*This event is occurring as a live webinar. Registrants will be emailed a link to access the program.*
New York City has gotten serious about climate change, and this will have a huge impact on architectural practice. A new law (Local Law 97), which will be enforced with stringent fines, sets caps on carbon emissions from large existing buildings. Another (Local Law 95) requires large buildings to post energy efficiency grades near public entrances. Moreover, the city’s latest energy code is about 20% stronger than the last one. Since building owners rely on the expertise of architects to comply with codes, avoid fines, and get good efficiency grades, it is essential for architects to master these new requirements.
“EngineeringNow!” is one of five classes in the “RetrofitNow! Biweekly Series.” The full series provides a comprehensive overview of New York City’s regulatory environment and options for how architects and owners can make significant energy and carbon reductions in buildings.
“EngineeringNow!” introduces architects to the main HVAC concepts and strategies to reduce carbon emissions and energy use in existing buildings. These strategies are critical because space heating is the main source of carbon emissions in NYC. Material is presented in three sections.
The first section addresses how to improve operations and/or fix steam systems, two relatively low-cost strategies that can have a big impact on energy and carbon reductions. In NYC, 80% of multifamily building area and 50% of commercial area in buildings larger than 50,000 square feet are heated with steam heat. Most domestic hot water is also heated by the same systems.
The second section addresses a relatively new strategy of considerable interest these days: electrification, or switching from fuel-based systems to electrical systems for space heat, domestic hot water, and cooking. This section explains why this can be an effective strategy for energy and carbon reductions, and when it might make the most sense to pursue.
The last section covers a range of other strategies to reduce emissions, including ventilation—an especially vexing issue in NYC’s existing buildings—and how to reduce energy lost ventilation through energy recovery ventilation and other strategies. This section also discusses the cost-effectiveness of solar power in NYC and solutions for overcoming regulatory impediments. The session concludes with a brief discussion of resilience strategies.
Instructor: Paul Reale, MEME, LEED AP, Director, Building Operations Research and Training, CUNY Building Performance Lab
Registration fee:
AIANY members: $63
General Public: $70
Note: The registration link will direct you to a conference page where you can sign up for just one or any combination of sessions.
This series includes the following five virtual sessions:
AIA New York and CUNY Building Performance Lab
