Embodied Carbon in Materials: Real Steps to Drawing Down Carbon in our Buildings

This session will provide concrete tools and answers on how to draw down carbon in our buildings starting today. We’ll focus on low-rise buildings, where most new construction and renovations happen and which are currently under-represented in embodied-carbon design and analysis. We will present critical construction details such as band joist insulation selections and sloped ceiling retrofits, as well as whole-building design strategies. We’ll present current developments including tools for carbon counting, “green list” material specifications, cooperative supply chains for biogenic materials, and carbon curriculum for industry education. We will fuel hope and build a movement by presenting the very real and immediate carbon drawdown reservoir that exists in constructed or renovated buildings. Session speakers presented the acclaimed keynote at last year’s BuildingEnergy conference.

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Friday, August 14, 2020 - 9:15am to 10:45am

Room / Location:
Harbor I

Experience Level: 

2 (some prior experience/knowledge helpful)

CEU Information: 

AIA 1.5 LU/HSW
MA CSL 1.5 hour, Energy

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain what embodied carbon is and how carbon can be stored in building materials.
  • Describe at least two case-study examples of stored carbon.
  • Describe critical, common design details that incorporate carbon storing materials.
  • Access currently-available tools that measure carbon impact and storage of specific materials.

Session ID: 

BOS20-117