About the Series

NYSERDA and Building Energy Exchange, in collaboration with RMI, University of Cincinnati, and Ember Strategies, are excited to offer a comprehensive three-part Strategic Decarbonization Planning training series designed to help industry professionals tackle complex retrofit projects with confidence. Tailored for professionals in engineering, real estate, and technology, this training series will equip participants with the tools and knowledge to drive practical, cost-effective low-carbon retrofits in large buildings. Grounded in lessons learned from NYSERDA’s Empire Building Challenge and their innovative retrofit demonstration projects, participants will learn how to:

• Identify effective retrofit strategies by evaluating technical solutions and real estate conditions;
• Make the case for low-carbon retrofits with compelling business narratives that resonate with decision-makers; and
• Turn plans into action by creating clear, step-by-step decarbonization roadmaps for real-world projects.

Live training sessions for all three courses are coming this spring. Read more about our high-impact, solutions driven training series below:

Course 1

SDP: RED Framework and Technical Solutions (1.5 AIA LU)

This first course of the series will explore Resource Efficient Decarbonization (RED) as a replicable solutions framework used to develop carbon neutrality roadmaps for large buildings in cold climates. Using real-world examples from Empire Building Challenge retrofit projects, participants will learn how to apply the RED framework to create comprehensive, long-term decarbonization plans for their buildings. Additionally, the training will review a range of technical solutions for decarbonizing buildings, highlighting how prioritization of these technologies can optimize retrofits.

SDP: Building the Business Case for Better Decarbonization (1.5 AIA LU)

The second course will focus on the finance and asset planning components of strategic decarbonization. Participants will learn how to evaluate and align technical solutions with economic realities and long-term asset strategies to inform decision-making. This course will also provide guidance on crafting compelling business case narratives that build stakeholder support and unlock investment for retrofits. By the end of the training, participants will be equipped to develop persuasive business cases that advance building decarbonization projects.

Course 3

Let’s Decarbonize! A Hands-on Building Decarbonization Workshop

The third course of the series will be a highly interactive session offering a hands-on introduction to building decarbonization planning – delivered in a dynamic, game-based format. The session begins with a brief review of key concepts from the first two courses, then, participants will break into small groups to create a mock decarbonization plan for a real-world building scenario. Teams will evaluate strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while weighing factors such as costs, trigger events, and other site- specific considerations. Come prepared to collaborate, apply your skills, and dive into the decision- making process behind effective building decarbonization.

This material was developed at the University of Cincinnati by Amanda Webb, Barry Abramson, Katherine Castiello Jones, and Heather Cheng. It is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2339386.