Getting to Zero Illinois Summit
Save the date!
The 2023 Summit is October 12, 2023 at The Old Post Office!
On October 6, 2022, we hosted our inaugural half-day summit on net zero buildings. Participants learned about the drivers for net zero buildings in Illinois, best practices for successful projects, and discuss opportunities to scale net zero building demand and adoption.
The Summit welcomes policymakers, designers, building owners, systems manufacturers, and commercial real estate professionals to share best practices and collaborate on opportunities to scale zero energy and zero carbon projects in the region.
Thank you to all of the presenters who made the 2022 Summit a valuable experience for our attendees!
2022 Speakers & Agenda
Session 1 – What Does it Take to Get to Zero?
During this fast-paced session, panelists will share net zero policy and industry trends, define the pathways to achieve zero, and explore what you can expect when you’re expecting net zero on your next project!
- Katie Kaluzny, Associate Director, Illinois Green Alliance
- Gabriela Martin, Energy Program Director, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF)
- John Mlade, Director of Sustainable & Healthy Environments, Wight & Company
Session 2 – Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Operating a Zero Energy Building
Hear from the building owners, operators, and commissioning agents working to ensure their projects meet 12 months of net zero performance! Project team members from the Carroll Community Center (Oak Park), Techny Prairie Activity Center (Northbrook), and Adlai Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire) will be on hand to share lessons learned and best practices post-occupancy.
- Jason Jones, Sales Manager, Aero Building Solutions
- Chris Lindgren, Superintendent of Parks & Planning, Park District of Oak Park
- Jake Vest, Trades Manager, Northbrook Park District
- Tianyao Zhang, Energy Engineer, Slipstream (Moderator)
Session 3 – From Design to Reality: Project Team Lessons & Successes
How does a project get from design concept to zero energy performance? Presenters in this session have had the unique opportunity to work with some of the first building owners in Illinois making a commitment net zero energy on their projects. Join Tom and Zhongdi as they walk us through the modeling process and resulting design decisions for several net zero projects in the region.
- Tom Bassett-Dilley, Owner, TBDArchitects
- Zhongdi Chen, Energy Modeler, Wight & Company
Session 4 – Raising the Bar: Implementing the Living Building Challenge in Chicago
The new Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC) campus – an early-childhood and K-8 charter school planned for the southwest side of Chicago – aims to be a global exemplar of sustainability with a specific target of achieving full certification under the Living Building Challenge. Join project team members to explore the design and construction process, lessons learned to date, and opportunities for replicability in Chicago!
- Sachin Anand, Principal, dbHMS
- Doug Farr, President & Founding Principal, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
- Len Sciarra, Sustainable Design Leader, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
We're making Illinois a leader in net zero buildings.
Learn more about progress, projects, and certifications on our Getting to Zero webpage.
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