Energy Code Webinar Series

Outline

The electrification of buildings has become a growing trend in both residential and commercial sectors. In New York, the transition to 100 percent clean electricity has been a stated goal by 2040. Consumers that combine energy efficiency measures with newer heat-pump technologies can reduce both their utility bills and their carbon emissions. At the same time there are reasonable questions to ask before scaling up electrification solutions including consideration of future-proofing current decision making as an electrification alternative.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the challenges and benefits of electrification and how it relates to NYS energy goals and energy code.
2. Recognize how the design of buildings may change to accommodate heat pump technology.
3. Address the challenges and opportunities associated with heat pump retrofits for space heating and domestic hot water.
4. Recognize the carbon benefit of utilizing heat pumps grows as the electric grid gets cleaner.

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Outline

This webinar will review the mandatory requirements of the 2018 IECC. Mandatory requirements in the energy code are mandatory. While this may seem like an obvious statement, the various options created by the compliance pathways through the code including prescriptive, COMcheck, component performance alternative, and energy modeling do not change the approach to complying with the mandatory requirements.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand and describe the interaction between the various compliance pathways and mandatory provisions of the energy code.
2. Recognize the level of detail and documentation required for energy code compliance regardless of pathway.
3. Review and understand the mandatory requirements of the energy code through Sections C402-408.
4. List several Additional Efficiency Package Options and what is likely to be utilized on a given project and why.

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Outline

Designing living environments for the future requires an all-inclusive approach. The Passive House standard requires designers to incorporate low energy passive design principles from the start to significantly reduce energy consumption. While the focus is reducing energy consumption, the intent of creating such efficient buildings is to also provide comfortable, healthy, and resilient places to live. The Passive House standard can also be a critical strategy to achieving zero net energy buildings and future stretch energy codes within New York State, but with the addition of more renewable energy, the electric grid may also be challenged in new ways.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn the goals and benefits of Passive House design and construction and how it relates to zero net energy design goals.
2. Understand how Passive House principles will be applied within the NYStretch Energy Code.
3. Distinguish between Passive House design principles and their benefits.
4. Address the main design challenges associated with Passive House, zero net energy, and challenges for the local grid.
5. Recognize how design and construction QA/QC procedures will help ensure a successful Passive House project.

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Outline

Commissioning Is required by the code and electrification is an essential component of the state’s low carbon future. Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems are one solution the industry has for electrifying heating and cooling in very large buildings. These systems have different design and installation considerations than typical split heat pump systems. They also have different allowances within green rating systems. When implementing variable refrigerant systems for mechanical heating and cooling, there are several factors that need to be looked at. This webinar explores the steps and considerations crucial to avoiding common issues with VRF installations.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn what the role and importance of electric heating and cooling systems are in a low carbon future.
2. Understand design choices from a selection of applications to position system for improved energy efficiency.
3. Know what commissioning tasks are required in the NYS Energy Code.
4. Position commissioning as an integral function of VRF projects in order to overcome challenges of rapidly evolving technology and installation issues.
5. Develop knowledge of basic commissioning checklists and best practices to ensure efficiency and durability.

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Outline

The residential building industry has made incredible progress toward sustainability and energy efficiency goals. At the same time, many new buildings are under-performing because designers continue to make simple, avoidable mistakes. Based on lessons learned from reviewing drawings and specifications for projects in New York and beyond, we discuss the top ten multifamily design mistakes being made over and over again – and how to avoid them.

Learning Objectives

1. Know the top ten design mistakes by architects and engineers that decrease constructability, affordability and quality of multifamily housing.
2. Understand design choices that meet code requirements and increase energy efficiency, building durability, occupant health and affordability.
3. Learn ventilation techniques to meet energy code and indoor air quality goals.
4. Justify design alternatives to clients and contractors in terms of energy, durability, health and budget.
5. Develop a checklist to help you make design choices that meet code requirements and increase energy efficiency, building durability, occupant health and affordability on future projects.

