ASHRAE Journal - July 2023 - 19

FEATURE
insulation when I replace that roof? Am I designing the
new roof so that it can hold a photovoltaic (PV) system?
If I make these changes-how does it downsize the loads
such that replacement HVAC down the road matches the
improvements? If you have a plan now, you've got some
mechanism even when something fails to replace it with
something that's better. I call this creating an action
plan for the building-a plan to get to carbon neutrality.3
Which Decarbonization Efforts Do You Think Will Be Most
Valuable if Prioritized?
Let's take the pieces that we can do easily. There is no
reason that we can't take new construction and cut its
energy 50% and make a dent in that overall curve. We've
got to get to the point where new buildings do not create
additional burden.
And you might say-'well, new buildings are a small
percentage of the overall total.' That's true but
if you go back 30 or 40 years, it's almost
50% of the total. You look at the building
envelope-get the envelope right,
get the envelope tested. How do you
really make that thermal envelope?
Designing and building a building
is about making decisions, and you
have the option of always making
the right decision. How do we line
everybody up to make the right decisions? Set good
goals right up front. Much of this also applies to existing
buildings-especially major renovations. ASHRAE did
that with the new headquarters building project.4 Even
though that was a substantial renovation, ASHRAE set
some energy targets and set out to meet those targets.
Are the HVAC&R Industry and Other Industries Working
Well Together Toward Decarbonization?
Owners and design teams are doing a better job at
setting and meeting goals. I work with the Department
of Energy's (DOE) Better Buildings Initiative and the
Better Climate Challenge.3,5 Building and facility owners
are making a commitment to reduce their carbon
footprint by 50% in 10 years. I think the design community
can help make clients make these goals happen.
That's the fi rst piece of it. There are design teams that
will help owners get to these goals. The owner should
look hard at who they want to hire, that who they want
to hire is really going to help them meet their goals.
That's where ASHRAE members can really help make
this happen in conjunction with architects, contractors,
and the vendors who not only supply equipment, but
also provide expertise in making that equipment work.
It is also where the ASHRAE Task Force on Building
Decarbonization is fi lling the gaps by creating information,
guidance, and training to equip the industry to
effectively change how buildings use energy.6
Manufacturers can also play an important role by providing
heating solutions for buildings that do not use
fossil fuels. They can also provide educational resources
and help designers integrate these products successfully
into projects.
There are other carbon-reducing pieces that ASHRAE
members can help with. Selecting building materials
and asking questions about the embodied carbon is part
of the architect's and engineer's job. This starts to shift
the discussion to whole life carbon-both the operational
piece and the embodied piece. Asking questions like,
what do the carbon levels look like? And
how do we reduce it? We're going to
have to start thinking about design
solutions and new products if we're
really going to push the market. So
ultimately, who pushes the market?
People who spend the money. So if the
building owners say, 'I need to decarbonize
or I need to reduce my footprint,'
they need to hire the right design teams to help them.
They can also ask how do I start sourcing materials? And
the manufacturers need to respond and say 'I can get
you those products.'
This is not perfect, especially coming out of COVID and
dealing with supply chain. But it all goes back to who's
spending the money and are they asking those questions?
They don't have to be an expert. They just have to
say, I want to meet this goal. How can ASHRAE help me
meet that goal? It is up to the ASHRAE membership to
ask questions and in some ways, just do it.
What Could Be a Viable Option for Dealing With Emissions
That Can't Be Avoided?
Let's focus on some of these things that are easier. I
think it's in our human nature to go out and try to solve
these impossible problems. This discussion of embodied
carbon is really hard. We don't know how to measure
it well. We've got a lot of knowledge that's now coming,
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ASHRAE Journal - July 2023

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