique Bueno
Enrique Bueno holds a degree in chemical engineering and has 40 years’ experience in process industry. For the past six years, he has been a certified Passive House consultant working as senior engineer at E+ Buildings. Enrique is a founding member of the Vermont Passive House organization, presently serving as the board’s chair for the organization, and has worked in new construction as well as retrofit energy modeling jobs to meet the Passive House standard.
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Paul Sipple
Paul Sipple is the owner of the New England Construction Company (NECCO, Inc.) and has been operating as a general contractor for 33 years. Paul started in the residential market and after a few years pursued the public-sector construction market. He has kept his hands in the residential market and four years ago, aware of the Passive Haus building standards, became a Certified Passive Haus Builder. In those four years Paul has completed deep energy retrofits on apartments, offices, and single-family houses. They now all use heat pumps as their sole source of heat. This project is Paul’s first opportunity to do a certified building and it will be one of the few retrofitted to a Passive House standard in VT.
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Break It Up! How and Why to Separate Interior Spaces
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- John Straube, RDH Building Science Inc. and University of Waterloo
Expectations for airtightness are steadily increasing. In some areas, builders and architects have become quite good at “building tight” across the building enclosure. But there is less awareness of the hows and whys of sealing between units in multi-unit residential buildings. This session will discuss compartmentalization research and practice, including airtightness test methods, specification, and telltale signs of poor compartmentalization. We will also touch on different HVAC strategies, including the use of individual heat recovery ventilation systems, and look at the pros and cons of each strategy in compartmentalized buildings.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
John Straube
John Straube, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal at RDH Building Science Inc., where he heads forensic investigations and leads research projects in the areas of low-energy building design, building enclosure performance, hygrothermal analysis, and field monitoring of wall assemblies. He is also a prolific writer and a noted public speaker. As one blogger wrote after attending a keynote speech: “he clearly loves what he does.” In addition to his work with RDH, Dr. Straube is a cross-appointed faculty member in the School of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His leadership as a building scientist and an educator has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in Building Science Education from the National Consortium of Housing Research Centers (NCHRC) and the Professional Leadership Award from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).
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The Old Hinesburg Police Station—Completing the Zero-energy Project
Building Systems, Both Residential and Commercial- Richard Faesy, Energy Futures Group
- David Pill, Pill Maharam Architects
- Chuck Reiss, Reiss Building and Renovation
- Andy Shapiro, Energy Balance, Inc.
As a sequel to the 2017 presentation that focused on the design process of converting the old Hinesburg police station to Energy Futures Group’s new net-zero energy office building, the 2018 session will present the construction process along with actual energy usage data. How do you turn an 1860s farmhouse into a high-performance building that produces all its annual energy with PV panels on the roof? It’s not easy, but the design and construction team kept the zero-energy goal in mind throughout the process and have delivered a high-performance model for future construction projects. The building’s owner, architect, energy consultant, and builder will walk through the construction details, highlight key challenges and decisions, and provide energy usage and PV production details. Lessons learned, what worked and what didn’t, and tips for future projects will be shared, along with lots of pictures and a video of the construction process.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
Richard Faesy
Richard Faesy is a principal and co-founder of Energy Futures Group in Hinesburg, Vermont. As a certified energy rater, LEED accredited professional, and DOE Home Energy Score assessor, he specializes in residential buildings, technologies, and markets. He has expertise in residential new construction and retrofits; energy rating and labeling; building codes; financing; green building; the integration of renewables and energy efficiency; and effective energy efficiency policy, program design, and implementation. He currently works with clients throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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David Pill
David Pill is the principal of Pill-Maharam Architects, a small firm in Shelburne, Vermont. He has a master’s degree in architecture from Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and art history from Lake Forest College. David has been a practicing architect for 25 years and is licensed in all six New England states and New York. After working at The Architects’ Collaborative in Cambridge, Massachusetts, David founded Pill-Maharam Architects in 1991 and has been involved with sustainable design practices since its inception. David’s passion lies in creating sculptural and pragmatic environmentally responsible buildings that produce zero carbon emissions. Pill-Maharam Architects’ work has been widely published, and the firm has received a number of local and national awards.
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Chuck Reiss
Chuck Reiss is the owner of Reiss Building and Renovation, building high-performance, net-zero energy homes and moving existing homes closer to net-zero energy since 1982. Chuck is one of the founding members of Building for Social Responsibility and a director of the Building Performance Professional Association of Vermont. A certified BPI professional and a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor, he is dedicated to getting existing homes off fossil fuel through a combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and heat pumps. Chuck is also an adjunct professor at UVM and is chair of the Hinesburg Energy Committee.
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Andy Shapiro
Andy Shapiro, president of Energy Balance, Inc., has provided high-performance building energy analysis, design, and monitoring consulting services for 30 years to clients including owners, architects, engineers, builders, housing developers, universities, businesses, and efficiency programs. He provides guidance in conceptualization, design, construction, commissioning, and post-occupancy assessment, for optimizing the environmental impact of the building, indoor environmental quality, operating and maintenance costs, and building durability. He works with new and existing buildings, from single-family homes up to larger institutional buildings. He is also the director of science and engineering for the Vermont Energy Education Program, bringing along the energy literacy of the next generation.
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PVs and Battery Storage in Low-energy Buildings
Healthy Homes, Residential- Marc Rosenbaum, South Mountain Company
The next step beyond zero net energy is pushing to see how much energy used on site can be supplied by the PV system. In sun-tempered superinsulated housing, with a PV system sized to zero out the annual consumption, only about one-quarter of the PV energy is used as it is generated. On-site battery storage makes it possible to drive this fraction up significantly. In this session, we will look at daily and seasonal residential energy use data from low-energy homes. Using a simulation tool that relies on hourly inputs for energy use and PV generation, we’ll examine the effects of varying battery and PV array sizing, as well as load variation, on the degree of renewable self-consumption that can be achieved. We’ll draw some insights from all this and the implications for how we think about design.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
Marc Rosenbaum
Marc Rosenbaum, P.E., is a longtime student of making great buildings. He uses an integrated systems design approach to help people create buildings and communities connected to the natural world, supporting both personal and planetary health. Much of his recent work has been net-zero energy buildings, deep energy retrofits, and Passive Houses. His work has been recognized nationally by ASHRAE, AIA, EEBA, and NESEA, but they didn’t see all the mistakes along the way.
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Why Are Attics Insulated with Open-Cell Spray Foam So Damp?
