Decarb Do No Harm: Applying the Hippocratic Oath to Existing Buildings
Gone are the days of simple light fixture changes to save money and power. The low-hanging efficiency fruit has been harvested, and building owners, utilities and municipalities are in search of the next quick fix. But taking a standard new construction approach to an existing building might cause more harm than good: potential moisture and mold, new material VOC’s, or wasteful removal of systems before end-of-life. This session will explore the critical evaluation process needed at the beginning of an existing building decarbonization project to do no harm to the building, occupants, community, or planet.
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Harbor 1
CEU Information:
Credit pending for AIA, BOC, BPI, GBCI, MA CSL, NAHB, NARI, PHI, Phius, and RESNET certification.
Learning Objectives:
- Defend why decarbonization of existing buildings is a significant part of a global effort to reach carbon neutrality
- Differentiate between using principles from adaptive reuse and new construction compared to building specific decarbonization efforts
- Explain the importance of building a plan based on forensic investigation of a building’s existing envelope and systems
- Detangle the energy efficiency of asset management, engineered building systems/operations, and the architectural envelope