Don't Wish For It, Work For It: A Decarbonized Future

This presentation will help those unfamiliar with the concept of Embodied Carbon learn what it is, how it is impacting them, how it is impacting climate change / global warming, and why design teams should address the reduction of embodied carbon so that Architects can advise their customers and other team members effectively.  A demonstration of software like EC3 that is used for carbon accounting will be included as well.

As part of TLC’s PEAK Institute, Cory Duggin provides energy modeling and sustainability consulting to a variety of clients on a wide array of building types. He leads TLC’s energy modeling efforts, tackling our most challenging energy models, as well as instructing others in this skill. He is an expert in IESVE for Engineers modeling software, serves as a beta tester for IES and stretches the limits of the software to achieve architectural vision coupled with sustainability goals.

Katie Poss is the Director of Global Policy & Procurement at Building Transparency, the developers of the EC3 tool and tallyLCA. In this role, Katie supports the nonprofit’s core mission of providing the open access data and tools necessary to enable broad and swift action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change. Prior to joining Building Transparency, Katie served as Director of Sustainability Initiatives at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and as Sustainability Program Manager at Turner Construction for its data center portfolio. She is a board member of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA) and serves on New York State’s Embodied Carbon Technical Advisory Group.

Rebecca Cegelis was inspired by her family of contractors and architects to pursue a degree in structural engineering. As an engineer within TLC’s structural group, Rebecca excels at designing several structural components, including steel, concrete and masonry for various building types. Her consistency and detail orientation allows her to successfully support senior engineers on complex projects.

The presentation will help those unfamiliar with the concept of Building Performance Standards develop a working knowledge.  As more municipalities adopt BPS, there is a risk to the design community when a building doesn’t meet the BPS, and the owner is fined.  Just designing to code, may or may not address this properly since many jurisdictions lack the staff and expertise to review project designs for energy efficiency.  Understand what BPS is and is not, understand how to coach a prospective client/owner in the responsibilities a compliant strategy will require, and offer strategies to work with the design and operation teams to provide a successful project to the owner.

Kim Shinn is a recovering physicist unemployed voice-over artist and professional mechanical engineer as well as a TLC Principal and Senior Sustainability Wizard who is passionate about energy consulting sustainable design and commissioning. Having served as a LEED professional since 2001 Kim was elevated to LEED Fellow in 2011 in the inaugural class of 34 Fellows. ENR Southeast recognized Kim’s contributions as a sustainability leader in the built environment by nominating him as a 2016 Top 25 Newsmaker for his development of an energy modeling game “The Wizard Show ” that seeks to correct industry peers’ mistaken assumptions about sustainable building design. Kim wrote portions of the ASHRAE Standard 209-2018 “Energy Simulation Aided Design for Buildings” and was actively involved in years of committee work to develop this standard. Kim who has spearheaded the completion of more than 240 LEED-certified projects brings to teams invaluable expertise on balancing energy-efficient measures with project budgets.