Virtual Program: ASHRAE Tech Hour
This virtual program will be playing the recording of a tech hour (recorded on March 12, 2024) and is eligible for 1 PDH.
Date: February 28, 2025
Topic: Tech Hour #8: The Fraternal Twins of Decarbonization and Climate Resilience
Details:
Tech Hour: The Fraternal Twins of Decarbonization and Climate Resilience
Born from the same awareness of climate change, building decarbonization and climate-related resilience are often framed within organizations and our own thought processes as two independent exercises – one as risk management, the other as environmental social responsibility. This session explores both the potential synergies and the maladaptive risks associated with balancing the equally important (but occasionally competing) needs of carbon mitigation and climate adaptation during a building design or retrofit process.
Erin McConahey, PE, FASHRAE, has 27 years experience as an HVAC design engineer and sustainability consultant.
She is currently leading the Net Zero Carbon Buildings team at Arup, fulfilling their global commitment to collect Whole Life Carbon Assessment data each year. She is a Professional Engineer in California and Colorado, a - LEED accredited professional BD+C, and ASHRAE accredited High Performance Building Design Professional, an ASHRAE Fellow, and an Arup Fellow (one of 50 recognized for technical excellence within the 17,000+ person firm).
Erin’s specialties include: mechanical engineering sustainability consulting with current focus on building decarbonization expertise in low-energy comfort-cooling designs: natural ventilation, radiant cooling expertise in museum design expertise in multidisciplinary design and delivery processes including collaborative group process and use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) Diversity and Inclusion within engineering
Erin’s recent work includes: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi with Frank O. Gehry and Associates Broad Museum with Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Gensler S. Embassy Beirut, Lebanon with Morphosis Kolon Future Research Center, Seoul South Korea with Morphosis University of Southern California Stevens Hall with SmithGroup JJR California Science Center Samuel Oschin Pavilion and future Space Center with ZGF Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with DLR Google Spruce Goose with ZGF Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine with Yazdani Studio at Cannon Design Google Charleston East with BIG, Heatherwick, AAI, and HLW
Erin has formerly served as: Trustee Board member of Arup's Trustee Companies: Ove Arup Partnership Trustee Ltd., Ove Arup -Partnership Trust Corporation Ltd. and Arup Australia Holding Ltd. (2012-2017) Arup Americas Region Diversity and Inclusion Advocate (2012-2017) Member of Arup Americas People Executive: advising on Human Resources policy (2008-2012) Leader of Arup Americas Graduate Induction program (2008 - 2018) Faculty of Arup Americas Design School program (2001-2018) Project Director for the Arup Global Revit Standards project to create a common firmwide data taxonomy and template that can be used as the core content in 5 regions and 30 countries. (2018-2019) S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Operations Industry Advisory Group (2016-2018) S. General Services Administration National Registry of Peer Reviewers (2008-2010) Certified Diversity Professional (2013-2019) Faculty member: Shaping Sustainable Futures (Arup masters level course) with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (2020-2023)