Buildings 2.0
In this episode of Buildings 2.0, Kevin Morrisroe, Associate at Buro Happold, shares practical steps for landlords to transition their buildings to net-zero, highlighting the importance of prioritization and phased implementation for the highest return on investment.
Kevin also explains the impact of Local Law 97 in New York City and how city initiatives like it are driving change. Additionally, Kevin explores emerging trends and technologies that are reshaping the industry, offering valuable insights into creating smarter, more sustainable buildings. Kevin also touched on advancements in water reclamation and the potential role of AI in enhancing day-to-day tasks for engineers.
Topics discussed:
- Practical steps and strategies for landlords to convert their properties to net-zero emissions, emphasizing phased approaches and prioritizing investments.
- The impact of New York City's Local Law 97 on building emissions and how financial penalties are driving sustainability efforts in NYC and elsewhere.
- New technologies and trends reshaping the industry, including smart building systems and water reclamation.
- How implementing smart technologies can optimize energy use, improve efficiency, and provide better data for building management.
- The growing importance of treating and reusing water within buildings to reduce demand and manage wastewater more effectively.
- Identifying the highest ROI upgrades, such as replacing boilers and windows, to make buildings more energy-efficient.
- Common objections to sustainable upgrades, primarily focused on upfront costs and the learning curve for new technologies.
Guest Quotes:
#1.)
“So we are kind of reinventing stuff and how things should be done, how to make a building more efficient, how to reuse all that waste energy in a building, reclaim all that water for reuse, and just try to bring down the decarbonization as much as possible. So it's always keeping us on our toes. We're kind of trying to be champions in that department and try to lead the way for the other engineering companies and other clients.” (2:48-3:14)
#2.)
“But a smart building to me is maybe putting meters on each floor and actually finding out exactly what they're using as opposed to what's on the design drawings of what they're capable of using. We're not looking at peak loads, we're actually looking at average loads.” (15:27-15:40)
#3.)
“It started off with fossil fuels, but now I think it's going to work its way into water reclaim. And water rates in New York City are pretty low right now, but they're definitely going to start rising up through the years.” (18:15-18:29)
#4.)
“And it's just like, super exciting, and it feels like here we're setting the limit of how these buildings should be built in the future. We've just an incredible team here. They're doing some very exciting things.” (28:03-28:16)
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