Commercial Buildings Initiative hosts workshop at ASHRAE

CBI is an alliance of industry, academic, and government organizations, and aims to transform the commercial buildings sector into an industry that constructs zero-energy buildings for every type of use. Many industry leaders are scheduled to present at CBI’s free workshop.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff January 10, 2008

Founded as an alliance of several industry, academic, and government organizations, the Commercial Building Initiative (CBI) aims to transform the commercial buildings sector into an industry that builds zero-energy buildings for every type of use.

CBI is an alliance comprising ASHRAE, AIA, U.S. Green Building Council, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Alliance to Save Energy. CBI’s goals are echoed and supported by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which calls for net zero-energy of all commercial buildings by 2030.

Although the technology to construct net zero-energy commercial buildings exists, it is expensive and requires expertise and knowledge and few in the industry possess. As a beginning response, CBI will host a workshop at the ASHRAE 2008 Winter Meeting at the New York Hilton in New York, Jan. 22, 1-3 p.m. The workshop is a free public session open to all, no badge required. Scheduled to present are: Kent Peterson, president of ASHRAE, Steve Selkowitz, head of building technologies at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Dru Crawley, team leader of commercial buildings at the DOE; and Paul Ehrlich, president of CBI.

The workshop’s agenda includes:

  • An introduction to CBI, including interaction with the founding organizations and the people involved

  • How the recently enacted Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will impact buildings, building systems technologies, and energy efficiency

  • How attendees can participate in and

To construct net zero-energy buildings consistently will require a transformation for clients, architects, engineers, construction firms, financing institutions, facilities managers, and

  • Innovation—research and develop new technologies, market mechanisms, and policies

  • Demonstration—prove that technologies, market mechanisms, and policies work prior to widespread deployment

  • Deployment—design, develop, evaluate deployment programs for proven technologies, market mechanisms, and policies that are effective but underused.

CBI plans to work in financing, technology, design and construction, and operation to meet their goals.