Envelope, Residential- Martin Holladay, Green Building Advisor
Researchers in all U.S. climate zones are discovering that unvented conditioned attics insulated with open-cell spray foam installed on the underside of the roof sheathing are showing signs of high indoor humidity. In some cases, the moisture content of the roof sheathing in these attics is high enough to raise concerns about possible sheathing rot. The presentation will describe researchers’ understanding of the sources of the moisture causing the problem, as well as design guidance to help builders avoid moisture problems in unvented attics. Finally, the presentation will include recommendations for fixing problems in attics that are currently damp.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Martin Holladay
Martin Holladay is a senior editor at Green Building Advisor and Fine Homebuilding. His weekly blog, “Musings of an Energy Nerd,” focuses on energy-efficient residential construction. He built his first passive solar house in northern Vermont in 1974, and has lived off the grid since 1975. Before working as an editor, Holladay was a roofer, remodeler, and builder. He has also worked as a project manager for a nonprofit developer of low-income housing.
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Lighting in the Connected Transportation Environment
Lighting, Commercial- Ronald Gibbons, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Eric Haugaard, Cree Lighting
Automation is the future of almost all aspects of our lives. For lighting, automation is the key to energy savings, management of the negative aspects of outdoor lighting, and control of the visual environment. The trend toward automation includes transportation, as we move toward autonomous vehicles. Automated and autonomous vehicles are being equipped with sensing systems that replace the human eye and algorithms that replace the cognitive functions that allow humans to drive. This automation will have a significant impact on the infrastructure, and there is huge potential for the integration of lighting in this future. This session will be a discussion of the current status of automated and autonomous vehicles and the possibilities for lighting in this environment.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Ronald Gibbons
Ronald Gibbons is the director of the Center for Infrastructure-Based Safety Systems at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). He is also VTTI’s lead lighting research scientist. He studies the spectral effects of new light sources on roadways, the visibility of police vehicles, and adaptive lighting on roadways. He is also the PI and project manager for a safety project sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. The author of over 80 published papers on roadway lighting, photometry, and target visibility, he is also a past president of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
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Eric Haugaard
Eric Haugaard is the director of product technology for Cree Lighting. His career of 30 years includes a variety of positions focused primarily on advanced lighting systems development. Eric holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and completed his post-baccalaureate program studies at NASA/Ames Research Center. He holds 48 U.S. and 16 foreign patents related to lighting technology.
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The Goddess of Green Appraisal Holds Court
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- Sandra Adomatis, Adomatis Appraisal Service
- Jeffrey Gephart, Vermontwise Energy Services, Inc.
Vermont’s growing inventory of high-performance homes dramatically outperform their competition. Unfortunately, home performance is usually invisible within real estate transactions. High-performance homes are complex appraisal assignments, as they have unique features compared to traditionally built homes. Most appraisers do not have training about this specialized property type, and without knowledge of the construction methods used and their benefits to the owner, it is difficult for an appraiser to consider them appropriately. Appraiser Sandra Adomatis wrote the book on green appraisal—literally! Where Vermont is making progress in appraiser education and real estate market transformation, it’s in great part occurring through application and exposure to training programs she has developed. This session will cover what design, building, and home performance professionals need to do to avoid appraisal problems and to realize contributory value for energy efficiency and renewable energy features as well as identify how available resources in Vermont can support builders’ efforts. The real estate market is a system that doesn’t function very rationally when energy use and cost aren’t accounted for.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Sandra Adomatis
Sandra K Adomatis, SRA, LEED Green Associate is a national speaker on valuing high performance features. Her background as an active real estate appraiser, REALTOR, instructor, and course developer brings insightful dialogue to share with builders, lenders, and real estate professionals. You might even say she wrote the book because she did author, “Residential Green Valuation Tools.” She spearheaded the “Appraisal Institute Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum” that is being used by builders, appraisers, and energy organizations around the country. Sandra’s delivery is energetic and humorous with life lessons that brought her to be known as the “Green Queen.” Her passion shines as shares her knowledge of the industry to do her part in moving the market to a higher performing place where home owners will live a safer, healthier, and less costly life. She enjoys networking with REALTORS, builders, appraisers, real estate agents, governmental agencies, and others involved in transforming the market with high-performing structures.
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Jeffrey Gephart
Jeffrey Gephart is president of Vermontwise Energy Services, Inc., an energy services company in Rochester, Vermont, founded in 1997. He has over 20 years of experience providing residential new construction energy efficiency program design, marketing, and implementation for utilities and, since 2000, for Efficiency Vermont. Jeff works with architects and builders who are building to Efficiency Vermont standards as well as ENERGY STAR® Homes, LEED for Homes, National Green Building Standard, and Passive House projects. Jeff leads the Vermont Green Home Alliance (VGHA), which works to increase education and information sharing with appraisers, home inspectors, mortgage lenders, real estate agents, and others.
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High-performance Homes 3: Selling It—Value, Finance, and Benefits
Healthy Homes, Residential- Brian Just, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
- Bruce Landry, 5 Star Energy Tech
- Jennifer Severidt, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
In order for consumers and the real estate market to fully embrace high-performance and net-zero homes, both financing and valuation barriers need to be addressed. On the financing side, Efficiency Vermont’s residential team is providing new appraisal support documents to enrollees of the high-performance homes (HPH) tier, toward accurate valuing of construction loans. This session will also cover pricing, cash-flow analysis, and bank versus lister appraisal value. We will consider easy-to-quantify items such as energy savings in high-performance homes, and also less well understood factors such as thermal comfort and indoor air quality, whose benefits can be significant. The presenters will introduce tools to evaluate and “price” comfort and air quality in a home and discuss the latest marketing used by others to “sell” high performance in markets across North America. Finally, we will use a recently completed Habitat for Humanity project as a real-world example of costs, financing, and valuation, showing how the pieces can fit together for an achievable high-performance project on a tight budget.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
Brian Just
Brian Just manages Efficiency Vermont’s Residential New Construction team and works on a variety of energy efficiency initiatives at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who, after beginning his career designing large-scale custom test equipment, slowly shifted his focus to energy and health. While obtaining his master’s degree at the University of British Columbia, Brian researched biomass combustion and indoor air quality. He is RESNET, Passive House (CPHC), and LEED accredited professional certified, and is committed to serving Vermont’s residential design and construction community as its members pave the way to a future of highly efficient, healthy, durable homes.
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Bruce Landry
Bruce Landry is the owner of 5 Star Energy Tech an Energy Consultant Company. Bruce is a BPI-certified ENERGY STAR contractor, DOE qualified home energy assessor, Zero Energy Now contractor, and EPA lead RRP and EMP certified contractor. Bruce has been weatherizing homes throughout New England for 10 years and was the lead consultant on a multifamily unit in Montpelier with VHCB. His latest project is a net zero certified Passive House for Habitat for Humanity. His goal is to educate and assist homeowners in making their home as energy efficient as possible. Every home has energy potential savings and has found those savings on new homes as well as 100+ year old houses. Bruce also serves his community by volunteering his time and talent as a BPPA board vice chair, Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity Affiliate board vise chair and Affiliate Building Committee chair. Bruce is also on the Granite City Grocer (Co-Op) site committee.
