Getting to Zero Forum

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) is partnering with the New Buildings Institute (NBI) to host the “Getting to Zero National Forum” as part of NASEO’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO.  The Getting to Zero National Forum will take place on September 17 – 18 and will feature plenary sessions, technical practicums, and interactive workshops.  This forum will bring together a cross-section of leading policymakers, design professionals, building owners, and commercial real estate representatives. Attendees will share perspectives on the growth of ZNE policies and projects and discuss the future of these extremely efficient buildings that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year.

Zero Net Energy (ZNE) has unprecedented potential to transform the way buildings use energy. This ultra-efficiency goal is one that owners can define, design teams can reach for and occupants desire. An increasing number of buildings are meeting this standard, raising confidence that a ZNE goal is realistic given current building technologies and design approaches. ZNE buildings also offer an opportunity to create future-ready, resilient spaces that are resistant to volatile energy markets and remain operational in the face of natural disasters or other emergencies.

See below for more information on the Getting to Zero National Forum, the rest of the NASEO Annual Meeting, and registration information.  You can also visit the event’s blog leading up to the event for background information and articles from session speakers.

What:     Getting to Zero National Forum at the NASEO Annual Meeting

Where:  The Curtis Hotel, Denver, Colorado.  Deadline for room block reservations is Friday, August 23, 2013.

When:   The Getting to Zero National Forum will take place Sept. 17-18, 2013.  The full NASEO Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 15-18, 2013.

Register for the ZNE Forum ONLY

Key Questions We’ll Explore

• What is the current state of zero energy building practices and projects including likely building types, climates issues, urban challenges, unacceptable costs, etc.?
• What are the future opportunities in zero energy buildings? Why may this never be a reasonable standard for some building types?
• Is policy an effective driver or does change need to come from the market?
• How will we know we’ve succeeded and what are the milestone along the way? Will success matter and why?
• Why should owners and the commercial real estate market care?

State and local government officials will discuss the policy trajectory toward zero energy and explore ways to develop a pathway for specific states, jurisdictions or market sectors.

Designers & engineers will explore the features and buildings types that qualify for zero energy and how to consider operations in building design to ensure persistence of performance. Discussion will also focus on presenting the business case for zero energy to clients.

Owners and commercial real estate professionals will look at definitions of zero energy and how to determine if you’ve achieved this goal. Conversations will center around maintaining zero energy status through attentive operations and occupancy as well as securing valuation for this remarkable status.

Manufacturers and service providers who make the products and service the technologies that enable ZNE performance.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Getting to Zero National Forum: Setting the Stage and Breakout Sessions
For meeting participants who registered just for the Getting to Zero National Forum, please join New Buildings Institute for these workshop sessions.  

8:30 am – 10:00 am (Four Square Ballroom, Third Floor)
Getting to Zero: The Must-Have Aspiration and Design Paradigms for Creating Ultra-Efficient Buildings
Architects, engineers, owners, operators and utilities will come together during this session to understand the business motivations to pursing zero net energy projects, potential for this advanced design practice to become more widespread, and the technical and design challenges that need to be worked out along the way.  Critical lessons learned from those who have already created a zero net energy project will also be shared.  By the end of these morning non-policy sessions, participants will have determine the collective goal of zero net energy performance in the built environment and set the markers to indicate progress.

Moderators:
Mark Frankel - Presentation - Technical Director, New Buildings Institute
RK Stewart, FAIA; Senior Fellow, New Buildings Institute; Board Chair, National Institute of Building Sciences

Presenters:
David Kaneda - Presentation - Managing Principal, Integral Group
Clark Brockman - Presentation - Principal, Sustainability, SERA Architects 

10:00 am – 11:45 am
Getting to Zero: Deeper Dive Breakout Sessions
These sessions will delve deeper into key aspects of zero net energy ownership, design, and management.  Working together, participants will consider topics critical for successful zero net energy projects.

Session 1--Occupants, Plug Loads & Controls:  What Happens After The Design Team Goes Home? (Hopscotch, Third Floor)
Achieving zero net energy is not a point in time indicated by a plaque on the wall. It is a continual and ongoing process that requires the engagement of the facility managers and occupants.  This session will explore the significant potential for occupants, plug loads, and controls to impact zero net energy performance and the program and business implications of increased attention on operations and occupant behavior.

Moderator:
Mark Frankel, Technical Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenters:
Phillip Saieg - Presentation - Energy & Facility Solutions, McKinstry
Mike Bailey - Presentation - Director of Engineering, Ecova
Scott Hackel - Presentation - Senior Energy Engineer, Energy Center of Wisconsin

Session 2--Collaboration Models:  Integrated Design and the Systems Approach to Achieve ZNE Performance (Red Rover, Third Floor)
Achieving the zero net energy goal for any new construction or deep renovation project requires a commitment by the design team to a fully integrated process where the interrelationships between the building and its system, surroundings, and occupants make effective use of all resources.  This session will consider the extreme benefits of this approach to design and the crucial advantage of tradeoffs that can be made during the design process to keep the incremental cost of ZNE design in-line with project budgets.

