2025 Convention Session: Net Zero/Carbon Neutral Retrofits, 140 Kendrick Case Study: Tactics, Tradeoffs, and Takeaways (Grey, Ahmadi)

Course Overview
This session was originally presented at the 2025 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, Florida.  This course includes the following components:

• recording of the live session
• a summative assessment consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions
• two surveys required to claim continuing education credit

Description

In the face of impending climate change, the state and municipalities of Massachusetts are developing major policy changes, such as the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), to decarbonize buildings. These policy changes challenge existing building owners to evaluate strategies that improve operational carbon, such as enclosure upgrades and electrification and decarbonization of HVAC systems. These regulations, however, overlook the embodied carbon associated with the life cycle of materials and their installations. Addressing emissions related to operational carbon is an easy and tangible metric to pursue, but the recommended solutions should not be too quick to overlook the ripple effect design and construction applications have.  Integrative energy modeling processes have evolved into having a greater impact on the design and decarbonization strategies, resulting in a holistic collaborative design approach while focusing on new key performance indicators. 

Using a recently completed project case study in Needham, Massachusetts, the first net-zero, carbon-neutral office building repositioning project in the state, this presentation will explain the process for achieving net zero, carbon-neutral within existing buildings, as well as discuss challenges associated with achieving those goals. General takeaways that other project teams should consider when reviewing existing buildings will be provided.

Speaker/Author

Christopher Grey, PEng
Associate Principal
Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger

Christopher Grey is an associate principal in Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.’s (SGH) Building Technology Division in Boston, Massachusetts. He is experienced in investigating, rehabilitating, and designing a wide range of building enclosure systems, from historic structures to contemporary high-rise buildings. His practice focuses on enclosure consulting for new construction and existing building retrofits specializing in energy performance analysis, performance testing, and the design and coordination of unitized curtainwall and prefabricated megapanel enclosure systems. Grey holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Structural focus from Virginia Tech. He is a certified sUAS Level I Thermographer and a contributing member of the FGIA/AAMA, serving on several industry-standard task groups.

Speaker/Author

Samira Ahmadi, BEMP, LEED AP, WELL AP
Founding Principal
enviENERGY Studio LLC

Samira Ahmadi is the founding principal of enviENERGY Studio LLC and has more than 14 years of experience in energy modeling and sustainability consulting. Her practice focuses on sustainability and energy performance analyses for new construction and existing building retrofit projects that aim for sustainability certifications, energy upgrades, decarbonization, enhanced occupant health and comfort, and post-occupancy evaluation, measurement, and verification. Ahmadi holds a Master of Science in Building Performance and Diagnostics from Carnegie Mellon University, Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering and Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a member of BAC Board of Trustees and has previously served on the US Green Building Council Massachusetts Chapter Board of Directors.

Course Access
Courses are accessible in LearnUpon for one year from the date of purchase.

Credit Start Date   01/15/25            Credit Expiration Date  01/15/28

Course Recommended Prerequisite(s)

N/A

IIBEC Core Competencies: Building Enclosure Commissioning 

Knowledge Level: Introductory

Continuing Education Credit Statement
This course is approved for 1.0 IIBEC CEH

This course is approved for 1.0 AIA LU/HSW
AIA Course Number: CONV25_10_OD
AIA Provider Number: G024

Continuing Education Credit Claim Information

To claim IIBEC CEHs, learners are required to:

• Achieve a passing score of 70% on the summative assessment (learners are provided unlimited attempts)
• Complete the course Evaluation & Attestation Survey

After completing the Evaluation & Attestation Survey, learners will be able to download a Certificate of Completion.  Learners are responsible for self-reporting IIBEC CEH credit by uploading their Certificate of Completion to their IIBEC Portal. For assistance in self-reporting CEHs, please reach out to: cehs@iibec.org

To claim AIA LU, learners are required to complete the above requirements, as well as:

• Complete the AIA Survey (AIA member number is required)

AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members.

AIA CES Provider statement

IIBEC is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider G024. All registered AIA CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs.  Any questions or concerns about this provider or this learning program may be sent to AIA CES (cessupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).

This learning program is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.