Carbon & Energy Roundtable

Join the BE+ Carbon and Energy Roundtable, a venue for architects, designers, construction managers, and sustainability professionals to discuss issues related to carbon and energy in buildings.

Topic: Energy Myth Busting: Right Sizing

This month’s round table takes on one of the most persistent challenges in building design: oversizing. From mechanical systems to plug loads, from envelope assumptions to electrical code interpretations—our industry often defaults to “bigger just in case.” The result? Higher first costs, greater embodied carbon, and wasted operational energy.

We’ll explore:

Natural Capitalism’s “no one gets fired for oversizing” mindset—and why it’s time to rethink it.
Plug loads—are we inflating our sizing assumptions and designing to phantom loads?
Cold climate design conditions—how outdated temperature assumptions lead to oversized systems.
Electrical code interpretations—what’s required versus what’s habit.
Different perspectives from practitioners—engineers, architects, and owners sharing where right-sizing can shift the carbon/energy equation.

Join us for a myth-busting conversation on how smarter assumptions and better data can lead to systems that are truly fit-for-purpose, advancing both decarbonization and cost-effectiveness.

Subject Matter Experts:
Clayton Brancato | Associate at JB&B

Ryan Stecher | Associate Partner at JB&B

Kevin Leahy | Partner at AHA Consulting Engineers

Yovanny Duran | Mechanical Engineering Consultant at WSP

Reach out to carbonenergy@builtenvironmentplus.org with any inquiries, questions, or concerns.

New to the Roundtables? Join as a Newcomer, and come visit up to 3 times for FREE. After that, consider becoming a BE+ Member, or purchase general admission to return as you like.