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Fireside Chats: Smart and Flexible Buildings

Connectivity and flexibility are essential to ensuring that we can decarbonize buildings and communities quickly and safely, while making the best use of the electric grid both today and tomorrow.

Fireside Chat #1: Delivering on the Promise of Connected Communities

Interviewer: Katie Fehrenbacher, Senior Writer & Analyst, GreenBiz

David Nemtzow, Building Technologies Office Director, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy

Fireside Chat #2: Let's Make Everything Smart, Flexible and Safe

Interviewer: Tom Reddoch, Principal Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Ryan Kennedy, CEO, Atom Power

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Breakout Session: The Art and Science of Connected Communities

Your connected community could be smarter – but think of the possibilities if it was easier. Discuss practical approaches to enable connected communities to deliver grid and customer-friendly decarbonization.

• Moderator: Jennifer Castenson, Zonda Homes
• Erika Diamond, EnergyHub
• Clay Nesler, World Resources Institute
• Sarah Zaleski, U.S. Dept of Energy

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Breakout Session: No Customer Left Behind - Solving for Affordability

An equitable clean energy transition must ensure that residents and communities do not fall behind or carry the burdens of societal decarbonization. At the heart of this challenge are technologies, programs and other approaches to deliver both low-carbon and low-cost solutions.

• Moderator: Ben Clarin, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Marshall Cherry, Roanoke Electric Co-op
• Rebecca Schaaf, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future

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Birds of a Feather Discussion Rooms

Session #1: The Role of Smart in Building to Zero
How efforts in developing smart devices, systems and communities can actually be relied upon as flexible resources and tools to build to zero.

• Lead: Ben Clarin, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Session #2: Building Decarbonization in the Real World
Come and share your favorite practical, scalable, building decarbonization solutions ... for a net-zero world.

• Leads: Andrea Mammoli & Ram Narayanamurthy, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

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Breakout Session: Heat Pumps vs. the Polar Vortex

Heat pumps and other thermal technologies will drive worldwide decarbonization through improvements in efficiency and performance via incorporation of new refrigerants, greater intelligence and control, and reduced costs—but only if numerous market transformation barriers are addressed.

• Moderator: Ed Vineyard, FASHRAE
• Ron Domitrovic, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Jean-Philippe Hardy, Dunsky Energy
• Greg Wolfson, EcoSmart Solution LLC

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Incubatenergy^® Spotlight: Frontiers in Space Conditioning

It's no surprise that the low-hanging fruit of buildings' efficiency lives in space conditioning. Hear from some of the startup companies breaking new ground in this area, and learn about the outcomes of their accelerated projects with leading utilities.

• Moderator: Wendy MacPherson, NYSERDA
• Eli Goldstein, SkyCool Systems
• Vince Romanin, Treau
• Daniel Betts, Blue Frontier

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Breakout Session: The Air We Breathe - Addressing Indoor Air Quality

Society has likely never before been more focused on the air quality and health of our indoor spaces. Whether by the direct application of electric disinfection methods to disable harmful pathogens, or the adoption of electric appliances to eliminate indoor combustion, new products and technology will lead to healthier work and living spaces.

• Moderator: Doug Lindsey, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Bill Bahnfleth, Penn State
• Jason Snyder, TVA

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Birds of a Feather Discussion Rooms

Session #1: Heat Pumps vs. the World
Give us your best ideas on how heat pumps will overcome challenges like cost, cold-weather performance and customer perception to become a dominant global decarbonization technology.

• Leads: Ron Domitrovic, Doug Lindsey, & Andrea Mammoli, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Session #2: Connecting Customers to Affordability
The most innovative programs, business models, and financial tools will only succeed if they can reach the customers, communities, and businesses they were designed for.

• Leads: Sara Beaini & Agatha Kazden, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

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Fireside Chats: Electric Kitchens

Welcome to the kitchen of the future from the perspective of a chef and a kitchen designer. Join two dynamic fireside chats to understand the challenges and benefits of electric kitchens.

Fireside Chat #1: A Chef's Experience with an Electric Kitchen

Interviewer: Nick Hartman, Food Services Specialist, Alabama Power Company

Chef Mark Duesler, Chef Consultant/Program Advisor, Frontier Energy Food Service Technology Center

Fireside Chat #2: Kitchen Design of the Future

Interviewer: Nick Hartman, Food Services Specialist, Alabama Power Company

Ken Schwartz, President/CEO, SSA Foodservice Design + Consulting

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Breakout Session: Low-Carbon Nutrition - Perennial Food Production for Local Economies

Indoor agriculture reduces the use of fossil fuels in planting, tending, harvesting and distributing produce in the community that needs it – regardless of the season. Using innovative design and modern technologies to localize food production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and food waste while helping to build a stronger local economy.

• Moderator: Penny McBride, Second Chance Farms
• Tobias Peggs, Square Roots
• David Rosenberg, AeroFarms

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Breakout Session: Indoor Agriculture and Your Community

When technology can deliver year-round, locally grown and harvested produce, what can this accomplish in your community? Learn how our panelists are using indoor agriculture to support the underserved – through community engagement, job creation, education and training, redevelopment, and – above all – fresh, nutritious food.

• Moderator: Indra Bhattacharya, Tri-State Generation & Transmission
• Jill Eide, Great River Energy
• Kaela Mainsah, New York Power Authority

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Birds of a Feather Discussion Rooms

Session #1: Weighing in on the Electric Kitchen
Whether you’re a professional or amateur chef, at home or in a restaurant, join an active discussion of practical approaches to electrifying cooking.

• Lead: Rick Ranhotra, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Session #2: Understanding the Community Benefits of Indoor Agriculture
Join our experts in a lively discussion on different ways indoor agriculture will impact our communities and how to cultivate the benefits of this rapidly evolving concept.

• Lead: Frank Sharp, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

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Breakout Session: Electrification - Accelerating Adoption via Financial Innovation

The best decarbonization solutions will have an even greater impact if they are more affordable and more accessible to the customer. Explore the benefits of innovative financing and solutions for harder-to-reach customers and communities.

• Moderator: Sara Beaini, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Martha Amram, GLYNT.AI
• Al Gaspari, PG&E

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Incubatenergy^® Spotlight: Accelerating Net-Zero to Market

The market is bustling for net-zero energy solutions. Hear from some of the hottest startup companies making an impact through EPRI's Incubatenergy Labs program, and learn how they've been able to scale their solutions with utilities across the country.

• Moderator: Kimberly Britton, EPICenter
• Lynn Mueller, SHARC Energy Systems
• Rachel Rosen, Wex Energy
• Carmen Best, Recurve

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Breakout Session: Electrifying Tall Buildings ... in a Single Bound?

Tall buildings are a large part of the worldwide urbanization trend for many reasons, including lack of real estate. Today’s technology allows us to decarbonize all buildings via electrification – but it’s not happening fast enough. What are the challenges, opportunities and solutions for new construction and for the existing stock?

• Moderator: Cliff Majersik, Institute for Market Transformation (IMT)
• Vlada Kenniff, NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA)
• Don Kasper, Sentient Buildings