Decarbonization | P2S

Decarbonization

We're decarbonization leaders who can help clients address carbon and energy issues at any stage in the process

What is Building Decarbonization?

Building decarbonization refers to the process of reducing or eliminating carbon emissions associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of buildings. That seems simple enough, but it gets trickier from there. Buildings have operational and embodied greenhouse gas emissions. Operational carbon is the amount of carbon emitted during the operation of a building. This includes both energy and water-related emissions during the use of the building. Embodied carbon is the amount of carbon emitted from the extraction of raw materials for the building to the building’s end of life, including refrigerant emissions. It is everything in the life of the building that is not covered by operational carbon.

Building decarbonization encompasses a building’s life cycle, including building design, construction, operation, occupancy, and end of life. It's a multi-stage process with many factors to consider as building owners work to eliminate all GHG emission sources to decarbonize their buildings. Knowledge and intentionality are key for engineers, architects, owners, and their representatives.

Watch a preview of the #Decarb4Good: Demystifying Decarbonization Live below or use the link to learn more about the live!

Learn More

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Amidst Inflation

In this episode, we delve into the highly relevant and critical topic of the Inflation Reduction Act and its profound effects on the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.

Why Decarbonize with P2S?

We're Shaping the Industry

We have internationally recognized experts helping to write the guidelines for building decarbonization, energy efficiency and high-performance sequence of operations for buildings.

We're also decision-makers at organizations like ASHRAE, the AEE and federal task forces. And because of the way we're structured, the foundational knowledge these experts create and attain filters through our company.

Unparalleled Knowledge

Some of our staff have been instrumental in the shift to building decarbonization. Chief Engineer and COO Kent Peterson is on the Federal Green Building Advisory Committee and co-chair of the Federal Building Decarbonization Task Group. He chairs the Task Force for Building Decarbonization at ASHRAE and recently chaired the ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Position Document Committee.

Kent and other decarbonization staff also lead a task force within P2S, which regularly meets to communicate with staff throughout the company. This task force helps us collaborate, present new developments, and share ideas.

Economically Viable Solutions

We don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good and advise our clients to think the same way. Decarbonization isn't a zero-sum, all-or-nothing game; every gradual improvement helps to lower electric demand and decrease GHG emissions from local sources and the grid.

We help all kinds of clients, from larger organizations planning extensive efforts to decarbonize to clients just beginning the journey through energy audits and reduction strategies.

Services and Solutions

Audits, Retro-Cx & Energy Efficiency Design

The good news is that many decarbonization strategies align with more familiar net-zero energy strategies. Our energy and carbon audits, with cost of ownership and life cycle analysis, will guide decisions for future goals. We are experts at deploying measurement and monitoring tools to discover inefficiencies and then use system controls and software to eliminate them. And, of course, we are talented at developing active and passive energy efficiency strategies and optimizing waste energy to lower heating and cooling loads.

Microgrod Analysis, Onsite Zero-Carbon Generation & Battery Storage

We have extensive experience in microgrid studies that analyze using renewable energy and battery storage to achieve resiliency and sustainability goals. We also do planning and programming to increase onsite zero-carbon generation and deliver
battery storage capabilities.

Electrification Analysis

Electrification allows building owners to move away from fossil fuels like natural gas. But electric equipment is still carbon dependent because of the carbon-dependent grid, so owners need to understand their local grid, facility, and the demand before replacing gas equipment with electric sources.

We can provide an analysis that ensures that electrification efforts make sense with the electric grid's current and long-term carbon intensity forecast. Beneficial electrification replaces direct fossil fuels to reduce overall emissions and energy costs. An analysis is critical because it helps clients know how much and what type of electrification is beneficial.

Demand Response Strategies

Buildings will need to be flexible with their electrical loads to adjust to demands in a more electrified grid. We can help clients adjust with integrated demand response strategies that take energy efficiency, local zero-carbon generation, thermal storage, battery-stored energy and smart controls into account for times of day when carbon intensity is high.


Planning for All Factors and Variables

Low-carbon strategies do differ significantly from net-zero, and owners and designers need to consider many more factors beyond what's been typical for building design, construction and operation. Embodied carbon in the structural elements and MEP systems, end-of-life carbon, site carbon sequestration, building materials sourcing and transportation, all these things and more factor into decarbonizing. We can help clients address almost any carbon issue, using carbon metrics and whole carbon life cycle assessments so project teams understand the carbon impacts of design, construction and operational decisions.

Decarbonization Leader

Kent Peterson
Vice President

Since co-founding P2S over 32 years ago, Kent Peterson has never looked back. Kent and his brother Kevin, have guided P2S from a small start-up into one of Southern California's premier engineering, commissioning and construction management firms. As Vice President and COO, Kent provides technical leadership for the team and maintains the quality of P2S services. His award-winning design experience includes high-performance green buildings, ultra-efficient central plants, and innovative control strategies. His mission is not only to maintain the success of P2S but to redefine what's possible in the building and infrastructure industries.

Kent is a renowned sustainability and energy efficiency expert who has authored numerous papers and journal articles, presented to national governments, and helped develop a common definition for Zero Energy Buildings. He's an ASHRAE Distinguished Fellow who has served as President of the organization and chaired over 20 committees. In ASHRAE, Kent also serves on the Task Force for Building Decarbonization, which was formed in Spring 2021 and is chair of the Building Decarbonization Position Document Committee.

Kent is on the Federal Green Building Advisory Committee and was appointed co-chair of that body's new Federal Building Decarbonization Task Group in January 2022. He also serves as the Chair of the CSU Mechanical Review Board and is influential in the Long Beach area business community. He served as Chairman of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce from 2017 to 2018.

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