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Outline

This webinar will examine the unique considerations of building enclosure design for wood-frame multi-family and commercial projects. It will break enclosure design into its main control layer topics: cladding systems, moisture protection, thermal control and air barriers. Each of these control layers will be addressed, including product options, assembly and detailing strategies, continuity, inspections, and how each control layer affects the others. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the guiding principles of enclosure design, the variety of products, assemblies and details that can achieve desired performance, and the construction phase know-how to ensure that pen and paper details translate to real-world results.

Learning Objectives

1. Review building enclosure design best practices to meet 2018 energy code requirements for light wood-frame buildings.
2. Demonstrate effective methods of controlling air movement through wood-frame assemblies and discuss the resulting impacts on overall energy performance.
3. Learn best practices to achieve ventilation rates required by the new energy code.
4. Discuss common products details used for thermal control in light wood-frame wall and roof enclosure assemblies, focusing on the differences between cavity insulation and continuous insulation.
5. Using case studies and details from successful projects, demonstrate unique considerations and best practices associated with a variety of cladding systems and flashing details at interfaces between adjacent enclosure assemblies.

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Outline

While health has always been a part of sustainability, exciting new data (and some scary findings) are driving rapid change to a health-motivated perspective in the green buildings industry. Most building scientists and green building consultants are not public health experts, but a variety of tools exist in the marketplace that can help translate building strategies into positive health outcomes.

This session is designed to empower people who ‘only speak buildings’ to start ‘speaking human health’ today, using the best parts of tools available.

Learning Objectives

1. Discover the degree to which human health is influenced by the built environment based on current research.
2. Understand how the new energy code is addressing occupant health and how to meet these new requirements.
3. Learn which additional tools are available to promote design of healthier communities, especially for building professionals with no formal health training.
4. Comprehend which health interventions may be most cost-effective for a given project type.
5. Commit to including one new human health intervention on your next design or construction project.

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Outline

The large multifamily building sector relies heavily on fossil fuel combustion for domestic hot water production. This process needs to be radically reformed to meet 2050 carbon emissions goals. Air-to-water heat pumps (AWHPs) can electrify this load in line with climate goals. A cleaner grid would make any electric equipment more sustainable, but these systems already have a lower climate penalty than typical condensing fuel-fired water heaters do today.

Learning Objectives

1. Distinguish between the different types of hot water heat pump technologies currently available on the US market.
2. Identify two main points for selecting commercial-scale heat pump water heaters for cold climate use.
3. Determine whether current NYC and NYS electricity grid mixes are favorable to electrification of DHW for carbon savings.
4. Summarize the hurdles in pairing hot water heat pump technologies, mixing valves, and intermittent recirculation for a high-performance Energy Code-complaint installation.
5. Explain why many large central Energy Code-designed gas-fired water heating plants are shown to performance below target efficiency levels.

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Outline

New York City recently passed Local Laws 92 and 94, mandating the installation of solar power and/or green roofs on all new buildings and all existing buildings completing a full roof replacement. All buildings will need a new roof at some point, so all building owners will need to understand the requirements and options for compliance. This new law is important for achieving the city’s larger emissions reduction goals, but there are a number of challenges to installing solar in a dense city. For new buildings, this webinar explores the design choices that can allow for a larger, more efficient, and more affordable solar power systems.

Learning Objectives

1. Requirements and exemptions of New York City Local Laws 92 and 94.
2. Benefits of installing rooftop solar.
3. Challenges of installing solar particular to high density areas.
4. Challenges of installing solar particular to existing buildings.
5. Design choices to optimize a building for solar power in high density areas.
6. Implications of solar PV systems on NYC Energy Code compliance

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Outline

Moving the New York State economy to zero greenhouse gas emissions is currently underway. In this webinar we explore the myriad of drivers, opportunities, and challenges faced by the built environment to achieve these goals.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the impact of New York State’s “Reforming the Energy Vision” energy strategy on codes and incentive programs in the state.
2. Recognize the roles various building and utility sectors play in the goal of moving to zero carbon emissions.
3. Address the role of energy codes and performance-based regulations on electrification.
4. Recognize the impacts net metered buildings can have on the grid and the importance of grid responsive design.

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