Free Webinar: Demystifying Zero

Sam Rashkin of the DOE's Building Technologies Office gives guidance on how to join the zero movement.

There is no ‘Planet B’ for the 9 billion human inhabitants on earth expected just around the corner in 2050. And there is no path to a sustainable future for these inhabitants that does not involve buildings.

Consider that buildings in the U.S. account for over 40 percent of carbon emissions and 75 percent of electricity consumption while we are already on the precipice or exceeding planetary boundary conditions for critical environmental factors. And when Sam says critical,  he means factors that will determine the ultimate survivability of life moving forward. That is why a ‘Zero Energy Buildings Imperative’ is our new reality. But there are so many options for buildings stakeholders to join the zero movement. It’s time to demystify all of these choices and provide clear guidance that helps the substantially diverse stakeholders identify their best path forward and take immediate actions. An ancient sales axiom that provides words to truly live by is, a confused buyer, never closes. There’s too much riding on a viable future to risk confused buildings stakeholders.

About our presenter: Sam Rashkin is the author of the book titled “Retooling the U.S. Housing Industry: How It Got Here, Why It’s Broken, and How to Fix It” that presents a comprehensive strategy for transforming the new homebuyer consumer experience. Sam brings the lessons from this book to housing executives across the country with workshops and collaborative meetings that help them accelerate innovation. Apart from this work, Sam has earned a national reputation for his work leading housing programs that have partnered with thousands of home builders and resulted in over one million certified high-performance homes. Mr. Rashkin was recently recognized for his contributions to sustainable housing with the 2012 Hanley Award.

He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University; and is a registered architect in California and New York. During his 20-plus years as a licensed architect, he specialized in energy efficient design and completed over 100 residential projects. He has served on the national Steering Committees for USGBC’s LEED for Homes, NAHB’s Green Builder Guidelines, and EPA’s Water Sense label, and on the development team for EPA’s Indoor airPLUS label. Sam has also prepared hundreds of articles, technical papers, reports, and seminars; and contributed to other books on energy efficient and green construction.

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