Call for Presentations

2023 Decarbonization Conference for the Built Environment (October 25 - 27, 2023 | Washington D.C., , USA)

The Decarbonization Conference for the Built Environment will be an information and idea exchange, between stakeholders in the built environment industry, concerning the timely and important topic of reducing carbon emissions from buildings.  The goal is to discuss the design, construction, ownership, and operation of facilities targeted for reduced or neutral impact on the environment with respect to carbon footprint.  A primary objective of the conference is to enhance the knowledge base in North America on decarbonization efforts.

The conference will focus on educating attendees on methods to decrease carbon emissions, both embodied and operational, in order to reduce the impact of buildings on the climate crises. The conference program will address current and future governmental policies and regulations for which engineers, architects, owners and operators need to be aware of to address environmentally-responsible building requirements.

Contact Info

Conference Chair: Wade Conlan
Email: WConlan@hanson-inc.com

Conference Vice-Chair: Chris Gray
Email: cgray@renucommunities.com

Staff Support
For information on the technical program, special events, special sessions and general conference inquiries:

Chris Preyor
Conference Programs Coordinator
Email: cpreyor@ashrae.org

Technical Support

For technical problems or for help in submitting an abstract online, email Tech Support

Learning Objectives and Q&A

ASHRAE submits its conference technical program for approval for NY PDHs, AIA Learning Units and GBCI LEED-AP continuing education credits. Among the requirements for approval are Learning Objectives and Questions and Answers for each of the sessions.

Seminar submissions require 4 Learning Objectives and 10 Questions and Answers. These cover the entire seminar.

Individual Presentation submissions require 2 Learning Objectives and 4 Question and Answers upon upload of the proposal.

Q&A sets should be in multiple choice or true-false format. These questions will be used for quizzing in the Virtual Conference to provide virtual attendance certificates to Virtual Conference users.

Following are examples of each:

Learning Objectives: The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to..." Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers and should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:

  1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
  2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
  3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
  4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid

Method of Assessment (Q&A): Please include questions with answers based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the Seminar.

Example:

  1. Is 55F the desired coil leaving air temperature in Florida?
    1. Yes
    2. No
  1. True or false: You should use a humidifier in a Florida Lab.
    1. True
    2. False

Submission Process: Individual Presentations

Please follow these steps:

To begin, please choose the program type that you would like to submit a program proposal to: Individual Presentations (10-15 minutes in length).

Before beginning your submission, it may be a good idea to gather all the information that you will be required to submit.

There are five steps to the submission process:

  1. Presentation Title & Description: Enter the title of the presentation. Also please provide a 300 word (max) abstract.
  2. People: Provide your name and contact information as the presenter. Enter presenters by choosing the "Presenter" checkbox.
  3. Objectives: Please include 4 Learning Objectives for the entire session (not required for Forums). The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to..." All 4 Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers. The Learning Objectives should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:
    1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
    2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
    3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
    4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid
  1. Method of Assessment: Please include 4 questions and answers (in T/F, Yes/No, or multiple choice format only) for the entire session based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the speakers' presentations.
  2. Confirmation: When your submission is complete, click the "Conclude Submission" button. Note that you will still be able to make changes to your abstract up until the submission deadline.

Submission Process: Seminars and Panels

Please follow these steps:

To begin, please choose the program type that you would like to submit a program proposal to: Seminar (1-2 presentations - 60 minutes in length; 3-5 presentations - 90 minutes in length) or Panel (1 moderator; 3-4 panelists; 60-90 minutes in length).

Before beginning your submission, it may be a good idea to gather all the information that you will be required to submit.

There are six steps to the submission process:

  1. Session Description: Enter the title of the session. Also please provide a 100 word abstract.
  2. Additional Background and/or Scheduling Request for this session: Please provide any additional information that will be useful in describing the session that is being proposed. If you have any scheduling requests please state them here.
  3. People: Provide your name and contact information as the session organizer. Enter presenters by choosing the "Presenter" checkbox. You will need to enter the presentation title as well. Once a presenter has been entered, you will see the presentation title and presenter's name listed on the "People" step. Click on the icon in the Abstract text column to enter the abstract. Click on the author's name to add co-presenters and speaker bios.
  4. Objectives: Please include 4 Learning Objectives for the entire session (not required for Panels). The Learning Objectives should complete the statement, "After attending this session, the attendees will be able to..." All 4 Learning Objectives need to be addressed by the speakers. The Learning Objectives should use measurable verbs such as "Explain," "Describe," "Distinguish," "Design," "Apply," etc., such as the example below:
    1. Define Smart Grid functions, objectives and architecture
    2. Describe how the Smart Grid affects building operations
    3. Provide an overview of Smart Grid projects in North America
    4. Describe the federal policies and regulations promoting the Smart Grid
  1. Method of Assessment: Please include 10 questions and answers (in T/F, Yes/No, or multiple choice format only) for the entire session based on the Learning Objectives and what will be covered within the speakers' presentations (not required for Forums).
  2. Confirmation: When your submission is complete, click the "Conclude Submission" button. Note that you will still be able to make changes to your abstract up until the submission deadline.