Stephen Selkowitz has 40 years of experience in the field of building energy performance, with an emphasis on research, development, and deployment of energy efficient technologies and design practices. He is currently Senior Advisor for Building Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and Leader of the Windows and Envelope Materials Group. His responsibilities include technical oversight of Windows, Daylighting, and Envelope Systems R&D, and building systems R&D and strategic planning related to field performance of integrated building systems, and Net Zero Energy buildings. Projects range from near-term demonstrations of emerging technology to basic materials research intended to influence the next generation of building products, and include development of the new computer tools needed to change the practice of building design and operations. Selkowitz led the team to develop FLEXLAB, a unique outdoor testbed at LBNL to directly measure energy use and occupant comfort of integrated advanced building systems. Selkowitz participates in a wide range of building industry, government, and professional activities in the U.S. and internationally, and author of over 170 publications and holds 2 patents.
Presentation Title
Net Zero Energy Solutions in Buildings: Capturing and Utilizing Ambient Energy for Building Services
Abstract
Buildings consume 30-50% of societal energy use and as much as 75% of the power produced by the electric grid. Ultimately renewable energy supplies will have to offset and then replace what is now largely a fossil fuel dependent infrastructure. The first and largest opportunity is to optimize building design, construction and operations so that building energy requirements are dramatically reduced and those remaining requirements can largely be met with ambient sources at the building/site interface. This includes extensive use of daylight to offset electric lighting, active management of cooling loads at the building skin and capture and use of solar energy in heating climates, and strategic management of ventilation loads and moisture management. Building integrated PV has the potential for offsetting many local electric needs. Globally, the degree to which each strategy has impact will depend on climate and densification at urban sites. But independent of those constraints, innovative use of materials that mimic natural processes, use of a wide range of newactive, responsive materials and smart systems that are linked via sensors and intelligent networks all promise to make the delivery of improved building services possible with ever lower energy and carbon impacts.