Households and construction professionals often think very differently about the many benefits of energy retrofits. For example, while households tend to prioritize benefits like improved indoor comfort and reduced energy bills, the construction industry emphasizes technical aspects and cost considerations. Taking steps to align the interests of both groups can help drive more energy retrofits in the United States and better outcomes for all involved.
Join us for a webinar sharing insights from a new, large-scale survey analysis that identifies substantial differences in how households and construction professionals view energy upgrades. We’ll be joined by three experts to discuss these attitudes and motivations as well as opportunities to use the findings to maximize the benefits of retrofitting U.S. homes and buildings.
Speakers
Nuria Casquero-Modrego, PhD, Energy Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Núria focuses on the intersection of the built environment, indoor environmental quality, and occupant health. Her research aims to enhance both the energy performance and non-energy impacts of residential buildings, particularly through retrofits that prioritize health outcomes. She contributes to national and international initiatives, including UNEP, the IEA EBC programme, ASHRAE and ISIAQ. Previously, she worked on the SinBerBEST Project at UC Berkeley, led UC Berkeley’s 3rd-place team in the 2017 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon, and served on the UPC faculty. She also co-founded TC ESTUDI Arquitectura in Barcelona, specializing in energy retrofitting, and affordable housing.
Iain Walker, Leader of Residential Building Systems Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Iain is a leader and developer on standards and technical committees for ASHRAE, ASTM, RESNET, IEC, the IEA and other national and international organizations. He has also authored over fifty journal articles, eighty conference papers and seventy research reports.
Moderator: Therese Peffer, Associate Director of California Institute for Energy & Environment, UC Berkeley
Therese manages and conducts research in smart building technologies, building-to-grid, demand response, and smart grid research projects with the objective of creating comfortable, energy-efficient livable spaces. She serves as an associate director for CIEE and for the CITRIS Climate initiative and is a co-chair of the Behavior, Energy & Climate Change conference. She is currently managing the Energy Commission-funded EcoBlock and large commercial decarbonization projects, and supporting Frontier Energy in an SDG&E-funded project to train contractors to bid, install, and maintain high-quality HVAC system in homes. Previous research includes energy consumption displays, thermostats, consumer behavior, and user interface usability research.