Understanding and Reducing Energy Use Intensity (EUI) for Sustainable Building Design (1 LU)

Course Description:

A building's energy use refers to the energy required to operate and sustain the project once it's occupied. The metric commonly used to measure this is Energy Use Intensity (EUI). By calculating the energy a building consumes annually, architects can better predict the project's utility costs, which are directly linked to the building's energy consumption. This session will explain how architects can use comprehensive energy reports to understand how EUI can reduce the carbon footprint of their projects, while also teaching best practices for communicating their findings to clients.

Course Level: Intermediate

Prerequisite Knowledge: Participants should have a foundational knowledge of building design principles and architecture, including familiarity with the architectural design process and building systems. Additionally, they must have basic knowledge of building performance modeling and simulation tools used to predict energy consumption and performance of buildings.


Learning Objectives:

1. Define Key Energy Terminologies: Participants will gain a clear understanding of essential energy-related terms used in the AEC industry, including Energy Use Intensity (EUI), site energy, source energy, primary energy, and secondary energy.
   
   
2. Interpret EUI Calculations: Participants will learn how to interpret the results of energy models used to calculate the EUI of a building. They will explore the Heat Balance Equation Method and the use of industry-standard tools, gaining insights into how automation simplifies energy modeling with basic inputs and prepopulated baseline models.
   
   
3. Identify Design Strategies: Participants will identify various design and operational strategies to reduce the EUI of buildings. They will explore architectural design principles, engineering solutions, and best practices in building operations and maintenance to achieve and maintain lower EUI.
   
   
4. Analyze Case Studies: Participants will review real-world case studies to understand the practical application of energy reduction strategies and their impact on energy efficiency and utility costs. They will gain insights into successful projects, the design decisions involved, and lessons learned, providing practical takeaways for their own projects.

About the Presenter

Esteban Oropeza is an experienced Building Sustainability and Energy Modeling Consultant with a B.S. in Engineering Physics. With expertise in EnergyPlus based software, he specializes in the creation of holistic energy models to deliver data-driven solutions, assess design decisions and compliance reporting, scoping a diversity of  international codes standards such as IECC, ASHRAE and CIBSE. Having extensive experience with green building certifications such as LEED and WELL, his contributions to projects also highlight health, wellness, and environmental stewardship.

Esteban has collaborated with design teams across LATAM, USA, and the UK, bringing a global perspective to his work, promoting energy efficiency, sustainable practices, and leveraging his technical skills to address complex challenges in the built environment.