Amidst unprecedented innovations in distributed energy resources, electric vehicles, and battery storage, the buildings industry has become stagnant, and stuck in the realm of one-off net-zero energy buildings, when we should be designing net-zero, resilient communities, and utility resources. If we are to achieve environmentally resilient, socially equitable cities and communities, the building industry needs to be more proactive, disruptive, and truly integrated into the energy revolution in terms of managing loads and load shapes, shifting to electricity, connecting load to regional renewables, and working with utilities to develop rate structures that spur investment. In doing so, buildings become the conduit to capture vehicle energy, facilitate shared resources (EVs and AVs), and prioritize the integration of storage.
This session will be an interactive discussion of the partnerships and collaboration needed between the developers, architects, utilities, DER innovators, technology companies, and community leaders and an exploration of the opportunities and challenges to integrating all of these stakeholders during design and construction, highlighting the tools and information flow that is needed by each party. Participants will gain insight into the challenges and obstacles within the building industry and how to better leverage current innovations and new partnerships so that buildings can truly support a decarbonized society.
