Featuring












Luis Aragon, Senior Building Systems Engineer on SWA's Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team



Luis focuses on Passive Building commissioning as well as commissioning for energy code compliance. Luis also provides training for multifamily building operators on, ventilation, air sealing, hydronic heating and domestic hot water distribution.













Heather Nolen, Building Systems Director on SWA's Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team



Heather focuses on using data to design long-term capital plans for energy conservation. She works with multifamily property owners and managers to evaluate, manage, and improve building energy consumption across their portfolios.













Host: Dylan Martello, Senior Building Systems Consultant on SWA's Passive House team



Dylan has experience working on high-performance projects ranges from Passive House consulting on large scale multifamily, commercial, institutional projects; net zero consulting on mid-rise multifamily; and envelope commissioning on mid-sized commercial projects.








Over the lifespan of a building, operations and maintenance staff arguably have the biggest impact on system performance and energy efficiency. With the right training, staff can keep a building running as it was designed to run and "create the change" to reduce energy usage, reduce repairs, and upgrade vs. replace equipment.



So how do project teams create O&M training programs that achieve all this?



In this episode, producer and guest host Dylan Martello chats with Luis Aragon and Heather Nolen—two O&M training experts at SWA—about balancing in-person and digital education, accounting for every learning style, breaking down language barriers, sustaining the training for the long term, and much more.



Episode Resources




* SWA Academy



* NYSERDA’s Building Operations & Maintenance Training Program



* 32BJ Training Fund




Episode Sponsor







The Passive House Network Conference 2023



September 28 and October 4+5



The Passive House Network Conference 2023 is a hybrid event for builders, designers, and community members to connect, learn, and plan for a decarbonized future. Over 2.5 days and thirty sessions, attendees will reflect on how Passive House bolsters climate resiliency, environmental justice, and everyday health. Share your ambitions. Bridge the connections. Register now, join the conversation, and start building your Passive House Network today: phnconference.org



We Want to Hear From You!



Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.



About Buildings and Beyond

Featuring












Gayathri Vijayakumar



Gayathri Vijayakumar is a Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates, Inc, with over 18 years of experience supporting high-performance multifamily buildings. She graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Engineering Science and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a MS in Mechanical Engineering and a Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and Management. Gayathri currently provides technical support to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program and ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction programs. She currently is a voting member of the 2024 IECC Residential Consensus Committee and Chair of RESNET’s Standards Development Committee, SDC300.













Karla Butterfield



Ms. Butterfield is a Sustainability Director at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., working with residential buildings. Her expertise is in sustainable consulting services, program certification support and implementation of high-performance building technologies. With architects, developers, builders, and homeowners, she develops specific sustainability strategies for both new construction and renovations.













William Zoeller



As Director of the Building Enclosure Services team at Steven Winter Associates, Bill has managed projects ranging from masonry restoration of landmarked buildings and deep-energy retrofits of historic properties to new construction Passive House residential towers.













Dylan Martello



Dylan is a Senior Building Systems Consultant and Certified Passive House Designer with Steven Winter Associates, Inc. specializing in Passive House and Net Zero projects. Dylan works with project architects and engineers to assist in the design of extremely energy efficient buildings. His direct project experience on large-scale Passive House certified or pre-certified projects comprises a wide range of use types such as high rise multifamily, core and shell offices, hotels, and industrial facilities.













Host: Robb Aldrich



Robb focuses on building energy systems: researching new technologies, monitoring performance, and helping practitioners create better, healthier, more efficient buildings.








What happens when you put four sustainable building experts involved in energy code development in a room and ask them to bring their favorite—and sometimes, most controversial—topics for discussion? You end up with more questions than answers!



In this roundtable episode hosted by Robb Aldrich, our guests ask each other these tough questions related to our nation's energy codes:




* Performance Metrics: How can energy codes be simplified? Is energy use intensity (EUI) a viable alternate metric?



* Gas Bans: If jurisdictions cannot ban gas, how can we put electrification in the energy code?



* Embodied Carbon: How should embodied carbon accounting be incorporated into energy codes?



* Robb's Bonus Question #1: How are building inspectors dealing with complicated energy codes?



* Robb's Bonus Question #2: Should there be electric vehicle (EV) charging requirements in energy codes?




