Engineering Solutions

Electrification Isn’t All or Nothing: How To Plan Your Building’s Journey

For many New York City building owners, electrification has become one of the most talked-about paths to Local Law 97 (LL97) readiness. But while the term gets used often, it is also widely misunderstood.

Electrification is not a one-size-fits-all mandate, nor is it the only route to carbon reduction. For many buildings, the smartest path forward is not an immediate all-in conversion; it is a Strategic Decarbonization Plan (SDP) built around phased investments, operational improvements, and strategic upgrades that align with each building’s infrastructure, capital timeline, and long-term goals.

Start With the Building You Have

One of the biggest misconceptions around electrification is that buildings need to immediately replace all fossil fuel systems with electric heat pumps or full electric HVAC systems.

In reality, every building starts from a different place, and every building’s path is going to look different.

A newer property with hydronic heating or centralized chilled water systems may be well-positioned for faster electrification. A pre-war steam-heated multifamily building with occupied units and aging infrastructure may require a much more measured path.

That is why successful decarbonization planning begins with questions like:

What systems are already in place?
What equipment is nearing end-of-life?
What carbon exposure exists in 2030 and beyond?
What capital projects are already planned?
What level of disruption is realistic for tenants or occupants?

Without that baseline, it’s almost impossible to plan a measured, realistic approach to electrification.

Electrification Works Best as Part of a Modular Plan

Rather than treating electrification as a single large project, many owners are better served by a strategic approach, sequencing improvements over time.

That could mean:

Phase 1: Optimize Existing Systems

Before replacing major equipment, many buildings can reduce emissions through:

controls upgrades
steam balancing
ventilation improvements
lighting retrofits
operational tuning
envelope improvements

These measures often lower emissions while improving efficiency and reducing operating costs.

Phase 2: Partial Electrification

Next, owners may target systems that are easier to convert, such as:

domestic hot water systems
cooling equipment
supplemental heating zones
common area HVAC

These projects can create measurable carbon reductions without requiring a full building overhaul.

Phase 3: Major System Transition

Larger electrification projects, such as central heating conversion or apartment-level HVAC replacement, can then be timed with capital cycles, utility readiness, and better future technology. This is the core value of Strategic Decarbonization Planning: making the right move at the right time.

The Costliest Mistake Is Forcing the Wrong Project Too Early

Some buildings hear “electrification” and assume they need to start with the most aggressive project possible. But moving too quickly can create expensive, avoidable problems.

Owners may spend money on design work before a clear path has been established, trigger infrastructure upgrades before they are actually needed, or disrupt tenants for a project that does not yet deliver the right return. In some cases, the building may even take on higher operating costs while creating stranded equipment—assets that still had useful life remaining but are retired before their time.

A building that replaced boilers five years ago, for example, may not need to scrap that investment immediately. With a thoughtful SDP, ownership may be able to maximize the life of those assets while planning a future transition aligned with later LL97 thresholds.

In many cases, timing is just as important as technology.

LL97 Readiness Is About Your Economics, Not Just Emissions

The strongest decarbonization plans balance three realities:

Carbon compliance
Capital planning
Operational economics

That means looking at the full financial and operational picture, not just the carbon outcome. A strong plan should consider whether a project pays back over a reasonable period, how it may reduce future penalties, which incentives can offset upfront costs, and how changes in utility usage could affect operating expenses. It should also account for reserve funding needs, tenant comfort, and the day-to-day operational impact of the work.

Buildings that only chase carbon reductions without evaluating economics often create new problems while solving one. Buildings that evaluate both can make durable progress.

Why Early Planning Creates More Options

Owners who start now typically have more flexibility than those who wait until deadlines are close. Early planning allows time to:

compare multiple project pathways
coordinate with other capital work
pursue rebates and incentives
budget reserves or financing
avoid rushed contractor pricing
reassess technology as markets evolve

An SDP is not static. It should be reviewed and updated over time as regulations, costs, and equipment options change.

The Smarter Question Is Not “Should We Electrify?”