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Jennifer Severidt
Jennifer Severidt has been in the building energy industry for 12 years, getting her start as an auditor at a local weatherization agency. Two of her passions are residential buildings and environmental conservation, and at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation she is able to pursue both. As a residential energy consultant, Jen applies her knowledge to the new construction industry, helping homes get built right the first time and continues to work with low-income customers as needed. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, a member of the SEON Building Science Guild, and an accredited green verifier for the National Green Building Standard.
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Hydronic Solutions for Low-energy Homes (3-Hour Extended Session)
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- John Siegenthaler, Appropriate Designs
Energy codes continue to lower design heating loads. Given these low loads, advocates of low-energy house construction often view hydronic heating as unnecessary. The North American hydronics industry should not concede to the ductless mini-split industry when it comes to keeping occupants comfortable in low-energy-use houses. This extended session will show how hydronic systems can be tailored to the specific needs of low-energy houses including heating, domestic hot water supply, and even cooling. These solutions offer the benefits of improved comfort, lower distribution energy use, accommodation of many energy sources (both conventional and renewable), and long system life.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
John Siegenthaler
John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a licensed professional engineer, and professor emeritus of engineering technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. “Siggy” has over 35 years of experience in designing hydronic systems. He is a member of the Radiant Panel Association Hall of Fame and principal of Appropriate Designs, a consulting engineering firm. He is the author of two textbooks: Modern Hydronic Heating (Delmar Cengage Learning; 3rd ed., 2011), and Heating with Renewable Energy (Delmar Cengage Learning, 2016). He has worked closely with NYSERDA on implementation of hydronic-based biomass heating systems.
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Making Lighting Controls User Friendly: Limiting the Occupant Revolt
Lighting, Commercial- Shannon Markey, Legrand/Wattsopper
This presentation will offer a practical approach to properly specifying, installing, and commissioning lighting controls. Lighting controls are required by many codes and designed to save energy while enhancing the occupant experience. However, due to improper specification, installation, or commissioning, they often instead become a nuisance to occupants. Building users then bypass the controls (the “occupant revolt”) and end up not saving the energy they were intended to save. This seminar will walk attendees through a process that will result in a successful project and happy clients. The presentation will feature real-life examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly. In addition, we will discuss the benefits to owners in terms of ROI and energy savings maximization. All aspects required by energy codes will be covered: occupancy sensors, vacancy sensors, timer devices, daylighting, plug load control, overrides, etc. We will discuss the importance of developing a thorough sequence of operations for each space type in the building. This presentation is meant to be not only informative, but also a bit humorous.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Shannon Markey
Shannon Markey, LC, LEED AP, IESNA, has been involved in specifying and selling lighting controls for over 20 years in the Western U.S. at the manufacturer’s representative and manufacturer level. The majority of this time has been spent within the specification and installation processes, working directly with architects, electrical engineers, lighting designers, electrical contractors, and end users. He is passionate about delivering a positive experience to all customer levels within the construction process.
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The Thermal Barrier: Where to Place It? Does It Really Matter?
Envelope, Both Residential and Commercial- Laz Scangas, Arnold and Scangas Architects
On which side of the exterior wall should the thermal barrier be located? Does it depend on the building? What if it is a historic building? This presentation will look at two existing masonry exterior wall buildings. One building was a former historic neighborhood school that has been converted into apartments, with the thermal envelope located at the interior side of the existing exterior wall. The other building was a former administration building for the Brandon Training School that has also been converted into apartments, with the thermal envelope located at the exterior side of the existing exterior wall. The presentation will review building components as a whole (thermal envelope, air sealing, windows and doors, mechanical systems, ventilation, electrical systems, and solar) and consider the costs for the installation of each system as well as the current fuel and electrical usage for each building.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Laz Scangas
Laz Scangas, AIA, is a principal at Arnold and Scangas Architects, located in downtown Saint Albans, Vermont. Laz believes in providing clients with efficient, comfortable, and healthy living environments that are easy to use, easy to maintain, energy-efficient, and beautiful. He is committed to balancing innovative green building technologies with long-standing good design practice and understands that sustainability begins with an integrated team process. The firm specializes in restoring and renovating historic buildings and working on efficient, tight building envelopes, as well as comfortable and well-designed affordable housing projects.
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Health and Buildings: Demystifying Material Choices in Construction
Envelope, Both Residential and Commercial- Brian Just, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
- Jacob Racusin, New Frameworks Natural Design Build
A growing contingent of homeowners, builders, and architects are interested in the concept of healthier homes. Research points toward the need for wiser material choices—and not just low-VOC paint. Many decisions need to be made early, in the design phase, whereas others come much later, and everyone on the project team must be on board. To make matters more confusing, there are several dozen product certifications or ratings to choose from (e.g., Green Guard, FSC, and Declare). In this session, we will cut through the confusion and outline key strategies to help your team make informed decisions regarding insulation, flooring, countertops, cabinetry, paints, and various other products and finishes. You don’t need to be building a LEED, WELL, or Living Building Challenge project to benefit; these solutions work for small renovations and large new construction projects alike. Whether you’re looking for simple, low-cost upgrades for a remodeling project or are building for a client with allergies or chemical sensitivities, you’ll walk away with ideas that will help put you and your clients at ease.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Brian Just
Brian Just manages Efficiency Vermont’s Residential New Construction team and works on a variety of energy efficiency initiatives at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who, after beginning his career designing large-scale custom test equipment, slowly shifted his focus to energy and health. While obtaining his master’s degree at the University of British Columbia, Brian researched biomass combustion and indoor air quality. He is RESNET, Passive House (CPHC), and LEED accredited professional certified, and is committed to serving Vermont’s residential design and construction community as its members pave the way to a future of highly efficient, healthy, durable homes.
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Jacob Racusin
Jacob Deva Racusin is co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Design/Build, offering green remodeling, new construction, consultation, and education featuring natural building technologies. Through his work as a designer, builder, consultant, and educator, Jacob is able to merge his passions for fine craft, ecological stewardship, relationship to place, and social justice. Jacob is program director of the certificate in building science and net-zero design at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and is a BPI-certified contractor and certified Passive House consultant. Jacob wrote Essential Building Science (New Society, 2016), and The Natural Building Companion (Chelsea Green, 2012), which he co-authored with Ace McArleton.