Moderator:
RK Stewart, FAIA; Senior Fellow, New Buildings Institute; Board Chair, National Institute of Building Sciences 

Presenters:
Ted van der Linden - Presentation - Director of Sustainability, DPR Construction
Ron Rochon - Presentation - , Partner, The Miller Hull Partnership

Session 3--New Challenges in Net Zero Design: Understanding and Resolving Problems You Didn’t Even Know Existed (Duck Duck Goose, Third Floor)
Designing and delivering zero net energy projects brings a new set of challenges to designers: new building elements and technologies, new tools, and issues that in the past have been outside the scope of design efforts.  Successful teams have found new ways to partner, new tools to utilize, and new strategies to employ to solve these problems.  This session will focus on the tools and strategies that are needed to successfully navigate to a net zero outcome.

Moderator:
Jonathan Rowe, Zero Energy Buildings Program Manager, Autodesk

Presenters:
Paul Schwer - Presentation - President, PAE
Scott Bevan, Associate Principal, PAE
Brad Jacobson - Presentation - Senior Associate, EHDD
 

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm (Four Square Ballroom, Third Floor)

Keynote Luncheon: The Zero Net Energy Landscape: Quantifying Ultra-Efficiency Costs and Benefits in the Built Environment
NASEO and New Buildings Institute will launch the first annual Getting to Zero National Forum to combine technical, market, and policy perspectives and showcase the future of zero net energy buildings that produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year.  In this kick off session, New Buildings Institute will frame the disruptive release the initial findings of the 2013 Getting to Zero Status Update, a report featuring a comprehensive look at the cost and features of, and motivations for, zero net energy buildings in the United States.  The findings will illustrate the challenges and opportunities for creating zero net energy buildings, the market trends that are driving interest in zero net energy, and the potential and realized energy savings from projects to date.

Moderators:
David Terry, Executive Director, NASEO
Ralph DiNola - Welcome - Executive Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenter:
Cathy Higgins - Presentation - Research Director, New Buildings Institute

Sponsored by: The Weidt Group

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
Surviving on Sunbeams in Seattle
Denis Hayes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bullitt Foundation, will share the motivations and challenges of creating what may be the tallest and largest zero net energy building in the world.  Named by Time Magazine as “Hero of the Planet,” Denis’ commitment to sustainability is exhibited by the new Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington.  Denis will discuss his experience working with a talented team of architects, engineers, and construction professionals to rethink traditional approaches, find creative solutions to a series of challenges and create a model for what’s next in commercial building design and construction.  

Moderator:
Ralph DiNola - Introduction - Executive Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenter:
Denis Hayes - Presentation - President and Chief Executive Officer, Bullitt Foundation

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm (Four Square Corridor, Third Floor)
Networking Break

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm
Zero Net Energy Interactive Breakout Sessions

Session 1: Incremental Costs of Zero Net Energy Commercial and Public Buildings (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
One of the most common barriers to zero net energy projects is the concern over incremental costs compared to typical building practices.  This session will highlight the results of recent studies by states and organizations that explore the opportunities to achieve scalable and cost-effective zero net energy buildings.  Strategies used by design and construction teams to meet the ambitious cost targets set by building owners will also be explored.  

Moderator:
Ralph DiNola - Presentation - Executive Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenters:
Mike Rovito - Presentation - Senior Consultant, Energy & Resource Solutions, Inc. (ERS)
Lisa Matthiessen - Presentation - Principal, Integral Group

Session 2: The Path to Zero Net Energy Schools and Multifamily Buildings  (Red Rover, Third Floor)
Leading by example, a number of states have expanded zero net energy and high performance building activities in sectors such as K-12 schools and low-income multifamily buildings.  Successful state approaches in these sectors have focused on pursuing incremental steps on the “path” from status quo building practices to zero net energy buildings.  This session will highlight examples of state policy and programmatic approaches to promote high performance buildings, as well as data on cost, performance, and technology trends in zero net energy capable schools and multifamily buildings.  State energy officials and their project partners will describe their roles in catalyzing these projects and will discuss cross-cutting issues such as integrated design, occupant engagement, and modeled vs. actual energy performance.

Moderator:
John Davies - Presentation - Deputy Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence

Presenters:
Stephanie Febles - Presentation -  Engineer, CMTA Consulting Engineers
Mona Mosser - Presentation - Bureau of Energy Efficiency, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; NASEO Board of Directors, Regional Representative
Rebecca Foster, Managing Consultant, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

Session 3: Community Scale Zero Net Energy (Duck Duck Goose, Third Floor)
Efforts to achieve zero net energy have moved to the community scale.  A number of residential communities have been built to these standards and several mixed use neighborhoods are being planned or are under construction.  This session will highlight several community zero net energy examples, and explore different policy and collaboration strategies employed to encourage or deliver net zero at the community scale.  The session will also explore new urban initiatives for deep efficiency.

