Can the GSA Go Zero Energy? Part 3 of a Conversation with AutoDesk's John Kennedy

This is part three of my interview with Autodesk's John Kennedy.

Q. Are you just talking about designing new efficient buildings or can older buildings be effectively retrofitted?

A. The GSA has multiple mandates outlined in President Obama’s Executive Order 13423 that require them to increase energy efficiency for ALL buildings, for new designs and their existing building stock. 

Older buildings can and must be retrofitted as 40% of the US carbon emissions are attributed to buildings – existing buildings. For example, research shows that over 50% of commercial buildings built prior to 1980, when energy codes largely did not exist have not had any energy related renovation.

For all commercial buildings, over 70% have not had an HVAC or lighting upgrade, or had their windows replaced and nearly 90% have not had an insulation upgrade. So, we won’t have any significant impact on reducing that without large scale retrofit programs for the existing building market.

Q. What does Autodesk do to increase building energy efficiency?

A. Along with tracking our own carbon footprint and taking actions to reduce it, we are enabling sustainable design features in our applications to assist our users in learning how to design and renovate buildings that are much more energy efficient than traditional buildings.

Our goal is to make it much easier to design or renovate a very energy efficient building using our BIM and sustainable design tools, than it is to design or renovate a standard building using conventional tools.

Q. How is Autodesk helping the GSA reach their zero footprint goal?

A.  The GSA has recently awarded US$4 billion in recovery act funds to renovate a substantial portion of their existing portfolio of over 8,700 buildings into higher performing green buildings. 

Autodesk is helping GSA meet their zero footprint goals by providing state of the art design and analysis solutions to the GSA and the architects, engineers and contractors in the private sector that contract with the GSA. 

The GSA has mandated that the design and construction of these projects deploy the use of Building Information Modeling.  The use of 3D design software and BIM allows these project teams to simulate the design, construction and energy performance of this buildings “virtually” prior to breaking any ground on the job sites.

You can read the first two segments of my interview with John Kennedy here:

• Can the GSA Go Zero Energy? Part 1 of a Conversation with AutoDesk's John Kennedy

• Can the GSA Go Zero Energy? Part 2 of a Conversation with AutoDesk's John Kennedy

Learn more about Energy Efficiency on eBoom's Emerging Energy Learning Page.