CDM Smith’s Post

On Tuesday RICS released the latest edition of their whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) standard. The first edition, released in 2017, was the methodology widely adopted by the construction industry to calculate whole life carbon. The latest edition builds on the success of the first and has been extended to cover all buildings and infrastructure projects. The updates include: an extended breakdown on life cycle stages, new categorisation for infrastructure projects, a data quality methodology and new reporting templates. Furthermore, it brings clarity to some of the areas in the 1st Edition such as MEP, decarbonisation, renewables and carbonation. https://lnkd.in/ez2j6DGH

Does your team work on energy performance projects for BC Housing? ✔ If so, check out this upcoming presentation on the energy, GHG & related resilience requirements from their Design Guidelines & Construction Standards. It's free! "This education session ➡ for Energy Modelling Professionals ⬅ will summarize key requirements in the BC Housing Design Guidelines & Construction Standards including Technical Bulletins 1-3. This session will also cover BC Housing's preferred energy modelling approach and will discuss issues and omissions common in energy model submissions. Time will be allowed for Q&A." https://lnkd.in/gwZyg26K

🔔 The Application Portal for Phase 3c Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) will open on: 🗓 Tuesday 7 November at 2pm Make sure you submit your application as quickly as possible (note that any applications that were submitted in October will be disregarded). You will be asked to upload the following mandatory files: Application Form Cost Evidence Energy Saving Calculations End of Life Heating System Evidence Project Programme Detailed Risk Register You can only upload one file for each of these six mandatory fields, and only if any previous files have been fully uploaded (as illustrated by a progression bar). Each file can be up to 100Mb. Up to three more supporting files (such as Schematics, Feasibility Studies, and Building Energy Figures) may be uploaded, but these are optional. Find out more ➡ https://lnkd.in/gdCdF5in

JGR Director Mario has recently returned from an exciting trip to Boston, where he was hugely impressed by all of the construction activity currently in progress. Massachusetts is at the forefront of a significant shift towards electrification, moving away from gas and oil. This transition opens up enormous opportunities for growth, particularly for multidisciplinary consultancies. Recently, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued a groundbreaking order that pushes the state's gas utilities towards electrification. This move aligns with Massachusetts' ambitious climate goals, aiming for net zero emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030. The order sets a new standard, requiring gas utilities to prioritize non-gas alternatives like efficiency, demand response, electrification, and networked geothermal systems. Networked geothermal, an innovative solution, offers a scalable, equitable pathway to decarbonize entire neighborhoods, ensuring all communities benefit from the transition to clean energy. This regulatory change not only discourages investments in new gas infrastructure but also opens the door to major infrastructure upgrades across the state. The potential for consultancies to engage in projects alongside utility providers, building owners, and end users is immense, making it an exciting time for the construction and energy sectors in Massachusetts. If you're looking to explore new opportunities or need top talent for your projects, get in touch with us at getus@jamesgrayrecruitment.com. For more details on this transformative shift, check out the full article below: Link in comments

Maybe it’s the civil engineer in me, but one of the areas I’m most interested in is physical infrastructure of small cities. Whether transportation systems, energy systems, climate resilience systems, or others, the specific constraints due to population size, density, and distribution make for interesting challenges. As with anywhere, there is always the question of cost - especially when thinking about public dollars. Small cities can be particularly vexing because they often fit into a “messy middle” - big enough to have complexity, but small enough to be sub-scale for a lot of systems to make financial sense. We made an investment in Marc Palmer and the team at Conductor Solar last October because of the way they are breaking down some of these barriers in the solar market - read below for more detail on why. https://lnkd.in/gCvzVCzV

The new Large-Scale Thermal Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will competitively award funding to colleges and universities, multi-family complexes, medical campuses and communities for projects that use heat pumps and low carbon thermal resources such as geothermal, wastewater, waste heat, surface water, and thermal energy storage to effectively integrate different clean heating and cooling systems and equipment into their buildings. Project sites may consist of a single large building or multiple co-located buildings (e.g., multiple buildings served by a shared thermal system and/or resource), either existing or new construction.

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $100 million for Phase One of the decarbonization of the Empire State Plaza in Albany as outlined in the Empire State Plaza Infrastructure Energy Master Plan.     Governor Hochul’s top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe. This historic investment will help ensure Sheridan Hollow, Arbor Hill, and all surrounding Albany communities are safer, healthier, and more livable by reducing emissions and moving us towards a low-carbon future faster.    Commissioner Jeanette Moy: “Decarbonizing the Empire State Plaza is a significant opportunity that will allow us to couple the modernization of energy systems at New York State capital’s landmark and address decades of long-overdue maintenance. OGS is proud to continue working with New York Power Authority on this transformative endeavor and the realization of the Empire State Plaza Energy Infrastructure Master Plan in the long-term.”   Released today, the Plaza’s Energy Master Plan outlines a phased approach to reduce the Plaza’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and modernize its aging infrastructure and utilities. The first two phases of the Plan will result in more than 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions.    🔗 More from Governor Hochul: https://lnkd.in/gwhHd-f4   🔗 View the plan: https://lnkd.in/g3yhjEga  

[ZEB2023] INTRODUCING AGENDA ❗ The "Zero Energy Buildings: Approach - Integration - Practice" webinar will begin in just a few hours. In order to facilitate the implementation of ZEB projects and overcome the initial difficulties for relevant stakeholders, the "Zero Energy Buildings: Approach - Integration - Practice" webinar is organised with the aim of providing sharing from international experts about construction and development experiences of zero energy buildings. It is also aimed to explore the roles and methods of integrated design solutions in zero energy building development. For further information on the time and topic of the presentation, please check the image.

Imagine a future where buildings actively contribute to a more efficient power grid. Right now, #buildings consume over half of Canada’s electricity. Concordia University and its partners are committing $2.8 million in cash and kind to transform energy management in buildings across Canada.  The research initiative will focus on three main areas: • Modelling #building #energy flexibility to predict and apply energy usage patterns. • Scaling predictive control strategies from individual buildings to larger clusters for more efficient energy distribution. • Implementing these strategies in real-world case studies to evaluate their effectiveness. #construction #engineering #engineers #hvac #utilities BOMA Canada Hydro Québec Regulvar Inc. CanmetENERGY in Varennes CanmetENERGY Devon CanmetENERGY Ottawa | CanmetÉNERGIE Ottawa Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science Andreas Athienitis HamidReza ZarrinKafsh Jean-Christophe Pelletier-De Koninck Gia-Khanh PHI Anthony Maturo Jiwu Rao Vahid Nourmohammadi Navid Morovat #construction Engineers Canada Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Ontario (ACEC-Ontario) Ontario Society of Professional Engineers #reit Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) Canadian Energy Executive Association Canadian Fuels Association - Association canadienne des carburants Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) Canadian Gas Association UBC Engineering Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary Faculty of Engineering - McMaster University

Congratulations to the 22 programs of study from 14 colleges and universities nationwide who were recognized with the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD). ZEDD recognizes college programs prepare students to design and construct high-efficiency, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables. Since the program began in 2022, 39 programs of study from 26 institutions have been recognized. Learn more about the designees: https://lnkd.in/gtSVfXd4