Join 麻豆原创 for our annual Getting to Zero Tech Forum. This unique event format will feature a collection of five-minute, fast-paced presentations by a diverse array of industry experts, showcasing cutting-edge advancements in building technology that drive sustainable and regenerative approaches to the design, construction, and operation of the built environment.
Following these flash talks, all presenters will join attendees for networking on the Old Post Office North Meadow rooftop, offering the opportunity for engaging discussions over food and drinks about the future of building science and the possibilities for cross-sector collaboration.
September 23, 2026
1:00pm - 6:30pm CT
The Old Post Office
Who will be there?
Presenting: Cutting edge manufacturers, building product companies, green technology firms, utilities, contractors, building scientists, engineers, designers, and other innovators.
Attending: 200 leading architects, engineers, building owners, operators, contractors, manufacturers, utilities, sustainability consultants, investors, lenders, and more
Agenda
2026 Digital Program
USG | CarbiCrete | Mitrex | Windy City Representatives | Evergreen Energy Partners | Brainbox AI | People's Gas Energy Efficiency Program | Grundfos | Buro Happold | Luxwall | TROES |
Intelligent Generation | Johnson Controls | McGuire Engineers | Reflection Window + Wall |
Integra X Builders | Green Badger
Reducing C&D Waste - Manufacturer Responsibility
Recycling is not a new concept. Reducing waste, reusing and recycling products is a cornerstone of environmental responsibility and USG is proud to offer recycling programs that help USG and our customers become a part of the solution.
is a leader in manufacturing high-quality building materials designed to drive efficiencies and innovation across the construction industry worldwide. USG has 70+ locations and employs 8,500 people across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. As a subsidiary of the family-owned Knauf Group, with more than 42,000 employees at over 300 sites in 90 countries, USG provides its customers access to the world’s largest gypsum company. We exist to help our global customers more easily, safely, and affordably create sustainable and accessible spaces for all. Together, we are building the future of our industry.
Moving from Sustainability Ambition to Project-Level Action
CarbiCrete is a practical, specification-ready solution for reducing embodied carbon in buildings. Designed for architects, structural engineers, specifiers, and construction-sector decision-makers, the session explains how cement-free concrete can help project teams lower carbon without disrupting familiar design and construction workflows. CarbiCrete eliminates cement, uses steel slag as a binder, and permanently mineralizes captured CO鈧� during curing. The presentation will highlight how CarbiCrete products—such as CMUs and pavers—can support low-carbon building strategies using familiar material categories. By connecting carbon reduction, performance credibility, environmental documentation, and specification pathways, the session makes the case for CarbiCrete as a ready-now decarbonization option for the built environment.
is a Montreal-based concrete technology company whose patented process enables the production of cement-free, decarbonized concrete made with industrial by-products and captured carbon dioxide.CarbiCrete’s technology replaces 100% of the cement content in masonry and hardscape products with steel slag, as steel-making byproduct, avoiding all cement-related emissions. The company then uses carbon dioxide to cure its concrete, permanently sequestering CO2 within the products.
Take Advantage of your Vertical Surfaces
Buildings are a major driver of global CO2 emissions, and addressing that starts with how we design and retrofit the structures we build. This session covers the basics of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), how the technology transforms facades, cladding, and railings into solar generators without sacrificing design. The primary focus, however, is on real project case studies, demonstrating how BIPV has been applied in new construction and retrofits to improve performance, aesthetics, and energy costs.
is North America's leading manufacturer of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) — solar technology engineered directly into facades, cladding, railings, and glass. Headquartered and manufactured in Toronto, Mitrex turns the building envelope itself into a clean energy source, combining architectural design with renewable power generation by integrating building-integrated photovoltaics into cladding, facades, railings, and other architectural elements, transforming buildings into energy-generating structures,
Innovations in Sustainable HVAC Equipment and Systems
Windy City Reps continues to work with manufacturers that offer unique, sustainable solutions for the HVAC equipment and systems space. We will provide a brief update on the latest and greatest.
offers the broadest selection of industry leading brands and products to satisfy the diverse needs of the applied HVAC market in northern Illinois. From helping clients identify the optimal solution to providing on-site technical expertise, Windy City Representatives provides the knowledge, support and service to make your commercial heating and cooling projects run smoothly. With more than 30 engineers on staff, we have the expertise and resources to support your most complex projects. Our team utilizes state of the art design and engineering software to compliment over 500 years of combined experience in the applied HVAC industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, we carry out our mission “to be the most respected and sought-after provider of energy efficient HVAC solutions”.