The question is: Where does electrification fit into our larger roadmap?

For some buildings, it is the immediate next step. For others, it is a five-year milestone. For others still, it is one tool among many.

The owners who will navigate LL97 most successfully are not the ones chasing buzzwords. They are the ones building thoughtful, phased strategies rooted in the realities of their property.

That is what Strategic Decarbonization Planning delivers.

Final Thoughts

Electrification can be powerful. But it works best when it is part of a plan and not a reaction. For owners facing LL97, the goal should not be to electrify at all costs. The goal should be to reduce emissions intelligently, protect asset value, and move forward with confidence.

About the Author

Michael Scorrano, PE, is the Founder and Managing Director of EN-POWER GROUP. With over 35 years of experience across both power generation and building-side energy systems, his perspective is informed by ongoing work with building owners, boards, and property managers navigating the practical realities and timing pressures associated with Local Law 97.

More information on EN-POWER GROUP and its approach to strategic decarbonization planning can be found at www.enpg.com, or by contacting the team at 914.263.1199 or reaching out to Michael directly at mvscorrano@enpg.com.

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Source: EN-POWER Group

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Strategic Decarb 101

The Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings

Is your building ready for the future? Are you struggling to balance emissions reductions, ESG goals, and the demands of aging equipment? The Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings offers a clear path forward for building owners and engineers to navigate the complex challenge of future-proofing your building.

Learn about how this innovative knowledge-sharing platform can help you create cost-effective, long-term decarbonization strategies for large buildings.

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Assessment Tools

Strategic Decarbonization Planning: Video Series

Deep decarbonization doesn’t happen all at once – it happens in the right sequence, with the right information, and a clear financial rationale. This three-part video series breaks down the Strategic Decarbonization Planning (SDP) process into its essential steps, showing how thorough assessment, intentional design, and a compelling business case work together to move buildings from ambition to action. Whether you’re just beginning to explore decarbonization or ready to accelerate your efforts, these videos offer a practical framework, supported by real-world projects, to move forward with confidence.

The SDP approach is grounded in three key steps:

Examine Current Conditions
Design Resource Efficient Solutions
Build the Business Case

A clear picture of your building’s current conditions is where every great decarbonization plan begins. The first step of the SDP process involves rigorous assessment of your building’s current conditions to reveal where energy is being used, where it’s being lost, and where interventions will have the greatest impact. Watch the video below to see a project from NYSERDA’s Empire Building Challenge, illustrating how comprehensive assessments unlock smarter, more strategic retrofit pathways.

The second step of the SDP process focuses on designing resource-efficient solutions that prioritize efficiency before electrification. Known as Resource Efficient Decarbonization (RED), this step prioritizes reducing energy consumption, cutting emissions, and recovering waste heat as much as possible to create a strong foundation for cost-effective electrification down the line. See how this approach shaped the retrofit strategy at a Bronx affordable housing cooperative below.

Step three of the SDP process transforms a decarbonization roadmap into a financial case that moves decision-makers to act. By holistically quantifying costs, savings, incentives, and avoided risks, a well-built business case gives decision-makers the clarity to choose the right pathway with confidence. Watch the video below to see how two large multifamily buildings are creating business cases that drive performance and long-term asset value.

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Financial Planning

Strategic Decarbonization Planning: Building the Business Case for Better Decarbonization

This 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.

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.

Take Course

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Engineering Solutions

Strategic Decarbonization Planning Training Series: RED Framework and Technical Solutions

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.

Take Course

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Engineering Solutions

Charrette Templates: Supporting Preliminary Retrofit Plan Review

Charrette Overview

A charrette is a focused, collaborative convening of diverse stakeholders. In planning a building decarbonization project, charrettes are a powerful tool for establishing a holistic understanding of a building’s existing conditions and needs, aligning stakeholders, developing creative solutions, and accelerating the retrofit design process.

