Dano Weisbord, Camille Kirk (top left to right)
Elizabeth Drake, Michael Ahern, Rob McKenna (bottom left to right)

Episode 42: Decarbonizing Heating & Cooling: Thermal Transition in Action

December 20, 2023 by David Karlsgodt in Electrification, Decarbonization, Wicked Problems, Co-generation, Thermal Energy, Carbon Emissions

In this episode, you'll hear a session recorded earlier this year at the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit hosted by Second Nature and the Intentional Endowments Network. The next frontier in campus decarbonization is the transition of thermal systems away from fossil fuels. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. This expert panel shares experiences in decarbonizing campus thermal systems - from antiquated steam to efficient low temp hot water, from fossil fuels to the stable temperature of the ground. The panel will feature how to engage and collaborate with institutional constituents in the beginning stages all the way through complete projects covering planning, financing, implementation.

Guests:
Dano Weisbord
Chief Sustainability Officer
Tufts University
LinkedIn | Bio

Camille Kirk
Director Of Sustainability and Campus Sustainability Planner
University of California, Davis
LinkedIn | Bio

Elizabeth Drake
Director of Sustainability
Swarthmore College
LinkedIn | Bio

Michael Ahern
Senior Vice President, System Development
Ever-Green Energy
LinkedIn | Bio

Rob McKenna
Senior Vice President, Director of Planning and Development
Salas O’Brien
LinkedIn

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability
Brailsford & Dunlavey

Resources:

Presentation Slides (PDF)

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Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode, which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here: https://otter.ai/u/bWq0l4pX1WaodTl7HlK8TfYzapg?utm_source=website

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 42 Text-only Transcript

Episode 41: Evolving Energy P3 on Higher Ed. Campuses

November 06, 2023 by David Karlsgodt in Procurement, P3s

Carolyn Arida (top left) and Kevin Mara (top right), Chris DePodesta (bottom left)

Guests:
Carolyn Arida
Managing Director, Head of Utilities - Infrastructure
Harrison Street
LinkedIn | Bio

Kevin Mara
Director, Brailsford & Dunlavey
LinkedIn | Bio

Chris DePodesta
Director of Development and Asset Management - Infrastructure
Harrison Street
LinkedIn

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability
Brailsford & Dunlavey

In this episode, you'll hear a session recorded earlier this summer at the 2023 Appalachian State University energy summit in Boone, North Carolina. This panel included my B&D colleague, Kevin Mara, and two industry experts, Chris DePodesta and Carolyn Arida, from the infrastructure investment group at Harrison Street. The topic evolving Energy public-private partnerships or energy P3s for higher education.

Resources:

Appalachian Energy Summit 2023: https://sustain.appstate.edu/initiatives/energy-summit/2023/

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Episode 40: Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal with Alex Barron and Aaron Strong

June 29, 2022 by David Karlsgodt in Justice, Electrification, Carbon Emissions, Scope 3 Emissions, Renewable Energy, Student Engagement, Sustainability Curriculum

Alexander Barron (left) and Aaron Strong (right)

Guests:
Alexander Barron, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Policy
Smith College
LinkedIn | Bio

Aaron Strong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Hamilton College
LinkedIn | Bio

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Energy and Sustainability at Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode we interview two professors and researchers discussing a recently published paper in the peer-reviewed journal One Earth entitled: “Carbon neutrality should not be the end goal: Lessons for institutional climate action from U.S. Higher education.” You’ll hear lead author Alex Barron of Smith College and co-author Aaron Strong from Hamilton College discuss their study of U.S. schools that have announced that they have achieved carbon neutrality. This work was co-authored with Maya Domeshek and Lucy Metz (recent Smith College graduates who worked on the paper) and Laura Drauker (formerly of Amherst College, now at the Boston-based non-profit Ceres), and reflects feedback and input from many other sustainability practitioners.

Resources:

Link to the paper: https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(21)00472-3
Alexander R. Barron, et al. "Carbon Neutrality Should Not Be the End Goal: Lessons for Institutional Climate Action From U.S. Higher Education." One earth, v. 4 ,.9 pp. 1248-1258. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.08.014
Drs. Barron and Strong along with Smith student Lucy Metz also summarized their findings for an op-ed "Five ways colleges should respond to the climate crisis" in Inside Higher Ed.
A different paper by Dr. Barron and others on internal carbon pricing in higher education that may be of interest to some listeners:
Barron, A.R., Parker, B.J., Sayre, S.S, Weisbord, D.J. and S.S. Weber. 2020. Carbon pricing approaches for climate decisions in U.S. higher education: Proxy carbon prices for deep decarbonization. Elementa.
Information about the Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitments.

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Episode Transcript:

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Episode 39: The Cutting Edge with Peter Kelly-Detwiler

June 10, 2021 by David Karlsgodt in Energy Efficiency, Carbon Emissions, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Community, Investing, Wicked Problems, Utilities, Systems Thinking, Water, Justice, Electrification, Design, Solar, Gas, Thermal Energy, Hydrogen

Guest:
Peter Kelly-Detwiler
Cofounder, NorthBridge Energy Partners, LLC

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode we will talk with journalist, author, and energy consultant Peter Kelly-Detwiler. Our topic: Cutting Edge Campus Climate Tech.

Our mission: help campus decision makers and stakeholders understand "cutting edge" campus decarbonization / reliability / resilience technologies. How can they take advantage of new and emerging technologies while avoid wasting time on ideas that are either empty hype or operationally irrelevant for their campus context?

Resources:

NorthBridge Energy Partners website: https://www.northbridgeep.com
The Energy Switch: How Companies and Customers Are Transforming the Electrical Grid and the Future of Power at Buttonwood Books and Toys: https://www.buttonwoodbooksandtoys.com/book/9781633886667

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The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here: Otter Transcript You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 39 Otter Transcript

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Episode 38: The Political Economy of Higher Ed with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou

February 27, 2021 by David Karlsgodt in Energy Efficiency, Carbon Emissions, Student Engagement, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Community, Investing, Renewable Energy, Wicked Problems, Utilities, Systems Thinking, Water, Justice, Electrification, Education, Design

Guest:
Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou
Energy Systems Strategist -
SMITHGROUP

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode, we talk with with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou, Energy Systems Strategist at SmithGroup. The discussion focuses on what higher education can expect from federal, state and local governments in the near term, but also a broader discussion about the politics and business model of higher ed. itself. She both challenges conventional ideas and paints a compelling vision for a sustainable future for higher education and the communities in which they operate.

Resources:

SmithGroup website: https://www.smithgroup.com/

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Episode Transcript:

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