Decarbonizing the built environment requires significant action to electrify fossil fuel systems that support heating, hot water, and cooking services in our vast existing building stock. Architects working on building renovation or tenant improvement projects are well positioned to advocate for and accelerate the pace of building electrification, especially on smaller scale projects that comprise the mass market.

This session will educate attendees on technical paths and processes to implement efficient electrification as part of renovation scopes of work in small to medium size residential and commercial projects. Leaders from the RMI’s REALIZE project, which is piloting modular, zero carbon retrofits of existing affordable housing, will speak about challenges of electrification retrofits and opportunities to standardize implementation of these projects.

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This program is accredited by AIASF to provide 1 HSW continuing education learning unit to AIA member attendees

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Develop a library of programs, initiatives, and case studies driving innovation in zero energy retrofits to reference in project development.
2. Identify opportunities for architects to advocate for home energy retrofits and heat pump adoption as part of retrofit scopes.
3. Understand technical paths to achieving efficient, fossil-fuel free renovations for smaller scale projects (multifamily, single-family, small commercial) – including heat pumps, demand flexibility, and distributed energy resources.
4. Simplify and standardize approaches to implement energy retrofits and electrification.
5. Anticipate and address challenges to retrofitting existing buildings to achieve efficient electrification.

Silver-level Sponsorship

Thanks to the generous support of Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects through silver-level sponsor of this program, registration is free and open to all.

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About the Speakers

Steve Gross, Interface Engineering

Steve leads Interface San Francisco’s Building Performance Team, a passionate group of analysts that specialize in energy analysis, daylighting optimization, computational fluid dynamics, thermal comfort, and financial analysis. As a registered mechanical engineer in the State of California, Steve pursues the advancement of building technology and reduction of the carbon footprint of the built environment. His specialties including whole-building energy analysis, sustainable design, and mechanical control system optimization. Steve has extensive experience with successful LEED, Zero Net Energy, existing building energy audits/retrofits, and Passivhaus projects, helping project teams advance the use of sustainable technologies and implementation of conservation practices. He also has conducted state-of-the-art research in the areas of phase-change materials and natural ventilation control strategies.

Anish Tilak, RMI

Anish Tilak is a manager with RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings program where he manages projects in the Pathways to Zero initiative. Anish applies a depth of industry experience and subject matter expertise to develop scalable approaches to decarbonize the built environment, with a current focus on building electrification and grid-interactive technologies. He has worked extensively with project teams in the commercial and institutional sectors, managing analysis that supports net-zero energy design, building electrification, low-carbon concrete, mass timber construction, and renewable energy microgrids. Anish is a licensed architect and leverages this skillset to maintain a grounded, technically driven approach to building decarbonization.

Amy Egerter, RMI

Amy is the Technical Lead for RMI’s REALIZE initiative and project manager for REALIZE-CA, a regional program in California funded by the California Energy Commission. Amy is leading retrofit wall panel development efforts and helping to develop financing models for standardized retrofit packages. She is also a key contributor to various projects within the Carbon-Free Buildings and Building Electrification programs.

Brett Webster, RMI

Brett is a Manager in RMI’s Buildings practice, supporting the REALIZE and Pathways to Zero initiatives. He is currently focused on demonstrating a highly scalable model for zero carbon retrofits to affordable multifamily buildings. Brett manages a REALIZE retrofit pilot in Boston, as well as RMI’s R&D efforts to develop integrated mechanical systems for retrofit applications. Brett also works on grid-interactive buildings and communities, exploring how distributed energy resources and demand flexibility can provide grid services and support increased renewables integration. Before joining RMI, Brett worked at Energy Solutions, an employee-owned consulting firm where his core practice areas included energy and emissions modelling, microgrids, building energy design and simulation, and bus fleet electrification.

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