BuildingEnergy Boston 2021 Community Events

Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Event Time/Place
Keynote: Light + Justice

We begin with this simple premise: everyone deserves quality light (and dark). We continue with this reality: whether your home, workplace and neighborhood are well lighted depends on your social, economic, and environmental status.

Keynote speakers Edward Bartholomew and Mark Loeffler will lead us to the next evolution of sustainable lighting design viewed through the lens of environmental justice. They’ll describe historical precedents and current realities, share case studies of how lighting reinforces power and status, and reveal how quality lighting and quality darkness are... Full Description

10:30 am to 11:30 am

Mapping Environmental Justice

During this community event, a cohort of students from the Northeastern School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs will talk about their work with an environmental justice advocate to create a Geographic Information System that depicts energy burden in environment justice communities across the commonwealth.

12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Community Happy Hour & Virtual Beer Tasting

Celebrate the opening day of BuildingEnergy Boston during Community Happy Hour, which will include both social breakout groups and a guided beer tasting. After a brief welcome, participants will be sent into rounds of virtual breakout rooms to mingle in a small group setting. Make new connections in the community and catch up with people you already know.

4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Thursday, May 6, 2021
Event Time/Place
NESEA Membership Office Hours

NESEA Membership Manager, Katie Schendel, will be available to answer any questions about your current NESEA Membership or about becoming a NESEA Member.

9:00 am to 9:30 am

Roundtable: Fostering Innovative Spirit

Join NESEA Board Member Jodi Smits Anderson for a facilitated, meeting-style conversation on the topic of what language we need to change to foster innovative spirit in our work. For example, what happens when you change “yes, but…” to “yes, and…?" Does your attitude shift when you stop talking about "budget limits" and start talking about "budget awareness or management?”

11:00 am to 11:30 am

Diversity Caucus

The second BuildingEnergy Boston community event for people of color, indigenous people, LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, and women.

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Light + Justice: In Practice

Join the presenters of BuildingEnergy Boston 2021’s keynote, Light + Justice, for a roundtable discussion. During this live session, the presenters will answer audience questions and provide practical examples of how to apply the concepts introduced in the keynote into our own work. We recommend attending or viewing the keynote beforehand. All are welcome, but space may be limited.

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Roundtable: Take Action with Your Municipality

Join NESEA Board Member Matt Root for a facilitated, meeting-style conversation on the topic of local action, specifically how to help your municipality achieve ambitious goals for their next project (e.g. school, police station, etc.).

Intended to approximate the informal conversations that crop up in the hallways of in-person conferences between sessions, these roundtables are a chance to meet your fellow attendees and engage in spirited discussion. All are welcome.

3:00 pm to 3:30 pm

NESEA Night

Join us in celebrating the contributions of two individuals in our community at NESEA’s annual awards reception. In addition to the live presentation of the awards, there will be trivia, prizes, and a chance to send your best wishes to the award recipients.

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Friday, May 7, 2021
Event Time/Place
NESEA Membership Office Hours

NESEA Membership Manager, Katie Schendel, will be available to answer any questions about your current NESEA Membership or about becoming a NESEA Member.

9:00 am to 9:30 am

Roundtable: Carbon Smart Construction in Practice

Join NESEA Board Member Rachel White for a facilitated, meeting-style conversation on the topic of putting your commitment to carbon smart construction into practice. Specifically, how can you make the case and overcome  the obstacles so that your very next project is low emitting or even carbon storing?

11:00 am to 11:30 am

Roundtable: Everyday Climate Justice

Join NESEA Board Member Arlen Li for a facilitated, meeting-style conversation on the topic of climate justice, specifically how it relates to our daily work and projects. Intended to approximate the informal conversations that crop up in the hallways of in-person conferences between sessions, these roundtables are a chance to meet your fellow attendees and engage in spirited discussion. All are welcome.

12:30 pm to 1:00 pm

Lifetime Member Lunch

NESEA Lifetime Members are invited for a virtual lunchtime gathering. 

NESEA Board and Lifetime Member, Jodi Smits Anderson, will facilitate introductions of new Lifetime Members and a discussion about what NESEA Lifetime Membership means to you.

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Bottom Lines Business Development Roundtable

Join Abode Energy Management and four other companies who participate in NESEA’s Bottom Lines business development program for this lunchtime discussion. Abode will be hosting an interactive roundtable conversation about how these companies have navigated the challenges and opportunities of the last year with the support of the Bottom Lines network.

12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Closing Reception

BYOB and join us for the conference's Closing Reception, to mark the end of the days of connecting around our conference theme of Getting to WHY.  You'll interact with other conference attendees to share the big ideas and questions you're taking forward in your work. Current Conference Co-Chairs Nick Falkoff and Stephanie Horowitz will pass the torch to next year's Co-Chairs: Anna Heath and Christopher Nielson.

4:30 pm to 5:00 pm