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Putting It All Together—Integrated Design for the Hampshire College R.W. Kern Center in Amherst, Massachusetts
Commercial, Commercial- Chris Chamberland, The Berkshire Design Group
- Roger Cooney, Wright Builders, Inc.
- Christopher Nielson, Bruner / Cott Architects
- Marc Rosenbaum, South Mountain Company
This presentation will give an overview of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) of the International Living Futures Institute. This will include specific LBC “petals” as related to the R.W. Kern Center project at Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts. The presentation segments will include an overview of the engineering, design, and construction process. We will also take a deep dive into energy requirements and a deep dive into water (pardon the pun), a look at the process needed to make it a reality, the results of the collaborative efforts, and finally the lessons learned along the way! Generous time will be allotted for questions and answers with the panel.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
Chris Chamberland
Chris Chamberland is a civil engineer with The Berkshire Design Group, an award-winning firm of landscape architects, civil engineers and land surveyors specializing in park and recreation design, site planning and commercial development based in Northampton, MA. Recently, Chris has been occupied by the Living Building Challenge’s Net Positive Water imperative, which has required him to find solutions that help his projects clear both technical and regulatory hurdles. Chris has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Notre Dame and a Masters in Civil Engineering from Columbia.
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Roger Cooney
Roger Cooney is the vice president of design, sales and estimating at Wright Builders Inc, a general contractor and construction manager based in Northampton, MA. Wright Builders is Western Massachusetts' leading construction expert and builds to the EPA’s ENERGY STAR, USGBC’s LEED and ILFI Living Building Challenge standards. Recently WBI completed construction of the R.W Kern Center at Hampshire College and The Hitchcock Center for the Environment also on the Hampshire Campus. Both project are built to the Living Building Challenge standard.
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Christopher Nielson
Christopher is an architect with Bruner/Cott Architects. He is interested in design that builds community while addressing the impact of climate change. With a high level of expertise in construction technology, community outreach, and high-performance design, Christopher leads project teams to identify common goals and specific solutions. Most recently, Christopher managed the R.W. Kern Center project at Hampshire College, now pursing the Living Building Challenge. A natural teacher, Christopher has lectured at The University of Oregon, Middlebury College, Hampshire College, and The Boston Architectural College. He has presented at NESEA, AASHE, and GreenBuild on topics ranging from net zero water and energy design, to leveraging BIM technology for the creation of photorealistic images. Currently, Christopher serves as a committee member on the Climate Action Protection Committee for the city of Cambridge.
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Marc Rosenbaum
Marc Rosenbaum, P.E., is a longtime student of making great buildings. He uses an integrated systems design approach to help people create buildings and communities connected to the natural world, supporting both personal and planetary health. Much of his recent work has been net-zero energy buildings, deep energy retrofits, and Passive Houses. His work has been recognized nationally by ASHRAE, AIA, EEBA, and NESEA, but they didn’t see all the mistakes along the way.
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Retrocommissioning Works
Commercial, Commercial- John Grosvenor, Vermont Historical Society
- Eveline Killian, Cx Associates
- Daniel Tushus-Dubrow, Cx Associates
- Chris Vintinner, Distech Controls Inc.
Retrocommissioning is a whole building approach that seeks to improve how building equipment and systems function together. The mechanism of this work is to focus on the opportunities found through the building automation system (BAS), which has become a feature of not just large but also medium-sized and even small buildings. Retrocommissioning is not a capital improvement project that identifies equipment replacement. Improvements are typically low-cost or no-cost items that correct operational deficiencies such as control sequences and sensor calibration; this can make a huge difference in the building’s energy consumption and the occupants’ comfort level. Cx Associates and Control Technologies have implemented a retrocommissioning project at the Vermont Historical Society in Barre, Vermont, and have been following the results since May 2017. This presentation will cover the process, the pitfalls, the impact, and the persistence of the benefits, with input from the client.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
John Grosvenor
John Grosvenor is currently the finance director of the Vermont Historical Society and has lived in Cabot and worked in that capacity for other mission-based organizations for over 25 years, including the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, High Mowing Seeds, and Hunger Mountain Coop. He has a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in environmental studies and government.
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Eveline Killian
Eveline Killian is an architectural engineer with over 20 years’ experience in commercial and industrial project management and energy analysis. She has extensive experience in energy-efficient building design and operation, efficiency program design and implementation, and measurement and verification of energy efficiency measures. She has performed retrocommissioning of existing buildings as well as new construction commissioning and has calibrated energy models on large commercial and institutional buildings. She has managed the Vermont Forward Capacity Market and the NYSERDA new construction program evaluation engineering teams on the M&V and data analysis for over five years.
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Daniel Tushus-Dubrow
Daniel Tuhus-Dubrow, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, BEMP, EIT, is a mechanical engineer focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing energy costs in buildings. He has over 10 years of experience in energy auditing and retrocommissioning activities, including several for Local Law 87 (New York City) and Executive Order 88 (New York State) compliance as well as throughout New England. He has experience with LEED certification, energy modeling, and energy efficiency design and measure implementation verification.
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Chris Vintinner
Chris Vintinner is a sales support engineer for Distech Controls Inc., where he is driven to make the built environment smarter, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. Chris has worked closely with building owners, operators, and engineers in commissioning, retrocommissioning, and building retuning projects. He is experienced in both the design and optimization of intelligent building systems including lighting, HVAC, and building data analytics.
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Healthy Buildings for Everyone: Tapping into Biology to Grow the Next Generation of Buildings
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- Eric Correy Freed, organicARCHITECT
The way buildings are constructed has remained relatively unchanged for nearly 200 years. The $9 trillion a year global construction industry is responsible for nearly 60% of climate change emissions, a third of landfill waste, and a shocking array of negative health effects. Even the most advanced construction projects in the world continue to use antiquated techniques of modular assembly, relying on painstaking human effort. Construction is driven by standards and codes to ensure economy and safety, but the process fails to protect people from larger risks. In 2016, the XPRIZE Foundation set out to establish a “moonshot” for construction by creating the XPRIZE for Healthy Buildings. In this session, learn how one team approached this unique opportunity to develop a way to (literally) grow buildings by fusing synthetic biology, genomics, parametric modeling, and 3D printing to create a paradigm shift that could switch us from a PETROchemical world, to a BIOchemical one.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
Eric Correy Freed
Eric Corey Freed is founding principal of organicARCHITECT, a visionary design leader in biophilic and regenerative design. Eric is the author of 11 books, including Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies (For Dummies, 2007). In 2012, his business was named one of the 25 “Best Green Architecture Firms” in the U.S., and he was named one of 10 influential green architects. He also holds a prestigious LEED Fellow award from the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Theory and Practice for Attics and Cathedral Roof Slopes in Cold Climates
Envelope, Both Residential and Commercial- Henri Fennell, HC Fennell Consulting, LLC
This session will describe the procedures for diagnosing and correcting insulation and air leakage in attics and cathedral roof slopes, including an overview of the related ventilation issues. Pros and cons of vented and unvented designs will be covered as methods for eliminating problems in advance, or as methods of eliminating problems by changing from one to the other. Presenters will address diagnostic methods and how to prioritize remediation work to maximize return on investment during the presentation of several case studies. The implications of the problems addressed in this process can also be applied to the design and construction of new buildings. Additional program topics will include strategic air sealing (SAS), the use of temperature monitoring in diagnosing and remediating air barrier failures, best practices for avoiding problems in structural foam roof panel installations, and conceptual strategies for approaching ice dam prevention and remediation.
