BC Energy Step Code Newsletter
January 16, 2024
We’re in the News
January 31, 2024
Productive Disruption – Virtual Decarbonization Planning
Past Event: Jan 26, 2024 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Resources
Overview
To ensure we are effectively decarbonizing the building sector, we need energy and GHG performance data. We also need to ensure that the building sector (especially non-profit housing providers), can utilize this data in a cost and time-effective manner to develop practical and effective decarbonization plans.
In our January Decarb Lunch webinar, hear about the systems that one local technology company (OPEN Technologies) has developed to address these issues of data tracking and decarbonization planning. RDH discussed how virtual solutions like OPENs help reallocate scarce expertise and project budgets for maximum effectiveness.
Thanks to the financial support of BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver, this January Decarb Lunch was free of charge.
Speakers
Donovan Wollard, Chief Executive Officer, OPEN Technologies
Donovan Woollard has over 20 years of experience in designing, launching, leading, and advising environmental businesses in sectors such as carbon markets, green building, vertical agriculture, and social finance.
Donovan has long worked at the intersection of voluntary action and regulatory innovation around climate change. A throughline of his career is designing businesses and tools to address social and environmental outcomes in a market context. In addition to OPEN, this includes his role as the founding COO of Offsetters (now Ostrom Climate), Canada’s largest carbon offset and management company and as a founding investor and board member of Canada’s first B-Corp certified brewery. Immediately before OPEN, he spent five years as Co-Director of RADIUS, a venture incubator at SFU’s Beedie School of Business. He continues to mentor impact entrepreneurs around the world and sits on a range of corporate and non-profit boards.
Christian Cianfrone, Chief Decarbonization Officer, Open Technologies
Christian Cianfrone is one of Canada’s leading experts on building decarbonization, with 18 years of experience spanning engineering consulting, non-profit leadership, construction, and software. Christian has been recognized as a leader in the low carbon building industry through a number of awards and has been a part of numerous government and industry committees over the past 2 decades.
At OPEN, Christian leads the company’s overall strategy on building and data science, bridging the gap between complex building energy data and actionable insights. Christian’s deep technical knowledge combined with nearly 2 decades of industry experience have guided the company’s unique approach to building energy engines that underpin our products.
Brittany Coughlin, Regional Director – Canada East, Energy & Sustainability Specialist, RDH
Brittany brings her passion for climate action and sustainability to every team and project she is on. With more than 15 years working in this active and ever-changing space, she has mobilized efforts to educate clients on what’s possible and implement processes and frameworks that result in measurable savings. Her passion for low-carbon design and consulting, evidence-based research, and policy and program development have culminated in a portfolio and proven track record for delivering technically sound, healthier, safer, and more comfortable buildings for the end user. Her efforts center on one key goal: to use her intrinsic leadership capabilities and project management skills to guide development, inform policy, and steer projects toward smart and effective solutions that reduce the impacts of climate change.
Hosts
Jade Hume, Division Manager of the Housing Maintenance and Capital Projects team, Metro Vancouver Housing
Natalie Douglas, Program Manager, ZEBx
