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How to Minimize Upfront Carbon and Make a Real Difference
October 12, 2022 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Our need for holistic climate action is more urgent than ever. In the built environment we must maximize energy efficiency while also minimizing upfront carbon. In other words, when we increase the efficiency of a building we need to do it with low upfront carbon (or net carbon storing) materials. We no longer have time for carbon payback periods. Luckily there are now effective tools to accurately estimate upfront embodied carbon. This presentation will cover two of the new tools available: EC3 and BEAM. Since our focus will mostly be on residential and small multifamily scale we will mostly focus on the BEAM tool.We will also dive into the incredibly cool side effects of low carbon construction. These can include optimized health, comfort, durability, efficiency, and social justice. We will provide some case studies along with examples of materials we’ve used to help meet these aggressive yet necessary goals.