Leadership effectiveness is keystone to an organization’s success, but not always a skillset supported in the education of design professionals. Developing your leadership capabilities begins with self-... Full Description

This session is CANCELLED - with our apologies.

The New England climate put high performance building to the test for the construction of two Passive House schools in Southern Maine: new construction of the Maine Coast Waldorf High School in Freeport,... Full Description

This session will provide attendees insight into the disruptive technology that is changing the HVAC industry in North America. The commercial HVAC industry is slow to adopt new technology, and engineers... Full Description

Whether net zero, Passive House, or other certification is your objective, incorporating a healthy materials strategy is as essential as figuring out how you will design the building envelope and mechanical... Full Description

Planning for big goals, like becoming a Net Zero community, while attending to the smallest details of managing a diverse building portfolio, is hard. This session will explore how the City of Cambridge, MA... Full Description

Creating high-performance buildings requires a balance of art and science. Design decisions can no longer be guided by aesthetics and intuition alone; they require careful study to achieve desired outcomes... Full Description

Join us in a biophilic exploration of well-known buildings (focusing on the Boston area), to illuminate the natural influences that can be strengthened in design and operation of all buildings. Our session... Full Description

The Passive House standard is a critical tool for reducing our carbon footprint, yet it remains largely underutilized. Our panelists have each developed strategies, over the course of their long,... Full Description

An owner/developer and Net Zero consultant will present lessons learned from two Net Zero projects in Rotterdam, NY. They'll describe how an integrated process and extensive energy modeling allowed the team... Full Description

Making “drawdown buildings” - buildings that store more carbon than they emit - may be much less complicated than you think. Come watch a demonstration of a prefabricated building panel being assembled live... Full Description

The Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) is designing and building a Net Zero Energy office building to demonstrate that Net Zero Energy is achievable for the same cost as a conventional developer office building... Full Description

The session will present new information on the cost effectiveness of behind-the-meter energy storage; new incentives for installing storage, including rebates, performance incentives and zero-interest... Full Description

What is the secret to designing and building foam-free, airtight and vapor-open assemblies that are super high performing? Jesper Kruse will provide a deep dive look into the Passive House wall and roof... Full Description

In their quest for deeper energy savings, many projects expand building enclosure energy conservation measures (ECMs) opportunities beyond HVAC and lighting systems energy savings. The Air Infiltration... Full Description

It's been claimed that off-site construction can result in more tightly built, energy efficient buildings that cost less. What is the field experience developed using prefab components and systems? When and... Full Description

The affordable multifamily housing market is leading the expansion of Passive House in larger scale construction, supported by public policy and influenced by competitive state financing. This panel of... Full Description

Klatsch (noun) - a casual gathering of people, especially for refreshments and informal conversation

As a community, we have a gut feeling for R values, air tightness, energy metrics, and so on, but... Full Description

Detailed review of proper window and door and MEP flashing solutions. Watch or participate in a hands-on demonstration of flashing tapes and liquid flashing alternatives.

Sponsored by:

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Come hear the results of a variety of innovative pilot programs in several states delivering deep energy savings to homeowners through access to renewable energy, heat pumps, and weatherization, while... Full Description

Building professionals have an essential role to play in forest conservation; they hold the power to shape forested landscapes through the materials they consume on behalf of their clients. Informed... Full Description

Small towns confront different challenges than do larger, more urban communities, often in terms of density, resources, infrastructure, and connectivity to funding, outreach, and technical assistance. This... Full Description

Navigating the smart-home hype is a challenge, particularly when trying to decide what smart-home technologies can make meaningful contributions to sustainability. This session will help practitioners... Full Description

Material transparency and optimization is a hot topic in the green building industry, but it can be difficult to know how to get involved in these market transformation efforts. This session will share how... Full Description

The City of Boston has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050.  Buildings have a key role to play as they currently account for 75% of the City’s greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers in the Institute for... Full Description

In 2016, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources contracted with Arup to conduct an Energy Resilience Assessment of 12 state-owned care facilities which house difficult-to-relocate residents who... Full Description