Episode Information & Resources

Featuring












Michelle DeCarlo



Michelle M. DeCarlo, PE, LEED AP BD+C, serves as an Associate Partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B). Since joining the firm in 2007, she has led the HVAC design for JB&B on a variety of projects, including the new core and shell office design for 30 Hudson Yards, the commercial office redevelopment of the landmarked Moynihan Train Hall, and The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Michelle is also committed to the advancement of women in the industry. In 2018, she launched the JB&B Women’s Initiative, an in-house membership group whose mission is the empowerment of women to position them as leaders inside and outside the firm, and to promote the retention of women through leadership and professional development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) of New York, currently serving as the President. She recently completed four years of service on the ASHRAE New York Board of Governors, serving as chairperson of its Women in ASHRAE Committee. Read more













Saeideh Kirby



Saeideh Kirby is the Senior Director leading Energy and Sustainability Services for multiple industry verticals within the Americas at JLL. In this role, she is responsible for the service delivery in the region and assisting more than 50 sustainability professionals in executing energy and sustainability programs for various clients to meet their sustainability goals. These programs include support in providing roadmaps and implementation towards carbon, energy, water, and waste goals through carbon and energy forecasting, benchmarking, energy conservation projects, energy procurement, alternative energy evaluation, investigation into new technologies, sustainable supply chain, and incorporating sustainability into the full lifecycle of facility management. Prior to joining JLL, Saeideh was senior energy project engineer at SourceOne and was responsible for conducting Cogen feasibility studies and design reviews for multiple clients based in New York.













Erin McElwee



As a Building Systems Consultant at SWA, Erin McElwee provides commissioning (Cx) services for NYC ECC code compliance, LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Cx, and Passive House projects. Erin assists teams with reviews of design drawings and project submittals, conducts commissioning tests on-site, verifies equipment specifications, and provides recommended corrective actions.













Host: Kelly Westby



Kelly Westby leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting. The BODE team is focused on optimizing performance and reducing energy use and carbon emissions of building systems for new construction and existing buildings across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The team offers benchmarking, capital planning, energy management, implementation, commissioning, research, program management, and policy advisory services. Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square f...

Featuring












Michelle DeCarlo



Michelle M. DeCarlo, PE, LEED AP BD+C, serves as an Associate Partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B). Since joining the firm in 2007, she has led the HVAC design for JB&B on a variety of projects, including the new core and shell office design for 30 Hudson Yards, the commercial office redevelopment of the landmarked Moynihan Train Hall, and The New Terminal One at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Michelle is also committed to the advancement of women in the industry. In 2018, she launched the JB&B Women’s Initiative, an in-house membership group whose mission is the empowerment of women to position them as leaders inside and outside the firm, and to promote the retention of women through leadership and professional development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Real Estate for Women (CREW) of New York, currently serving as the President. She recently completed four years of service on the ASHRAE New York Board of Governors, serving as chairperson of its Women in ASHRAE Committee. Read more













Saeideh Kirby



Saeideh Kirby is the Senior Director leading Energy and Sustainability Services for multiple industry verticals within the Americas at JLL. In this role, she is responsible for the service delivery in the region and assisting more than 50 sustainability professionals in executing energy and sustainability programs for various clients to meet their sustainability goals. These programs include support in providing roadmaps and implementation towards carbon, energy, water, and waste goals through carbon and energy forecasting, benchmarking, energy conservation projects, energy procurement, alternative energy evaluation, investigation into new technologies, sustainable supply chain, and incorporating sustainability into the full lifecycle of facility management. Prior to joining JLL, Saeideh was senior energy project engineer at SourceOne and was responsible for conducting Cogen feasibility studies and design reviews for multiple clients based in New York.













Erin McElwee



As a Building Systems Consultant at SWA, Erin McElwee provides commissioning (Cx) services for NYC ECC code compliance, LEED Fundamental and Enhanced Cx, and Passive House projects. Erin assists teams with reviews of design drawings and project submittals, conducts commissioning tests on-site, verifies equipment specifications, and provides recommended corrective actions.













Host: Kelly Westby



Kelly Westby leads the Building Operations, Decarbonization, and Efficiency (BODE) team at SWA. She has a wide range of experience in building science, commissioning, and energy efficiency retrofitting. The BODE team is focused on optimizing performance and reducing energy use and carbon emissions of building systems for new construction and existing buildings across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The team offers benchmarking, capital planning, energy management, implementation, commissioning, research, program management, and policy advisory services. Kelly’s commissioning, energy code, and efficiency projects cover millions of square f...

Featuring












Asa Foss



Asa Foss joined EPA's ENERGY STAR Residential Branch in 2020, where he's managing ENERGY STAR NextGen, an operational decarbonization-focused new construction specification. He’s been in the residential efficiency industry since the early 2000s, including a decade at the U.S. Green Building Council where he was responsible for the development of the LEED for Homes rating systems. He renovated and lives in a designated-historic ENERGY STAR and LEED Platinum certified rowhouse in Washington, DC.













Elliot Seibert



Bio coming soon!








Building on the 25-year foundation of the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program, the EPA is gearing up to launch a new certification program for efficient single-family and multifamily homes: ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments. Based on initial energy and emissions modeling, ENERGY STAR NextGen certified homes will achieve an average of 47% greater carbon savings than homes built according to 2021 residential energy code.