Context

While charrettes can be used within multiple contexts, this resource has been developed to support the review of a preliminary retrofit plan. The preliminary retrofit plan scope is developed based on existing building conditions, high-level energy data and calculations, as well as the team’s expertise and prior project experience. Having a charrette at this point in the process allows for early feedback about the retrofit scope and alignment with project goals. It provides an opportunity for collaborative problem-solving and the development of creative solutions, as multi-disciplinary stakeholders are brought together to iterate on the retrofit. More detailed energy and financial analysis will occur after the charrette and may drive scope change as the team uses results to optimize the retrofit.

Templates Overview

The following templates have been developed to reduce the effort required to include a charrette in retrofit planning and guide project teams through the charrette process. The format of the templates is intentionally basic so your organization(s)’ presentation format and logos can easily be added.

The templates are intended to be used by the design team to gather feedback and develop consensus from project stakeholders on the following topics:

Project goals
Retrofit triggers
Proposed retrofit plan

Three templates are available for download and are designed to work together. These include:

Pre-Read Template: Use this template to develop a project-specific pre-read document that can help inform the charrette discussion. This template offers a preset agenda for the charrette and provides space to clearly define project goals, trigger events, and a high-level summary of the retrofit plan. To maximize benefit from the charrette it is important that attendees arrive with a solid understanding of the information provided in the pre-read. Therefore, it is recommended the document remain as concise as possible and is sent to attendees with sufficient time for them to review.

Download the Pre-Read Template

Charrette Presentation Template: This easily customizable slide deck template provides a framework and content to guide project teams through the charrette. The intended outcomes from the charrette are level setting stakeholders on the project’s status and plans, collecting feedback, and ideation.

Download the Presentation Template

Post-Charrette Report Template: Use this template to capture outputs from the charrette and distribute to project stakeholders. The report is intended to support the team in coming to consensus on goals, retrofit triggers, and the preliminary retrofit plan. Once finalized, it can be used as a basis for moving into the detailed analysis phase.

Download the Post-Read Template

Source: RMI

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Strategic Decarb 101

Strategic Decarbonization Planning Training Series

About the Series

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)

Take Course 1 On-Demand

Course 2

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.

Take Course 2 On-Demand

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.

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Engineering Solutions

High Rise | Low Carbon Multifamily

A global survey of 14 high-rise multifamily retrofit profiles that achieved deep energy reductions.

View Retrofit Profiles

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Strategic Decarb 101

Retrofit Playbook Event Series: New Decarbonization Tools from ASHRAE, USGBC, and The Retrofit Playbook

As climate-forward policies have gained momentum and high-performance building technologies have continued to advance, building owners are feeling increasing pressure to decarbonize while navigating a growing array of retrofit options and requirements. How can project teams chart a course through this evolving and overwhelming landscape to confidently plan and implement decarbonization retrofits?

The newly released Guide to Strategic Decarbonization Planning, produced by ASHRAE, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and supported by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), presents a comprehensive suite of best practices to operationalize deep decarbonization in buildings by following the strategic decarbonization planning (SDP) framework. SDP is a proven approach to decarbonization planning that integrates holistic technical solutions with pragmatic asset management strategies, enabling project teams to deliver cost-effective, flexible decarbonization projects.

Join ASHRAE, USGBC, and the Retrofit Playbook for Large Buildings team on September 23rd to learn more about the Guide to Strategic Decarbonization Planning and explore how it connects with the tools, case studies, and planning resources available on the RetrofitPlaybook.org. Whether you’re just getting started or refining a long-term roadmap, this session will help you learn how to apply the SDP framework and other practical resources to actualize low-carbon, future-ready building retrofits.

