SEMINAR 3: Construction Challenges in Home Electrification and Decarbonization
> Construction Challenges in Home Electrification and Decarbonization
Abstract
This seminar presents solutions for construction challenges for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting homes, including both new construction and retrofitting existing homes with a focus on home electrification. The discussion will include project design, customer and utility interactions, navigating rebate programs (with consideration for paperwork burdens), equipment selection, and more. Speakers will share insights from their experiences in successful projects that prioritize occupant satisfaction. Additionally, the seminar will explore challenges related to code compliance, utilities, supply chains, and workforce development and retention. A critical aspect will be consumer acceptance, with speakers offering guidance on maximizing the non-energy related benefits of an energy-efficient home, including innovative approaches to thermostat usage for high-performance heat pumps.
Speakers
Brendan Schreiber - Founder and President at Schreiber Brothers Development LLC
Brendan Schreiber is an expert in residential construction management and sustainable development, with nearly two decades of experience in the field. In 2015 he founded Schreiber Brothers Development, an affordable housing and community development company focused on achieving social and environmental justice in Baltimore City. Schreiber Brothers has committed to making all future residential projects zero-energy-ready to advance affordability, public health, and climate change mitigation goals. As a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Department of Energy from 2009 to 2011, he served as an energy analyst in Washington, D.C. and as the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) representative to China in the U.S. embassy in Beijing. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, and holds a Masters Degree in International Studies and International Economics from Johns Hopkins SAIS in Washington, DC.
Keith O'Hara - President at Eco Performance Builders
Keith is a dedicated home performance contractor in the San Francisco Bay Area, deeply committed to fixing homes. Licensed in General, HVAC, and Insulation contracting, he heads Eco Performance Builders, where he and his team of 23 professionals have completed over 1,500 home performance and electrification retrofit projects. Keith also extends his impact by co-organizing the Dry Climate Forum conference and sharing his knowledge on high-performance HVAC installations. His approach combines technical expertise with a genuine passion for creating sustainable living environments.
Naomi Beal - Executive director at PassivhauseMAINE
Naomi Beal is a founding member and current ED of passivhausMAINE. Focused on local workforce training, business incubation and scalable, robust retrofits as part of a just transition to a low carbon future. Located in Freeport, ME living in a 1760 Cape.