Digging Out of Gas: How a 14-Borehole Geothermal Retrofit Cut Campus Emissions by 63%
Oxford Brookes University faced a challenge familiar to many campuses: how to modernize building energy systems and reduce emissions within the constraints of an existing, space-limited site. This brief case study highlights the university's partnership with Erda Energy on a phased project to transition an existing building's energy system to a geo-exchange heating and cooling network. Completed in just 22 weeks using only 14 boreholes, the project significantly reduced emissions, improved heating and cooling performance, and maximized the value of existing infrastructure.
is a Certified B Corporation with nearly three decades of experience delivering energy efficiency programs. With expertise in trade ally networks, workforce training, market transformation, and electrification, Evergreen supports utilities and energy organizations across the United States, including programs and market development efforts in Illinois.
, a company advancing geothermal heating and cooling solutions for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. Erda's approach helps organizations reduce energy use, lower operating costs, and decrease carbon emissions through geo-exchange technology. The company is known for its innovative borehole design, ability to retrofit existing buildings, flexible financing models, and ongoing system monitoring to support long-term performance.
Autonomous Optimization: The Next Standard in Building Performance
This session will introduce a solution that autonomously optimizes HVAC operations in commercial buildings using artificial intelligence. The result is reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, improved occupant comfort, and lower operating costs, all without requiring costly equipment upgrades. Attendees will get a hands-on look at how the solution integrates with existing building management systems and delivers measurable 麻豆原创 at scale, without changing how facility teams already work.
is a Montreal-based PropTech company specializing in autonomous, AI-driven HVAC optimization for commercial buildings. Its technology uses deep learning and generative AI to predict and adjust heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in real time, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without requiring costly equipment upgrades. By integrating directly with existing building management systems, Brainbox AI helps property owners and operators lower operating costs, improve tenant comfort, and meet sustainability targets. The solution is designed to be non-intrusive and scalable across large real estate portfolios, positioning Brainbox AI as a key player in the decarbonization of the built environment.
Modernizing Legacy Steam Radiators with the
锘�Battery-Operated Radiator Controller (BORC)
Legacy steam radiators remain a common heating system in Chicago-area buildings, yet owners have few reliable options to reduce overheating, energy waste, and costs while maintaining occupant comfort. The Battery-Operated Radiator Controller (BORC) is a self-contained, battery-powered, direct screw-on replacement for traditional thermostatic radiator valves. It provides zone-level temperature control using an onboard temperature sensor and microcontroller. BORC can operate independently without a central building automation system (BAS), or it can communicate with an existing BAS. Developed by the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Built Environment Research Group and Radiator Revivers, with support from the Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Energy Efficiency Programs, BORC began pilot projects in 2019. More than 100 devices have been installed across multiple building types, demonstrating energy and cost savings while maintaining stable, controllable indoor temperatures. The patent-pending technology is currently being evaluated for inclusion in utility rebate and incentive programs.
is a forward-thinking startup dedicated to commercializing next-generation control and sensing technologies for the built environment. Born out of extensive research initiatives at Illinois Institute of Technology and supported by grant funding from Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Energy Efficiency Programs our mission is to bring highly efficient, sustainable thermal and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) solutions to market. By bridging the gap between rigorous academic research and practical application, we develop smart, automated technology, such as our advanced smart radiator controllers, that transform outdated steam infrastructure into highly efficient self-regulating systems, directly supporting decarbonization and high-performance building retrofits.
Right-Sizing Pumps for Net Zero: Unlocking Energy, Water, and Lifecycle Savings
This session will introduce a solution that autonomously optimizes HVAC operations in commercial buildings using artificial intelligence. The result is reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, improved occupant comfort, and lower operating costs, all without requiring costly equipment upgrades. Attendees will get a hands-on look at how the solution integrates with existing building management systems and delivers measurable 麻豆原创 at scale, without changing how facility teams already work.
is the world's largest pump manufacturer, specializing in energy-efficient water pumps and smart water management solutions.
Rapid Validation for Thermal Performance
Design teams face the challenge of balancing increasingly stringent thermal code requirements with the complexity of modern façade systems. Project-specific thermal performance targets are often established early in design and may not be updated as the façade evolves, creating potential performance gaps when the final system differs from the original assumptions. This challenge is compounded by unclear thermal targets for systems outside standard code definitions. Without a structured process for tracking thermal performance during early design, late-stage redesigns may be required, 麻豆原创ing aesthetics and constructability. To address this issue, reliable methods for estimating and updating façade thermal performance throughout design are essential. This presentation discusses computational workflows developed using the Buildings and Habitats object Model (BHoM), including the Façade Configurator Web App for rapid U-value calculations and the BHoM LOD100 Thermal Calculation Toolkit for Grasshopper and Revit, enabling performance tracking based on project geometry, industry research, and engineering assumptions.
is an international, integrated consultancy of engineers, designers, and advisers, with 35+ locations worldwide, over 100 partners, and 3,000 employees. For 50 years, we have built a world-class reputation for delivering creative, value-led solutions in an ever-challenging world.
