Each year, Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex) looks forward to New York Climate Week, valuing the opportunity to strengthen community ties and spark discussions about the vital shift toward healthier, more energy-efficient buildings in the city and beyond.
This year’s Climate Week was especially impactful, as we hosted a unique lineup of programming—from early morning panel discussions on thermal energy networks and international lessons learned to evening networking gatherings centered on the relationship between buildings and the grid. Over the course of the week, we welcomed over 350 guests, some familiar faces and visitors from as far as Sweden and Lithuania. Attendees represented a diverse range of fields spanning architecture, engineering, finance, academia, and public service.
To kick off the week, BE-Ex continued our close partnership with the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) by hosting Sharing Heat: Industrial Energy Partnerships from Sweden And New York. Building on findings from our most recent delegation to Stockholm, the event brought together experts from home and abroad to explore how industrial energy partnerships and innovative business models can transform waste heat into a valuable clean energy resource and make thermal energy networks (TENs) financially viable investments.
That evening, we continued conversations at our Industry Leadership Council (ILC) Climate Week Networking Evening. This year’s theme, “Buildings as Grid Assets,” brought together industry leaders fromCon Edison, Bright Power, Environ Energy, Ecosystem, and DaisyChain Energy to explored how buildings can become flexible and active participants in our electricity grid in the face of increased demand. After the program, the atmosphere became even livelier as attendees chatted with colleagues and connected with new peers over drinks and light bites!
On Thursday, we partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council to further examine the relationship between buildings and the grid through Clipping the Wing of the Falcon Curve. As energy demand shifts throughout the year, seasonal peaks can place significant strain on the grid and underscore the importance of building efficiency and demand management. Our moderated panel of regulatory and industry experts explored strategies, including load shifting, peak load reduction, improved building envelopes, and geothermal, that can help buildings reduce peak demand and support a more resilient grid.
We wrapped up Climate Week with our Women in Sustainability & Energy (WISE) series and Women in Waste: Turning Trash into Opportunity event, which brought together inspiring women from across the sustainability industry for a conversation on how they are utilizing overlooked resources and finding value in trash in various forms, from food waste and wastewater to demolition scraps.
The speakers shared examples of their impactful work and discussed the importance of reframing what we traditionally consider “waste” as assets, and embracing collaborative action over chasing perfection when it comes to advancing a more circular economy. At the end of the night, attendees and speakers alike shared that the discussion energized them after an action-packed week!
As the dust settles after yet another busy Climate Week season, the team here at BE-Ex extends our gratitude to all our partners, attendees, and sponsors who chose to spend their valuable time with us. We continue to be invigorated by our community’s energy and enthusiasm, and hope to see you all again at the Exchange soon!
Missed any of our events? Check out the full photo albums by clicking on any of the events above!
Written by Stephanie Le, Senior Associate, Education & Engagement