Presented by Dr. Tat Fu, P.E., CPHD and Luke A Niezelski, P.E., the focus on Passive House, Net Zero and High Performance Buildings has never been higher as designers seek to improve the performance, reduce carbon emission, and optimize new buildings end-user comfort. With each new building we strive to get closer to reducing our impact on the environment. However, we cannot obtain a sustainable future without addressing the needs of our existing low performing buildings. In this presentation, we will explore how to analyze existing structures so that we can develop strategies that can be implemented in order to increase the energy performance of our existing buildings. We will review common upgrade options and discuss how energy modeling can be used as a decision-making tool when reviewing the available options. We will provide case studies showing examples of how these options can be reviewed and implemented.
Dr. Tat Fu a Senior Consulting Engineer at Simpson Gumpertz and Heger. He specializes in building energy, structures, instrumentation, computational design, and integrative engineering solutions. Tat obtained a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California, where he also earned graduate degrees in Architecture and Electrical Engineering. Tat has published 12 peer-reviewed journal papers, and given presentations and lectures in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 2015, he received an Excellent Presentation Award by the Japan Association for Earthquake Engineering. His current and recent projects include (i) energy impact analysis of building retrofit options, (ii) structural design of a new research and teaching building above a 75-year-old bunker, and (iii) development of a monitoring system for a recently occupied office building.
Luke Niezelski is a Consulting Engineer at Simpson Gumpertz and Heger. Luke has his Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees in structural engineer from Stevens Institute of Technology. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts and works frequently with architects, owners, and contractors in the greater Boston market. Mr. Niezelski is experienced in the investigation and design of complex roof systems, opaque cladding, window and curtain wall systems for new construction and rehabilitation projects.