The strategies for successfully delivering the goal of net-zero retrofit projects that meet deadlines and stay within budget require steely leadership and detailed oversight, including:

•    Project planning with clear outcomes - designing retrofit projects with actionable goals that meet net-zero targets, including contingency planning and a thorough risk assessment to identify and mitigate risks that could derail your retrofit project
•    Cost management and budgeting - techniques for developing accurate project budgets, controlling costs, and avoiding overruns during project execution, including supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes, and unexpected technical challenges.
•    Maintaining project timelines - managing project timelines, avoiding delays, and ensuring that all project phases are completed on schedule
•    Real-world case studies - learn from case studies of successful net-zero retrofit projects that were delivered on time and budget, highlighting best practices and lessons learned
 

•    Identifying and leveraging available incentives - identifying and applying for the range of financial incentives available for retrofitting, including grants, rebates, and low-interest loans
•    Optimizing financial resources - strategies for combining and layering financial tools to win upfront costs, improve financial performance during retrofit projects, and ensure overall financial viability
•    Navigating complex grant, loan, eligibility and application processes - navigating the requirements for securing public and private funding and understanding each program’s priorities and meeting them
•    Overview of IRA funding opportunities – uncovering various funding streams provided by the IRA and how they can fit retrofit projects
 

Retrofitting projects offer opportunities to enhance energy justice by providing health, safety, social and economic benefits to underserved communities. In this session, you will learn about:

•    Integrating energy justice frameworks and equity principles into retrofitting project planning to emphasize equitable outcomes.
•    Maximizing the economic benefits by creating local job opportunities, lowering energy costs, and improving living conditions in historically marginalized communities to reduce energy poverty.
•    Coordinating community inclusion in decision-making by engaging local communities in retrofitting project planning.
•    Measuring social impact: techniques for measuring and reporting on the social goals.
 

•    Cross-functional technical collaboration - learn approaches that build effective, cross-functional teams that work together seamlessly and foster long-lasting partnerships for future collaboration
•    Building trust - learn strategies to bolster trust among stakeholders, ensuring that all parties are aligned, responsive, and working toward the same objectives at the same time
•    Effective communication - ensuring regular, transparent communication to strengthen relationships, resolve issues and conflicts, and align different interests toward common goals
•    Data transparency - learn how sharing verified data with stakeholders, including government agencies and investors, can generate trust and confidence in cross-functional teams
 

Compliance in retrofitting is perpetually evolving, requiring careful attention to changes to local, state and federal – and international – codes, standards and mandates. This panel of regulatory experts will discuss the regulatory landscape for retrofitting projects, detail the key changes to codes and standards that govern compliance, and share how the retrofit community can shape future policy decisions.

•    Understanding compliance standards - review of the major standards that retrofitting projects must meet, including energy efficiency, emissions reductions, safety regulations, and social benefits
•    Who sets standards - discussion on the key governmental and non-governmental organizations, including their priorities (and political pressures), that develop and enforce compliance standards in the retrofitting industry, including international energy sustainability mandates
•    Future outlook on technical standards – understand how emerging technologies and design trends are impacting future compliance requirements
•    Influencing policymakers - discover ways the retrofit community can engage with policymakers to advocate for more practical, supportive regulations 
 

•    Risk assessment strategies - identifying and assessing potential risks, including environmental hazards and building resilience, to develop comprehensive mitigation plans
•    Stakeholder collaboration – aligning with insurers, contractors, and regulatory bodies early in the process to streamline expectations, reduce risks, and ensure that all contingencies are accounted for in project planning and execution
•    Avoiding long-term liabilities - strategies for reducing long-term liabilities
•    Insurance cost projections - how retrofit projects can positively impact insurance rates, including upgraded material choices and exceeding building codes and safety features
 

Participants can join the round table of their choice. Each roundtable leader will spend the first 15 minutes on a case study, lessons learned, or industry update. This will be followed by a 45-minute open discussion with all participants, moderated by the leader. The final 15 minutes will be used to identify 3-5 industry recommendations resulting from the group discussion. Key recommendations will be shared with the entire audience, and all roundtable recommendations will be included in the post-event report.

Data sharing is the foundation of continuous improvement in retrofitting and is the engine that drives future building performance and regulatory evolution. Everyone benefits. 

•    Understand why precise measurement and reporting are essential for tracking the success of retrofitting projects and influencing compliance improvements
•    Learn best practices for collecting and managing data related to energy usage, emissions reductions, and financial performance to benefit your projects
•    Using accurate, transparent data to verify outcomes through independent audits and third-party evaluations that will inform future projects
•    Discover how digital tools and technologies, such as smart meters and energy monitoring systems, can improve data collection and reporting efforts
 

•    Building a local talent pipeline - working with local schools and training providers, regional educational institutions and colleges, and accredited technical training centers to sustain a pipeline of skilled workers in the retrofitting sector
•    Upskilling existing workers and providing reskilling opportunities to meet the technical principles of net-zero retrofit projects
•    Workforce sustainability via long-term employment models, including apprenticeships, that create attractive career pathways for local workers
•    Workforce diversity and inclusivity strategies that ensure equitable access to training and employment opportunities and labour stability
 

Property managers who worked onsite before, during and after retrofitting projects share their hands-on experiences and real-time problem-solving strategies for successful project execution.

•    On-site coordination - common challenges faced during retrofitting projects, from tenant concerns and coordination to minimizing disruptions and unforeseen construction issues
•    Partnering with contractors - insights into effective communication and collaboration with contractors that ensure and can accelerate the timeliness of project completion
•    On-the-spot problem-solving – benefitting from practical know-how to handle on-site problems and keep projects on track from on-site expertise
•    Practical functionality: how to integrate property managers’ long-term onsite experience into planning and construction to ensure, even elevate, building performance post-project completion
•    Adding advice from local emergency services in the planning process
 

Climate change, natural disasters, and the growing challenges associated with urbanization and population density are unprecedented threats that structures must endure. Discover from these complementary perspectives how collaborative approaches can address the ever-increasing need for sustainable buildings capable of withstanding unforeseen stressors. 

•    Understanding resilience as a critical concept in modern architecture, engineering, and design
•    Collaborative approaches to creating structures that can withstand natural disasters and climate challenges for retrofit projects
•    Integrating sustainability and resilience in design choices, materials, and construction methods within budget
•    Case studies showcasing successful resilient retrofit design projects from around the world
•    Future trends in resilient design, including adaptive technologies and innovative engineering solutions.
 

Participants can join the round table of their choice. Each roundtable leader will spend the first 15 minutes on a case study, lessons learned, or industry update. This will be followed by a 45-minute open discussion with all participants, moderated by the leader. The final 15 minutes will be used to identify 3-5 industry recommendations resulting from the group discussion. Key recommendations will be shared with the entire audience, and all roundtable recommendations will be included in the post-event report. 

Best practices and strategies for managing retrofitting projects across multi-property portfolios, whether residential, commercial or institutional, have much in common when focusing on efficiency, cost control, and stakeholder coordination; they also have unique challenges with valuable lessons for all retrofit projects, large or small.

•    Effective portfolio planning - creating a comprehensive plan that accounts for varied property needs that maximize energy efficiency and sustainability
•    Standardizing across multiple properties - optimizing standardized processes and technologies across a diverse portfolio to ensure consistency in project execution
•    Stakeholder coordination - Techniques for aligning property managers, tenants, contractors, and other stakeholders to streamline communication and decision-making.
•    Risk management and contingency planning: How to identify potential risks across large portfolios and develop contingency plans to address delays, cost overruns, and other challenges