Sustainability Education: The Deep Energy Retrofit—A Race Against Time or a Whistle into the Wind? (Virtual)

By now we’ve all heard that buildings consume about 40% of the energy in this country, and 76% of the nation’s electricity. A move away from fossil fuels will increase the building sector’s reliance on electricity, so there needs to be a dramatic reduction in energy demand. Simply stated, the energy performance of our existing buildings must improve. This presentation looks at the history of the Deep Energy Retrofit, its proponents and detractors, and the considerations required before embarking upon a renovation intended to improve energy efficiency.

Katie Faulkner FAIA is a founding principal at West Work, an architecture office based in Boston, with a mission to deliver sustainable design that is beautiful, contextual, and environmentally responsible. She is also a co-founder of Highland Park Technologies, a grant-funded R+D company designing and testing a wood-fiber insulated cladding system.