Our multidisciplinary, technically integrated approach is central to our success. Combining Structural and MEP engineering with specialist consulting services and strategic urban realm expertise, we deliver transformative outcomes for clients, communities, and the planet. We look beyond engineering, integrating knowledge across disciplines to provide holistic design and consultancy services, whether engineering a building or master planning a city or region.
Transparent Insulation -
One Breakthrough. Endless customization
At R18, LuxWall's Transparent Insulation enables architects, developers, and property owners to meet building performance targets without sacrificing aesthetics, window to wall ratio or function.
Transforming the building envelope into See-Through Walls™ that protect comfort, performance, and value. is bettering the built environment one building at a time, forever redefining how the spaces we experience are designed, retrofitted, constructed, and brought to life. We believe superior energy efficiency should be accessible to ALL. LuxWall's Transparent Insulation enables architects, developers, and property owners to meet building performance targets without sacrificing aesthetics, window to wall ratio or function. LuxWall delivers transparent building envelopes that radically improve energy performance and occupant experience for every budget and every community.
Beyond Grid Constraints: Powering High-Performance Buildings with Microgrids锘�
As high-performance buildings electrify and power demand grows, available grid capacity may not always be sufficient to support new and expanding loads. This presentation explores how battery energy storage and intelligent microgrids can provide flexible, distributed power capacity when grid supply is constrained. Vienna Zhou, CEO and Founder of TROES, will share how integrated battery systems, controls, and energy management software can help buildings manage peak demand, support capacity expansion, integrate distributed energy resources, and improve resilience—turning traditionally customized microgrids into scalable energy infrastructure for today’s evolving building energy needs.
is a leading Canadian battery energy storage system (BESS) and microgrid solutions provider specializing in commercial and industrial applications. Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, TROES combines advanced battery systems, proprietary energy management technology, and in-house engineering expertise to deliver scalable, turnkey energy solutions. With 44 projects across North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Asia, and 100 MWh of deployed and contracted energy storage capacity, TROES helps customers improve energy resilience, optimize electricity costs, integrate renewable energy, and reduce reliance on conventional power sources. Through its Microgrid-in-a-Box platform and strong industry partnerships, TROES serves a wide range of commercial, industrial, and institutional energy needs.
Transforming Energy Costs into a Profit Driver
Energy prices and delivery tariffs have been rising sharply. Intelligent Generation has been an innovator in networking virtual power plants with a decade plus of experience managing BESS and connecting to wholesale energy markets (PJM and MISO).
is a technology platform that helps businesses engage with the clean energy electrical grid. The IG platform combines energy storage and renewable generation that is managed as a network, helping customers EARN income from wholesale markets, SAVE on power bill charges, and PROTECT power supply for resiliency.
AI, Digital Twins, & Optimization Strategies for Cutting Costs and Carbon
Energy efficiency is entering a new era—one driven by advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning. This presentation explores how cutting-edge technologies are transforming building performance, particularly in central utility plants where chillers, boilers, pumps, AHU's, and cooling towers operate as the heart of large facilities. Attendees will learn how predictive algorithms, digital twins, and real-time simulations enable operators to optimize sequencing, setpoints, and load distribution for maximum efficiency and reliability. Beyond theory, the session highlights practical applications of model-based predictive control and autonomous optimization, showing how these tools reduce energy costs, minimize emissions, and improve resilience. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of waterside and airside optimization.
is a global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, delivering the technology and expertise that power efficient, connected spaces around the world. At the core of its digital transformation is OpenBlue, an integrated suite of software, connected equipment, and services that turns buildings into intelligent, responsive environments. OpenBlue leverages AI, data analytics, and IoT connectivity to optimize energy use, enhance occupant comfort, and reduce carbon emissions in real time—transforming static infrastructure into dynamic, self-optimizing systems. From central utility plants and HVAC systems to fire, security, and building automation, Johnson Controls combines decades of engineering expertise with cutting-edge digital innovation.
The MEP/FP Challenges and Solutions of the Complex Old Post Office Renovation
McGuire Engineers held a leading role in the transformation of Chicago’s Old Post Office into a 2.7M-square-foot, Class A office and retail destination by engineering a modernized MEP/FP system within a landmark structure over active rail lines. The team tackled complex challenges in modernizing systems under tight preservation, space, and schedule constraints while also contributing to LEED certification. The project integrated large equipment, piping, and ductwork into complex existing geometries through early master planning to evaluate cost, space, and distribution 麻豆原创s; temporary-to-permanent electrical service for the full facility; and early replacement of railway exhaust fans. Innovative air systems and routing were specified, preserving the rooftop amenity while the original chiller compressor building was converted into an Enwave plant. This presentation will explore how disciplined planning, field verification, stakeholder coordination, and precise documentation converted a landmark structure into a celebrated workplace, preserving design intent, and meeting a demanding construction schedule.
is a full-service engineering design and consulting firm. We are dedicated to creating environments that are comfortable, safe, and efficient for building occupants. Our team of experts works closely with building owners and management to optimize building performance. We are your partner in designing and maintaining high-performance buildings throughout their life cycle. We offer practical engineering advice as early as conceptual design, through post-occupancy studies and investigations. Our comprehensive offering includes design and consulting services in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and LEED/sustainable design.
