Join us February 22nd for lunch and to welcome M. Dennis Knight, PE as he presents on ASHRAE Decarbonization 101: An Overview and Introductions to Building Decarbonization. This is a hot topic and hope to see everyone at our meeting this February!

Dennis Knight, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, is the ASHRAE Society treasurer for the 2022-23 term. As Society Treasure he chairs the Society Finance Committee.  He currently serves as the vice-chair of Members Council, chair of the Board Subcommittee on Financial Focus, and is a member of the Board Subcommittee on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion and the International Standards Interaction Task Force.

He also serves as a  member of the AIA Liaison Committee, ASHRAE representative to the National Institute of Building Sciences and ASHRAE representative to the National Fire Protection Association.

In addition to his contributions to ASHRAE, Knight’s experience in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of high performance buildings spans over 48 years. Knight has commissioned hundreds of new buildings and audited or retro-commissioned over 100 million square feet of existing commercial, federal and industrial building stock. He introduced BIM to a 30 person architectural firm in 2004 and provides whole building energy simulation analysis. Knight is currently CEO of Whole Building Systems, LLC, Charleston, S.C.

Knight frequently lectures in the US and abroad on high performance building tools and technology and has authored numerous publications and white papers on a variety of technical topics.  He has developed curriculum and teaches on BIM, integrated building design, life cycle cost analysis, ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC energy code compliance, energy management for historic structures in hot and humid climates, and energy modeling and commissioning of energy using systems.

Presentation Info Below

ASHRAE Decarbonization 101: An Overview and Introductions to Building Decarbonization

Jurisdictions globally are confronting climate change and recognizing that building decarbonization is a significant component of their efforts. The worldwide building sector accounts for about 40% of energy-related carbon emissions and the global building stock is predicted to double by the year 2060.

Buildings remain a key sector that lacks sufficient climate change mitigation policies. As the standards authority for energy usage in buildings, ASHRAE recognizes that our long-standing initiatives in energy efficiency should include greenhouse gas emission reductions based on a holistic analysis including healthy, safe, and comfortable environments; energy efficiency; environmental impacts; sustainability; operational security; and economics. 

This presentation will cover a broad range of topics that can serve as a starting point for our members to begin thinking about and integrating into their practices how to design better buildings while considering energy efficiency, carbon emission and indoor environmental quality. This presentation is also an excellent primer for building owners and policy makers as we begin to develop effective ways to communicate complex concepts in a way that building users and the public can understand.