Moderator:
Cara Carmichael, Senior Consultant, Rocky Mountain Institute

Presenters:
Brett Phillips, Director of Sustainability, Unico, Chairman of Seattle 2030 District
Brad Liljequist - Presentation - Technical Director, International Living Future Institute

Session 4: Stretch Codes, Utility Programs, and Innovative Policies – How Hard Is It? (Hopscotch, Third Floor)
Many flavors of zero net energy (ZNE) programs and policies for state and local governments, and for utilities, are working to accelerate ZNE practices. To achieve ZNE, these programs should integrate financial incentives, training and education, and technical assistance.  Panelists will address how early to become involved in the design process, types of ZNE goals and how they are met, where incentives fit in, and how ZNE buildings impact utility models. 

Moderator:
Dave Hewitt, Director of Strategic Partnerships, New Buildings Institute

Presenters:
Peter Turnbull - Presentation - Principal, Zero Net Energy, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Carolyn Sarno - Presentation - Senior Program Manager, High Performance Buildings, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP)
Jay Pilliod, Director of Strategy and Planning,  Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

4:15 pm – 5:15 pm (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
Jolt Session: Innovations in Zero Net Energy Projects and Technologies
In this fast-paced session, presenters will have five minutes to introduce new ideas and innovations related to a variety of topics, such as creating zero net energy buildings, addressing growing demand from plugged-in devices and server rooms, and utilizing game-changing technologies and design tools, among others.

Moderator:
RK Stewart, Senior Fellow, New Buildings Institute; Board Chair, National Institute of Building Sciences 

Jolt Presenters:
National Grid
ERS
Autodesk
EHDD
NC Energy Office
Kingspan
Ecology Action
DLB Associates
City of Seattle
Gensler

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm (Four Square Ballroom, Third Floor)
Networking Reception
Join us to celebrate accomplishments in zero net energy (ZNE) building performance and learn more with an inspiring slide show of some of the leading examples of ZNE buildings.  NBI and NASEO will share the initial 2013 list of pioneering commercial building projects – the definitive inventory of ZNE and ZNE-capable buildings from around the nation.  Attendees will have an opportunity to refer additional projects before this report is published later this year.

• Reception Getting to Zero Case Studies

Sponsored by: U.S. Green Building Council

W​ednesday, September 18, 2013

7:00 am – 12:00 am (Flower Foyer, Third Floor)
Conference Registration and Exhibit Hall

7:00 am – 8:00 am (Marco Polo Ballroom Foyer, Third Floor)
Conference Registration and Exhibit Hall

8:00 am – 9:15 am (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
Making the Business Case for Zero Net Energy Buildings
Zero net energy buildings are gaining market and media attention as the leading edge of design and business strategy for the built environment.  A growing list of America’s leading companies, such as TD Bank, PNC Bank and Walgreens are building ZNE retail outlets. Investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management elected to the same at a new high rise office in partnership with Hines properties.  During this session, building owners and business leaders will share an economic perspective on the motivations and factors used in their decisions to move to zero net energy.  The panel will address issues regarding the cost barriers and other challenges that can delay the acceptance of zero net energy projects. 

Moderator:
Cathy Higgins - Introduction - Research Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenters:
Jamie Meyers - Presentation - Sustainability Manager, Walgreens
David Del Rossi - Presentation - Corporate Architect, TD Bank
Jessalyn Ishigo - Presentation - Honda

9:15 am – 10:45 am (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
State and Federal Policies and Programs to Promote Zero Net Energy Buildings
Several states and federal agencies have integrated a zero net energy goal into their long-term energy policy and program strategies.  In this session, state and federal agency leaders will discuss the role that zero net energy programs and approaches can play in meeting their goals related to buildings stock resiliency, economic development, and reduced energy consumption.  The presenters will highlight opportunities and lessons learned that can benefit states and local jurisdictions as they develop similar policies and programs.

Moderator:
Eric Friedman - Presentation - Deputy Director, Green Communities Division, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Presenters:
Mark Mahoney - Presentation - Director, Army Regional Environmental and Energy Office – West
Cathy Fogel - Presentation - Ph.D., Senior Analyst, Demand Side Programs, Energy Division, California Public Utilities Commission
Cody Taylor - Presentation - Energy Technology and Policy Specialist, Building Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy

10:45 am - 12:00 pm (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
Moving Zero Net Energy to the Mainstream
Scaling up zero net energy building projects will require a combination of partnerships across the technology and policy sectors.  This final session will wrap up the Getting to Zero National Forum with a thought-provoking look at what is needed to accelerate the transition to zero net energy.  The session will also feature a facilitated summary of the lessons learned throughout the Forum and an identification of the next steps for states, jurisdictions, design professionals, and building owners that want to pursue the path to zero net energy. 

Moderator:
Ralph DiNola - Introduction - Executive Director, New Buildings Institute

Presenter: 
Edward Mazria, Founder and CEO, Architecture 2030

12:00 pm (Marco Polo Ballroom, Third Floor)
Closing Remarks and Adjourn