Opening Remarks

Sophie Cardona, Senior Project Manager, NYSERDA

Moderator

Molly Dee-Ramasamy, Director of Deep Carbon Reduction Group, JBB

Presenters

Laurie Kerr, Principal Climate Advisor, USGBC
Phil Keuhn, Principal, RMI

Panelists

Adam Hinge, Managing Director, Sustainable Energy Partnerships
Laurie Kerr, Principal Climate Advisor, USGBC
Phil Keuhn, Principal, RMI
Laura Humphrey, Senior Director of Energy & Sustainability, L+M Development Partners

Download Program Event Brief (PDF)

Source: Building Energy Exchange

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Strategic Decarb 101

The Role of Design Charrettes in Building Decarbonization Planning

As the world grapples with the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the built environment has become a critical focus area to deliver progress. Buildings are significant contributors to global carbon emissions, and transitioning to more sustainable, low-carbon operations is essential for meeting climate goals. Planning for that transition now, through a thoughtful and rational approach, is key to achieving success over time.

Design charrettes are an important tool project teams can use to support their decarbonization planning work. These collaborative design review workshops bring together diverse stakeholders to develop and refine strategies for reducing carbon emissions from buildings over time.

What is a Design Charrette?

A design charrette is an intensive, multi-disciplinary workshop aimed at finding and refining solutions to complex problems. The term originated in 19th century Paris and refers to the practice of design students working intensely on their projects until the last minute, when a cart or “charrette” would be wheeled around to collect their final designs. The term has evolved to describe collaborative sessions that bring together developers, designers, domain experts, community members, and an array of other stakeholders to reach mutually beneficial outcomes. In the context of building decarbonization, design charrettes facilitate the rapid development of actionable (and at times substantially more innovative) strategies to reduce emissions from buildings, with alignment among multiple interested parties.

Why Use Design Charrettes to Achieve Resource Efficient Decarbonization?

Collaborative Problem-Solving: Building decarbonization requires input from a wide range of experts, including architects, engineers, asset managers, environmental scientists, and community leaders. A design charrette brings these diverse voices together in a collaborative setting, ensuring that all perspectives are considered.
Intensive Focus: The concentrated nature of a charrette allows participants to delve deeply into the problem at hand. Over several hours (or days), stakeholders can explore various scenarios, analyze data, and develop detailed plans that might otherwise take months to create using traditional methods.
Iterative Process: Charrettes are designed to be iterative, with multiple rounds of feedback and refinement as needed. This approach ensures that the final outcomes are well-vetted and robust, with broad support from all stakeholders.
Creative Solutions: The collaborative and open nature of charrettes fosters creativity and challenges deeply held assumptions about how to approach a problem by the charrette participants. Participants are encouraged to think outside the box and develop innovative solutions that might not emerge in a more conventional planning process.
Achieving Resource Efficient Decarbonization (RED): Charrettes enable stakeholders to develop highly strategic plans to transition a building away from on-site fossil fuel over time in a way that does not diminish high-performance operations, contains operating and capital expenses, and maintains a complex urban systems perspective including considerations relating to infrastructure and natural resources.

The Design Charrette Process

Charrettes are conducted just after a decarbonization concept plan is created and initial decarbonization measures are framed. A successful charrette requires being prepared to discuss the existing conditions of the building in detail, various decarbonization measures and approaches considered, and an understanding of the social and market conditions influencing the building owner’s decision making. The charrette process includes:

Preparation: Successful charrettes require careful preparation. This includes identifying key stakeholders and inviting them to join, gathering relevant data, and setting clear objectives for the workshop.
Workshop Session: During the charrette, the project team presents their building existing conditions and decarbonization approaches and engage in brainstorming, design review, and business discussions with a team of technical experts and industry leaders.
Iteration and Feedback: Ideas generated during the sessions can be reviewed and refined through multiple rounds of feedback and additional charrettes as needed. This iterative process helps to improve and perfect the proposed solutions.
Implementation and Follow-Up: The final step is to translate the charrette outcomes into a formal strategic decarbonization plan and business case that leads to real-world actions. This may involve further planning, securing funding, and ongoing community engagement.

Design charrettes are a powerful tool for addressing complex decarbonization challenges, especially in the planning and early implementation phase. With collaboration, creativity, and iteration, charrettes enable the development of effective and sustainable strategies to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.

Want to review your decarbonization plan with our team of experts?

Request a design charrette.