In this episode, Robb chats with two members of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch, Asa Foss and Elliot Seibert, about what home builders, raters, and buyers can expect from ENERGY STAR NextGen and its electric-forward—not all-electric—focus. They discuss each of the program’s requirements and the rationale and goals behind them.



Episode Information & Resources



The 5 NextGen Requirements for Climate-Friendly Homes:



Note: time stamps below in parenthesis 




* Highly energy-efficient construction (12:17)



* ENERGY STAR certified heat pumps for space heating (16:47)



* ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters (22:38)



* Induction cooktops and electric ovens (Yes, we address the elephant in the room—the gas stove.) (29:38)



* EV charging infrastructure (37:30)




NextGen Resources: 



ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments



ENERGY STAR NextGen National Rater Field Checklist (PDF)



We Want to Hear From You!



Send your feedback and questions to podcast@swinter.com.



About Buildings and Beyond



Buildings and Beyond is the podcast that explores how we can create a more sustainable built environment by focusing on efficiency, accessibility, and health.



Buildings and Beyond is a production of Steven Winter Associates. We provide energy, green building, and accessibility consulting services to improve the built environment. For more information, visit swinter.com.



Hosts: Robb Aldrich | Kelly Westby

Featuring












Christine Liaukus, RA, CPHC



Christine Liaukus, RA, CPHC, is the Housing and Community Development Program Manager for the Center for Building Knowledge at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. At the Center, Christine’s research is focused on improving the energy performance of existing buildings during typical retrofit projects, most recently with Re-Side Right. Christine has developed training for various New Jersey Clean Energy programs through the NJ Clean Energy Learning Center and has taught high-performance building enclosure coursework at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design at NJIT. Prior to joining NJIT, Christine was a Project Architect with the New York firm Chris Benedict R.A. creating environmentally responsible affordable housing. Christine is a member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and was the first Certified Passive House Consultant in New Jersey.













Adam Stenftenagel 



Adam Stenftenagel has been working in the green building industry since 2004. He co-owns four Boulder, Colorado-based businesses that focus on helping new and existing homes use net-zero energy, including Snugg Home and Radiant Labs. He is also co-founder and CEO at both of these companies. Adam focuses on keeping the businesses running efficiently as well as business development and sales. He specializes in building science, energy modeling, and cost-benefit analysis. Adam’s passion is helping to prevent runaway climate change. He also enjoys live music, gardening, and hiking.








The average homeowner is aware that energy efficiency is important in the fight against climate change. The people who are most passionate about energy conservation are making upgrades to their homes and setting a good example for their neighbors. But how can we get more homeowners excited about doing the work (and navigating the cost) to improve their home’s performance?



On this episode, Robb chats with Adam Stenftenagel and Christine Liaukus (a SWA alum!), two experts on improving existing buildings, about what it’ll take to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of single-family homes on a much larger scale than we are today. They discuss data, strategies, technologies, and of course, financing that can help get millions of homeowners on the path to net zero energy.



Episode Resources




* Re-Side Right



* Renew-Wall



* BlocPower



* Sealed



* Radiant Labs carbon savings infographic




Click to enlarge



Sponsor

Featuring












Victoria Lanteigne



Victoria Lanteigne has over 15 years of experience in improving the built environment through equity, inclusive design, and health and wellness.



Earlier in her career, Victoria joined SWA as a Senior Accessibility Consultant, collaborating with architects, developers, and other practitioners to improve the accessibility of buildings, and launched SWA’s inclusive design services. In 2020, Victoria joined the PhD in Design program at North Carolina State University, where she conducted extensive research to understand how design impacts the physical, mental, and emotional health of building occupants. Her doctoral research aims to develop a new industry framework for embedding equity in the design of the built environment.



This year, as Victoria nears the end of her PhD program, she rejoins SWA’s accessibility team as Principal of Research to lead a new equity research initiative—which will include the introduction of a new industry framework for embedding equity in building design and exploring outcomes.








There is a lot of work ahead of us to advance equity in the built environment. As more project teams aim to impact equity, there are overarching questions that need to be answered: What design strategies will advance equity in the built environment? And how do we make equity part of building performance?



In this episode, Alex chats with Victoria Lanteigne, Principal of Research at Steven Winter Associates (SWA), about her expertise in equity, health, and inclusive design. Victoria shares how, through her research, she hopes to build on the way we measure building performance—from outcomes focused on energy and resource efficiency to those that include aspects of human experiences, such as the health, wellbeing, and sense of belonging of all building occupants.



Episode Information & Resources



Equity resources:




* LEED v4 social equity pilot credits



* Design Justice Principles



* SEED Certification and The SEED Evaluator



* WELL Equity Rating




Publications:




* Inclusive Building Performance Guidelines: A Pathway for Advancing Equity in the Built Environment (PDF)



* Advancing Health Equity Through Inclusive Design (PDF)



* Exploring Health Equity and the Built Environment through the Social Determinants of Health (PDF)



* Show more...