Choosing your Building Upgrade Zone: Structural Equity Considerations
This webinar introduces the concept of energy equity and gives an overview of how disinvestment in communities has contributed to the problem of inefficient, unhealthy, and expensive-to-operate residential and commercial building stock. Our speakers offer guiding strategies for choosing a building upgrade zone by prioritizing procedural equity, lived experience considerations, and data availability to decide which buildings or segments of communities to focus on when planning for upgrades. Attendees are introduced to several data tools that can help in choosing residential and commercial buildings to include in a building upgrade zone.
Speakers:
Diana Morales, Research Analyst, ACEEE
Diana conducts research related to energy efficiency and clean energy policy led by local governments in cities and metropolitan regions in the US. She also contributes to the City Scorecard. Diana joined ACEEE in 2021. Before joining ACEEE, Diana worked at the US Green Building Council. Diana holds a master of sustainability with a focus on urban and energy systems from Chatham University and a bachelor of arts in psychology and anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Diana has conducted extensive research on the intersections between the built environment, renewable energy, and inclusive sustainable urban development.
Michael Reiner, Policy Analyst, DOE Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
Michael leads efforts to develop an energy poverty research framework and supports the agency's implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. Michael was previously a fellow in DOE's Building Technologies Office supporting the Building Energy Codes Program and its work on building energy resilience. Michael holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University.