Past CBE Events

Please visit the individual pages below to view videos and slide decks from these events.

Strategies for Energy Reductions and Grid Reliability in Multi-Family Housing and Communities

October 31, 2024

This session explored cutting-edge approaches to improving energy efficiency and grid reliability as well as other sustainability measures under development by UC Berkeley researchers. Our panel of experts presented case studies illustrating strategies for retrofitting urban environments with resource-efficient technologies, leveraging residential demand flexibility, and new prototypes that enable affordable mixed-use buildings to meet ambitious energy goals.

Radiant system installation at the Exploratorium in San Francisco

Radiant Cooling and Heating Systems for Large Commercial Buildings

October 29, 2024

CBE’s Paul Raftery and former CBE researcher Fred Bauman will lead this two-part course that is provided to assist architects and HVAC design engineers in understanding radiant systems with a focus on cooling thermally massive slab systems. The instructors will present the latest research results, and findings on these types of building designs.

CBE Industry Advisory Board, Fall 2024, October 24-25

Fall 2024 Industry Advisory Board Meeting

October 24, 2024

CBE’s Fall 2024 Industry Advisory Board Meeting will be a hybrid event for in-person and online participation on October 24-25, 2024. We will research updates and findings, seek feedback on future research and connect with our community of peers who share the goal of improving the indoor environment and energy performance of buildings. This event is open to current members and invited special guests. All current CBE consortium members receive registration information by email. See more information >

Full and Partial Electrification Strategies for Commercial Building Retrofits, New Construction and Central Plants

Full and Partial Electrification Strategies for Commercial Building Retrofits, New Construction and Central Plants

May 29, 2024

Building electrification through the use of heat pumps is gaining traction as an effective means to reducing emissions from building operations. However, barriers remain to 100% adoption of this technology, especially in existing buildings where cost, space or other constraints exist, requiring creative approaches to maximize emission reductions per dollar spent. In this webinar, experts from both professional practice and research demonstrated how they are creating deep emission reductions through right-sizing heat pumps, better HVAC design, integration of thermal storage and hybrid solutions. They covered diverse project types including existing buildings, new construction and district plants.

Ceiling Fans in Commercial Buildings: Energy Benefits and Innovative Methods for Integration with Conventional and Radiant HVAC Systems

December 12, 2023

Researchers and faculty at UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment are pursuing wide-ranging research in collaboration with leaders from industry and academia to study technologies and design approaches for decarbonizing buildings while improving indoor environments. This course will feature insights and research findings that hold valuable lessons for commercial building stakeholders, with a focus on benefits and strategies for integrating ceiling fans with HVAC systems, while also sharing newly completed design resources.

Decarbonization and Resiliency in Affordable Multi-Family Housing: Emerging Practices, Research and Case Studies

September 28, 2023

This Greenbuild 2023 session featured leaders from industry and academia who are deeply engaged in the design, construction and/or study of low-carbon affordable housing. They presented emerging design strategies, insights from recent research and case studies, with completed projects and work ‘on-the-boards’ that represent the leading edge in this rapidly evolving area, including projects targeting LEED-Platinum certification and/or net-zero energy performance.

LCA session banner

Using Life-Cycle Assessment and Associated Tools to Reduce Embodied and Operational Carbon Impacts

September 14, 2023

Numerous tools and resources have been created for decarbonizing buildings, including life-cycle assessment (LCA). However, these have varying built-in assumptions, and combined with a lack of reliable information are leading to calls for more guidance. This session featured building decarbonization experts from practice and academia who provide an overview of LCA methods and other tools, and explain best practices, various use cases and examples.

CBE Research Featured in ASHRAE Tampa Conference, June 25th

June 25, 2023

Dr. Carlos Duarte led a seminar, Overview of High Thermal Mass Radiant Systems as part of a seminar on’ Thermally Active Buildings: A Resilient Future.’ He also hosted a poster presentation on the Field Demonstration of the Brick Ontology to Scale up the Deployment of ASHRAE Guideline 36 Control Sequences. Dr. Aki Nomoto presented on a Field Study of Thermal Infrared Sensing for Office Temperature Control, research completed in collaboration with CBE partner Daikin and LBNL.

Modular/Industrial construction symposium May 16, 2023

Symposium on Modular and Industrial Construction Methods for Low-Carbon Buildings

May 16, 2023

Modular and industrial construction methods offer many advantages compared to traditional construction, and are being rapidly adopted and driving innovation, including ways to rapidly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. This symposium includes expert industry practitioners who are involved in developing and implementing industrialized buildings, and researchers who are leading advanced studies to better understand the potential of these innovations for decarbonizing the built environment.

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