Presentation(s):
- Theory and Practice for Attics and Cathedral Roof Slopes in Cold Climates (presentation)
- Theory and Practice for Attics and Cathedral Roof Slopes in Cold Climates (paper)
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
Henri Fennell
Henri Fennell is a building envelope specialist and architect with 45 years of experience in energy conservation design, manufactured products, and services. His experience has included working as an architect and as a building envelope remediation and commissioning consultant. Henri’s major historic projects include the Guggenheim Museum. He has designed several new micro-load buildings, including a cutting-edge net-zero energy research structure in Antarctica. He holds four energy-related U.S. patents, and is often cited in articles related to energy conservation and building performance. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Update on Lighting Standards That Impact Product and System Efficiency and Performance in Vermont and Elsewhere
Lighting, Commercial- Howard Wolfman, Lumispec Consulting
Traditionally, lighting products and systems have been a slow-moving technology with incremental improvements in efficiency and performance. As LED products and systems have ascended to take over the lighting market, however, their efficiency and performance have reached unprecendented levels and opened new doors of opportunity. This presentation will highlight the rigorous standards development process used in LED product and system standards development; current levels of lighting product and system performance; and issues involving horticultural applications, human-centric design (light and health), flicker, ANSI lighting systems, and DesignLights Consortium Networked Lighting Control systems.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Howard Wolfman
Howard Wolfman, P.E., has a career that spans decades of engineering and technical work with an emphasis on both creative and strategic thinking. In 2008, he started Lumispec Consulting, whose clients include many lighting manufacturers, government bodies, and nonprofit organizations. His current activities include serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Engineering. Howard also has served on many U.S., Canadian, and international standards development bodies and has received numerous awards. He has served as a member of several Lightfair International Innovation Awards selection committees. Howard holds a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and an MBA.
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Why Invest in Building Controls?
Commercial, Commercial- Peter Hooper, State of Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services
- Mary Jane Poynter, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
This presentation will explain how investing in building-wide or campus-wide controls is superior to investing in individual components. Builders can gain more savings from the installation of an efficiency component when thinking more broadly about how the control could be used (for example, having the occupancy sensors that control office lights also send a signal to the DDC system to adjust either the heating/cooling unit or the ventilation). Companies that have more than one site can track performance across multiple buildings with minimal resource investment by the company using a SCADA, or supervisory control and data acquisition, system. This presentation will lay out three options for data collection and controls integration: good, better, and best, for companies of all sizes in Vermont.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Peter Hooper
Peter Hooper is an electrical engineer and project manager with the State of Vermont’s Energy Office. He works primarily in project development and oversight work, including the planning, completion and verification of energy efficiency, energy conservation and renewable energy projects. Prior to working at the State of Vermont, Peter was employed by Northern Power Systems where he worked on the development and installation of utility scale wind turbines. He holds an B.S. in electrical engineering from Norwich University.
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Mary Jane Poynter
Mary Jane Poynter is a senior energy consultant at the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. She specializes in commercial, governmental, industrial, and multifamily building energy projects, working primarily with Efficiency Vermont and DC Sustainability Energy Utilities. A 20-year veteran of the energy efficiency industry, she has worked on projects across the spectrum of new construction and renovation, and in the affordable housing market. Mary Jane is a certified energy manager, a certified master gardener, and a 17-year member of her local ASHRAE chapter. She holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
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Integrative Carbon Building: Embodied Carbon, Net Positive Carbon, and the New Carbon Architecture
Envelope, Both Residential and Commercial- Chris Magwood, Endeavour Centre
- Ace McArleton, New Framworks Natural Design/Build, LLC
- Jacob Rascusin, New Frameworks Natural Design/Build, LLC
Buildings’ global carbon impact, and hence our responsibility, is massive: Buildings are responsible for 39–49% of emissions globally. We have made great strides in green building in terms of addressing operational energy consumption (the energy buildings use during their operation), yet our current framework for net-zero energy buildings doesn’t account for the carbon pollution created during the manufacturing and distribution of the materials used for green buildings, known as embodied energy. In this session, we will show how systems thinking about carbon and an integrated design approach can change building practices from being a problem to being a solution. We will present data on the impact of the embodied carbon of green buildings; address how to quantify embodied carbon in design/build practices; and discuss present-day carbon-positive construction materials and assemblies, which can reduce the carbon load in the atmosphere, effectively using buildings as carbon-sequestering reservoirs. This can mitigate and even reverse climate change effects. Understanding the carbon cycle, and how we as design/build practitioners can make beneficial choices in our designs, is the next horizon for integrative green building.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Chris Magwood
Chris Magwood is obsessed with making energy-efficient, beautiful, and inspiring buildings without wrecking the planet. He co-founded Camel’s Back Construction and has designed or built many homes and commercial buildings, mostly with straw bale technology and renewable energy systems. Chris has authored multiple books on sustainable construction methods, including Essential Sustainable Home Design (New Society Publishers, 2017). Chris is director, curriculum developer, and instructor at the Endeavour Centre in Ontario, Canada. He has won numerous design and teaching awards, including a Home Sweet Home Award for Affordable Housing. He is currently finishing his Master's degree with a thesis about regulation of embodied carbon for buildings.
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Ace McArleton
Ace McArleton founded New Frameworks Natural Design/Build in 2006 to offer green remodeling and new construction services, blending natural building materials and methods with high-performance design. Ace teaches in the Natural Building certificate program at the Yestermorrow School, is co-author of The Natural Building Companion (Chelsea Green, 2012), and led his business’s conversion to a worker cooperative in 2016. Ace is passionate about finding practical, regional solutions to build healthy, just communities now and into the future.