McGuire Engineers maintains agility with practical, hands-on involvement, while delivering high-quality results that have established us as a leader in the field of engineering. We develop custom-tailored solutions for each client and remain engaged in the project until successful completion is reached.
Energy Code Driven Facade Design Changes
Recent energy code and standard updates, such as ASHRAE 90.1 2022, are increasingly influencing building design through mechanisms such as envelope backstops and expanded use of whole building performance compliance. While these requirements aim to improve energy efficiency, their practical 麻豆原创s on facade design decisions, mechanical sizing, and project cost are often not fully understood. This paper examines how energy code provisions directly affect facade design and mechanical system sizing using a real world, model-based study of a high-rise multifamily building evaluated across multiple climates, including Chicago, Austin, and Phoenix. Market driven designs are compared against code compliant alternatives by varying window-to-wall ratio, glazing performance, and envelope efficiency, and assessing 麻豆原创s on whole-building energy compliance, equipment sizing, first cost, thermal comfort, and life cycle cost. The key takeaway is the need for integrated envelope and mechanical design. Mechanical sizing must respond to envelope performance, and energy modeling should be used early to coordinate architectural and MEP decisions. This session provides practical guidance for using whole-building modeling to navigate code requirements while balancing cost, constructability, and performance in real projects.
is an architecture firm with strong local ties and an international outlook. Based in Chicago and with an additional office in Valencia (Spain) we share a singular professional vision that is rooted in our dedication to the craft of building, our belief in serving our community and improving our city, and our passion for exploration and innovation.
Achieving Deep Decarbonization in Chicago High-Rise Multifamily Construction
410 N. Elizabeth Street is a 33-story, 372,716-square-foot multifamily tower demonstrating how integrated construction management can translate advanced decarbonization strategies into high-performance urban housing. The project combines a 65-bore vertical ground-loop geothermal system, triple-glazed high-performance window wall, and fully electrified heat-pump mechanical plant with exhaust-air thermal recovery. Collectively, these systems are projected to achieve an Energy Use Intensity of 17.0 kBtu/sf-year—less than half the market baseline—while eliminating on-site combustion. The presentation will examine the technical coordination, systems integration, constructability, and economic considerations required to deliver this level of performance at scale, including projected energy savings and emissions reductions.
partner with developers and institutional owners to deliver complex urban projects through a fully integrated approach that unites development, architecture, engineering, and construction under a single strategic vision. By aligning design intelligence, construction expertise, and financial discipline from concept through stabilization, we eliminate the fragmentation that undermines performance. The result is greater certainty, accelerated decision-making, resilient buildings, and enduring asset value.
Solving Embodied Carbon Compliance
The built environment now faces a growing stack of embodied carbon mandates — owner requirements, Buy Clean laws, LEED v5 — layered on top of everything else sustainability already demands: waste tracking, indoor air quality, health product declarations, transparency documentation. Most project teams are still managing all of it with fragmented tools and spreadsheets, and carbon data that arrives too late to actually change anything. This talk makes the case that embodied carbon isn't a new problem needing its own point solution. It's the newest requirement in a workflow that already exists. Attendees will see how direct EC3 integration, real-time GWP tracking against baseline, and automated LEED point calculations let teams answer "are we on track" before closeout, not after — turning a scramble of disconnected point tools into one connected workflow spanning design through construction, and carbon compliance into a competitive advantage instead of just another administrative burden.
is sustainability software built by AEC experts for AEC teams. The company was founded by specialists in LEED, embodied carbon, and sustainability who lived the pain of outdated workflows: hundreds of spreadsheet columns, last minute document hunts, and closeouts that nearly fell apart. So they built the platform they wished existed. Today Green Badger puts an entire sustainability program on one platform, from initial design through construction to final verification. Teams instantly verify thousands of green construction products, manage subcontractors and submittals, collaborate in real time, and export review ready documentation for external certification. Corporate analytics extend that same visibility across an entire global portfolio. The biggest brands in the industry trust Green Badger, and real experts stay available at every step. Clients report that managing LEED, embodied carbon, and sustainability goals takes 65% less time, saving an average of $25,000 per project.
Presenters Sponsorship Levels & Benefits
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