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Jacob Rascusin
Jacob Deva Racusin is co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Design/Build, offering green remodeling, new construction, consultation, and education featuring natural building technologies. Through his work as a designer, builder, consultant, and educator, Jacob is able to merge his passions for fine craft, ecological stewardship, relationship to place, and social justice. Jacob is program director of the certificate in building science and net-zero design at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and is a BPI-certified contractor and certified Passive House consultant. Jacob wrote Essential Building Science (New Society, 2016), and The Natural Building Companion (Chelsea Green, 2012), which he co-authored with Ace McArleton.
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Hydronic Solutions for Low-energy Homes (3-Hour Extended Session Continued)
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- John Siegenthaler, Appropriate Designs
Energy codes continue to lower design heating loads. Given these low loads, advocates of low-energy house construction often view hydronic heating as unnecessary. The North American hydronics industry should not concede to the ductless mini-split industry when it comes to keeping occupants comfortable in low-energy-use houses. This extended session will show how hydronic systems can be tailored to the specific needs of low-energy houses including heating, domestic hot water supply, and even cooling. These solutions offer the benefits of improved comfort, lower distribution energy use, accommodation of many energy sources (both conventional and renewable), and long system life.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
John Siegenthaler
John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a licensed professional engineer, and professor emeritus of engineering technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. “Siggy” has over 35 years of experience in designing hydronic systems. He is a member of the Radiant Panel Association Hall of Fame and principal of Appropriate Designs, a consulting engineering firm. He is the author of two textbooks: Modern Hydronic Heating (Delmar Cengage Learning; 3rd ed., 2011), and Heating with Renewable Energy (Delmar Cengage Learning, 2016). He has worked closely with NYSERDA on implementation of hydronic-based biomass heating systems.
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Keys to Understanding and Expanding the Market for High-performance, Healthy Homes
Healthy Homes, Both Residential and Commercial- Peter Troast, Energy Circle
The term high-performance home can mean many things to a consumer looking to build or retrofit an existing home, especially in a growing marketplace of recognizable brands and certifications, such as Passive House, net zero, and others. During this session, the presenter will review how consumers identify the high-performance home, take a close look at what statistics exist on who exactly is buying, and discuss how to reach the most likely buyers in the sustainable building arena. He will review search data in aggregate for the energy efficiency industry, helping unpack the homeowner mindset about trending topics like Passive House, healthy homes, and general green building. The presenter will also cover the foundations of building a brand and online presence that is user-centric and compliant with best practices for maximizing a company’s presence in the digital sphere. Participants will walk away with a few strategies for ensuring that their site is designed for lead generation and customer acquisition.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Peter Troast
Peter Troast is recognized as one of the country’s foremost authorities on marketing for home performance, HVAC, and other efficiency-related contracting companies. He and his team work with over 350 companies in 49 states to grow their business through services like website design and development, search engine optimization, lead generation, and strategic content production. He is a popular and high-ranking speaker about marketing for builders and contractors at ACI, RESNET, ACCA, BPI, and EGIA conferences and events. In 2015, Peter received the Tony Woods Award for excellence in advancing the home performance industry.
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Lighting Design for the Health-conscious Homeowner — How LEDs Compare with Halogen
Lighting, Residential- Donna Leban, Light/Space/Design
Homebuyers interested in building or renovating a modern, healthy home are also interested in healthy lighting. How do you make this part of an integrated design rather than an afterthought? What exactly is meant by “healthy lighting”? How do LED light sources compare with halogen in this arena? In this session, we will discuss various concerns people may have read about in magazines and newspapers involving visual color spectrum, color rendering, color temperature, daylighting, low voltage, EMFs, and more. We’ll discuss what the known health effects are and how these issues can be addressed with LEDs in residential lighting design. This talk will be based on a case study in which much research was done in satisfying the owner’s strict requirements for healthy lighting. The participants in this discussion will be rewarded with a wealth of new knowledge about using LEDs in beautiful and innovative ways that bring lighting design to the forefront in new home design.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
Donna Leban
Donna Leban is an NCQLP certified lighting designer. Licensed as an architect in 1982, she practiced in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and moved to Vermont to help develop Green Mountain Power’s first energy efficiency programs. With one foot in the engineering world and the other in the creative world of lighting, Donna offers lighting design and consulting services to architects, homeowners, businesses, and municipal clients. She also provides professional development seminars and technical review, conducts training courses, and has written a book and articles on lighting for professional publications. Donna holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and an M.S. in advanced building studies from Carnegie-Mellon University.
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Real-Life Air Source Heat Pump Performance Testing—Results and Reasons
Building Systems, Residential- Bruce Harley, Bruce Harley Energy Consulting
There’s been a dramatic increase in recent years in the use of ductless (and ducted) air-source heat pumps in the Northeast. This session will provide an opportunity to learn about cold climate heat pumps from an expert in HVAC and building science. In this session, we’ll look at the results of some recent field research, including the presenter’s own house, as well as ongoing codes and standards work related to heat pump efficiency. We’ll discuss a range of heat pump applications, installation practices that affect efficiency, and some key issues and resources to consider when specifying and sizing heat pumps. This session will include plenty of time for questions and answers, so if you have heat pump experiences or issues you’d like to make sense of, please bring them along.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
Bruce Harley
Bruce Harley is a recognized expert on energy-efficient residential construction and retrofit. His three decades of experience include hands-on diagnostics, retrofit, and installation of homes and HVAC systems; teaching building science; developing energy software and savings models; and contributing to technical policy and standards development. Known for his ability to provide complex information in an engaging and understandable style, he has authored the acclaimed books Insulate and Weatherize (Taunton Press, 2012) and Cut Your Energy Bills Now (Taunton Press, 2008), along with numerous articles. Bruce is currently an independent consultant, and was previously technical director of the Applied Building Science group at CSG and CLEAResult.
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Steps to Take Deep Energy Retrofits to Net Zero
Building Systems, Residential- John Call, Home Energy, Inc.
Deep energy retrofits are the poor stepchild of net-zero homes. The same concepts apply although the conditions for each home differ. This session will apply the concepts to three homes built from 1900 to the present. Each home presented different control layer challenges, such as fieldstone foundations and pine board sheathing. The presenters will discuss how to take a deep energy retrofit home to net zero with renewable energy. They will present solar, air source and ground source heat pump, and heat pump hot water options.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
John Call
John J. Call is the president of Home Energy, Inc. He is the principal owner of the business, which was established in 1980. His company built its first energy-efficient home in 1985. Since then, it has built several net-zero homes and performed several deep energy retrofits. John has been installing PV, ground source, and air source heat pumps since 2008. He holds a B.A. in history and political science from Bridgewater State College.
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Establishing a Solid Project Foundation through an Inclusive OPR Process—Lessons from the Field
Commercial, Commercial- Jennifer Chiodo, Cx Associates
- L. David Keelty, University of Vermont Medical Center
The owner’s project requirements (OPR) define the goals for construction projects. Whether it is a new building, a remodel, or a system upgrade, defining the objectives up front for the team helps to ensure project success. Learn all about the OPR document in this interactive session led by professionals experienced in the development and deployment of OPRs on large and small construction projects. The session will cover what an OPR is, its roots in commissioning and LEED, why it is important, how it is used, and details of the OPR development process. Audience participation will be encouraged as we jointly craft an OPR for a conference room meeting space. Participants will receive a sample OPR based on their input two weeks after the session.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
Jennifer Chiodo
Jennifer Chiodo is a principal of Cx Associates, an engineering consulting firm that improves energy performance for commercial and industrial facilities through energy analysis, strategy recommendation, and implementation and verification of savings. She has over 30 years of experience creating and managing new approaches to energy efficiency in the business sector. She has fostered the growth of Cx Associates into both a widely recognized leader with deep knowledge of buildings and energy use and a socially responsible business that puts people and the planet ahead of profits. She is engaged in addressing global warming through her professional work and through volunteer roles.
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L. David Keelty
Dave Keelty, BS, CEM, CHFM, CHC is the Director Facilities Planning and Development, University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont where he is responsible for sustainable new construction and major renovation projects across the hospital campus as well as in over 30 ancillary facilities. He has over 40 years of experience in Health Care Facilities Management, Real Estate Development and Health Care Construction. He has pioneered the use of the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) document to obtain end user input, ensuring his design and construction teams have a guide book detailing the needs of the people who will use, clean, and maintain construction projects after they are built. Mr. Keelty has presented at ASHE, VHES, Better Buildings by Design, and NEHES on Energy to Care and Sustainable Design and Construction.
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Inherent Environmental Advantages of Town Living and the Role of the Burlington 2030 District
Commercial, Commercial- Jenna Antonino-Dimare, Burlington 2030 District
- Jennifer Green, Burlington 2030 District
- Curt McCormack, Vermont House of Representatives
- Gretchen Schimelpfenig, Cx Associates
The Burlington 2030 District is working to reduce building energy consumption, water usage, and transportation emissions by 50%. By establishing the business case for these reductions, the district aims to increase owners’ asset value, reduce operating costs, and create a healthier environment. This presentation will describe how the district is working to achieve these goals, including the management and structure of the district, and how it connects with the wider 2030 district movement. This presentation will also serve to encourage other communities to create their own 2030 district, and join the wider 2030 Districts Network, a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of the established 2030 districts throughout the world. The organization’s vision is to establish a thriving network of high-performance building districts and cities, uniting communities to catalyze transformation in the built environment and the role it plays in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Presentation(s):
- Inherent Environmental Advantages of Town Living and the Role of the Burlington 2030 District - Antonino-Dimare
- Inherent Environmental Advantages of Town Living and the Role of the Burlington 2030 District - McCormack
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Jenna Antonino-Dimare
Jenna serves as Burlington's 2030 District Director. In said capacity, Jenna is responsible for strategic planning, coordination with and support to the Burlington 2030 District Steering Committee, oversight of the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Benchmarking Process and general oversight of the City's 2030 direction and progress. Jenna also serves as the Director of the Vermont Green Building Network. She holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture (MLA) from Cornell University and a BA from Brown University, where she studied ecological design and environmental policy. She also is principal and founder of Elegant Ecology | Landscape Design and Environmental Planning. She previously served as the Landscape Designer and Project Coordinator for National Gardening Association.
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Jennifer Green
Jennifer Green staffs the City of Burlington’s Sustainability Program, including oversight of the Climate Action Plan and work on BED’s net-zero energy strategy. Based in the Burlington Electric Department, Jennifer has over 30 years of community development experience. She has worked in gender equity, national environmental planning, and environmental management with the Peace Corps, CARE International, and the World Resources Institute. In addition to working for the City, Jennifer teaches sustainable development courses at the University of Vermont. She has a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University and earned her Ph.D. in environmental sociology from American University.
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Curt McCormack
Curt McCormack was a member of the Vermont House in the 1980s and 1990s representing Rutland. Since 2013 he has represented Burlington’s Old North End and downtown in the House. He has chaired the Natural Resources and Energy Committee and the Joint Committee on Energy; he is the co-chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee. Curt is a LEED-certified environmental consultant and master electrician. Clients have included USAID, the Peace Corps, the State of Vermont, and the City of Burlington. His work includes environmental operations assessments, energy audits, and solid waste system design.
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Gretchen Schimelpfenig
Gretchen Schimelpfenig, P.E., serves as the Burlington 2030 District’s project engineer. In this role, Gretchen provides technical expertise to the steering committee and property owner members. She provides building benchmarking services and develops technical resources, works directly with members to help them take action on energy efficiency opportunities, and supports the district director in strategic planning and progress reporting. Gretchen is also an engineer at Cx Associates, a building commissioning firm providing energy efficiency consulting services to commercial building projects across New England. Gretchen received her M.S. in civil engineering from Stanford University and her B.S. in architectural engineering from the University of Wyoming.
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Are We There Yet? Air-to-water Heat Pumps and the Journey to Whole Building Renewable Heating
Building Systems, Both Residential and Commercial- Jake Marin, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
People in the Northeast are excited about air-to-water heat pumps—for good reason. The majority of our homes are heated with boilers and delivered hot water. Interest in heat pumps is growing rapidly as cold climate options increase in availability. The vast majority of the heat pump installations to date have been ductless. In parallel to the growing popularity of ductless mini-split heat pumps, many in our region are looking for a whole building heat pump solution that utilizes their existing hydronic distribution. Despite the excitement surrounding air-to-water heat pumps, however, the technology has not taken off here the way it has in other parts of the world. This presentation tells the story of this technology: what is holding it back from success, products currently on the market, and what we can expect to see in the future. For those not quite ready to take the leap, we will also discuss how to design your hydronic system to be air-to-water ready at little to no additional cost.
Presentation(s):
Level: Advanced
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 3About the Speaker(s)-
Jake Marin
Jake Marin is the program manager for HVAC and refrigeration at VEIC/Efficiency Vermont. He developed Vermont’s first heat pump program and has continued to develop programs and guidelines for the entire Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region through his collaboration with NEEP. During the last few years of tracking equipment performance and the diversity of offerings, he has seen the technology improving by leaps and bounds. Although ductless mini-splits get the most attention, there is tremendous potential for air-to-water heat pumps in Vermont given the state’s large concentration of hydronic distribution. Jake is excited to bring this new information to the thriving BBD community.
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Sustainable Heating with Automated Wood Pellet Boilers
Building Systems, Both Residential and Commercial- Jeffrey Rubin, Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc.
- Emma Hanson, Vermont State Wood Energy Coordinator
Get the tools to communicate effectively with your clients who are interested in renewable energy. This presentation will compare and contrast the environmental implications of the best heating options, with particular emphasis on wood pellet boilers. We will take a deep dive into behavioral economics, and discuss the real motivations behind people’s green energy choices. This discussion has implications for your business in the new green energy economy. Many clients arrive at the process with preconceptions about their energy choices; this session will help you add effectively to that conversation.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 2About the Speaker(s)-
Jeffrey Rubin
After 30 years of running an ad agency, Jeffrey Rubin decided it was time to switch gears and pay it forward. Over the past 10 years, his core project has been to solve the puzzle of increasing market awareness for wood pellet boilers, an industry in which he has both worked professionally and volunteered countless hours. Rubin was drawn to this cause because of its potential to reduce CO2 emissions, protect forests, and create economic resiliency. He founded Sustainable Heating Outreach & Education, Inc., together with a team of industry, branding, and financial experts with the mission of creating a grassroots environmental movement.
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Emma Hanson
Emma Hanson brings a diverse background in sales, communications, and environmental policy to the world of wood energy. She believes that wood energy represents great opportunities in job creation, renewable energy, and preservation, all of which are key to its success. After three years of working with the forestry and agricultural communities in Vermont, Emma is excited to bring practical, customer-level information to attendees that they can implement in their work. She holds an M.S. in agriculture, food, and environmental policy from Tufts University in Boston.
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Is Your Home Making You Sick and Tired?
Healthy Homes, Residential- Ty Newell, Build Equinox
Too many building professionals are designing and constructing homes that sacrifice human health and well-being in order to save energy. This session will discuss how smart ventilation systems can efficiently and automatically maintain excellent indoor air quality. Multiple modes of operation are required for efficient smart ventilation operation. Carbon dioxide, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and particulates are not effectively managed by passive control in today’s high-performance homes. The energy cost of fresh air ventilation in relation to the cost impact on human health and productivity is very low. Field data will be presented that demonstrates the effectiveness of smart ventilation in several homes located in varying climatic regions.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Emerald 1About the Speaker(s)-
Ty Newell
Ty is a co-owner and co-founder of Build Equinox, which manufactures the CERV smart ventilation system for residences. He retired from the University of Illinois as an assistant dean in the College of Engineering and is an emeritus professor of mechanical engineering. Ty has lectured around the world on indoor air quality, comfort, solar energy, building energy efficiency, and resource conservation. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Argentina and an Ercoftac Scholar in Switzerland. Ty lives in a 100% solar-powered home that includes automated fresh air control and rainwater harvesting. Build Equinox is located in a 4,500-square-foot facility that is also 100% solar powered.
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Smart Buildings and Connected Lighting—the Perfect Partnership?
Lighting, Commercial- John O'Connell , Philips Lighting
IoT, IP convergence, SMART—whatever the terminology, next-generation buildings are now a reality. A range of IP-enabled applications are available, so the challenge for business is understanding how best to design and implement the right solution. In this session, Philips will share its view on smart buildings and digitization, and how IoT and lighting are delivering additional value for end users and clients, with value beyond illumination through connected lighting. The presentation will include new use cases, project case studies, information about the technology that can make this a reality, and an exploration of the future potential.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NCQLP
Room: Diamond 1About the Speaker(s)-
John O'Connell
John O’Connell is the director of end user sales at Philips Lighting. John positions Philips’s smart building technologies to the office, industry, and healthcare vertical markets.
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Efficient Pumping Systems: Costs and Cost Effectiveness
Building Systems, Both Residential Commercial- Stephen Putnam, Grundfos Pump Corporation
Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s electrical energy consumption, but are often overlooked as an opportunity to cut energy consumption and costs. Many users of pumping systems are using old technology and thus unnecessarily overpaying in energy and maintenance costs. Using common terminology and metrics facilities use to a define cost effective project, this presentation will illustrate a typical case study that can be found in almost any building in Vermont. We will look at how the controlling ability of the pump will affect the annual costs and life cycle cost of ownership as well as how Efficiency Vermonts’ incentive programs can impact the cost effectiveness of a pump replacement project. No need to be a pump expert (or technically savvy) as this will not cover pump theory but rather we will show you how to uncover major energy and cost savings opportunities you may have never before considered.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, NATE
Room: AmphitheatreAbout the Speaker(s)-
Stephen Putnam
In 2011, Stephen Putnam joined the Grundfos commercial buildings competency center as an applications engineer managing large-scale pumping projects. In 2015, Stephen became the inaugural member of the Grundfos utility engagement team, working with electric utilities across North America on the implementation of efficient pumping system incentive programs. Currently, he is the national accounts manager for the Grundfos domestic buildings team, managing relationships with national wholesalers. Stephen holds a degree in economics and business from the Virginia Military Institute. He is also an executive MBA candidate at the College of William & Mary.
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Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Viability of Highly Energy-efficient Homes: A Case Study of Alaska
Envelope, Residential- Yasmeen Hossain, University of Alaska Fairbanks
This presentation will explore historical and contemporary perspectives on the viability of highly energy-efficient homes in a cold climate region. The case studies used in this presentation are all situated in Alaska. The Alaskan climate is on the extreme end of the spectrum, allowing for the research findings to be adapted to other cold climate regions of the world. The first part of the session will consist of a historical survey of Alaskan homes from pre-contact dwellings to modern homes. Some of the pre-contact homes’ energy efficiency features have been reintroduced in some modern homes, such as a low ratio of square feet to occupant. Following this exploration, the contemporary motivations and barriers to building and owning highly energy-efficient homes are explored. The data was gathered through interviews conducted with homeowners of highly energy-efficient homes and other stakeholders in the building, real estate, and financing industry.
Presentation(s):
Level: Introductory
Accreditation: AEE, AFE, AIA LU/HSW, ASHRAE, BPI, CSI, LEED, PHIUS
Room: Diamond 2About the Speaker(s)-
Yasmeen Hossain
Yasmeen Hossain recently received her Ph.D. in sustainable development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her expertise is in energy-efficient, sustainable buildings, specifically the role buildings can play in climate change mitigation and adaptation. She has been a research consultant at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, the Solar Power Electric Association, and the World Bank. She also worked in the solar power industry in utility-scale solar. Yasmeen holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.