Most people likely would agree that decarbonization involves, in its simplest definition, removing carbon from the environment. But from there, a variety of factors may influence an individual’s definition of decarbonization and views on potential solutions.
The Building Decarbonization @ PNNL newsletter editor reached out to three Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) buildings experts—a division director (Karma Sawyer), a mid-career researcher (Veronica Adetola), and an early-career researcher (Sam Rosenberg)—and asked them to answer, in approximately 200 words:
“What does decarbonization mean to you and your work?”
Karma Sawyer - Director, Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division
I grew up in Scranton, PA, the Electric City, a community centered around the important roles coal mining and electricity generation can play, both in raising the well-being of individuals and building an economic foundation for the community. I witnessed Scranton’s energy, economic, environmental, and human health tensions in a real way. So, I bring a very personal perspective to the decarbonization discussion.
With that in mind, perhaps it’s not surprising that while my education initially focused on fundamental science, eventually my interests gravitated to delivering impact in the buildings sector, where I’m getting to be involved in some of the premier energy and environmental endeavors of our time—decarbonization of buildings and electrification.
It’s an incredibly exciting place to be. I am honored to work with extraordinary people at PNNL—and our sister labs as well—because they really are moving the ball down the court in these research areas.
I smile not only about the important technical contributions staff at PNNL are making, but about their commitment to energy equity, which focuses on the people who have been underserved by the electricity system and new technologies, yet have the greatest needs that could be served in the biggest ways.
Veronica Adetola - Chief research scientist and team leader for Resilient Control Methods
Decarbonization of buildings requires innovations in two main areas: energy efficiency and electrification. The idea of electrification—which involves transitioning millions of buildings and homes from fossil-fuel-based energy to clean, zero-carbon electricity—is both daunting and exhilarating. And beyond the technical challenges, we must be mindful of electrification’s equity issues—no one can be left behind due to lack of affordability or access.
I lead a Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office-funded project that seeks to solve several key electrification challenges. This multi-institute project is creating and demonstrating innovative design optimization and control solutions for integrated heat pump (HP) systems. Electric HPs offer the most viable alternative for space heating and cooling and can deliver rapid reductions in the built environment’s carbon emissions. However, most HPs' efficiency and performance decline in cold weather.
By integrating right-sized thermal energy storage with HPs and effectively utilizing the stored energy, our project aims to expand HP operational capacity for cold climate operation and offer cost-effective, grid-responsive, and reliable solutions for building owners and tenants.
Sam Rosenberg - Data scientist, Technology Integration
Decarbonization is important to me because it supports a happy, healthy, and enjoyable environment for myself, my potential children, and the generations that follow. Decarbonizing buildings is fundamentally the task of reducing the energy use in buildings by increasing efficiency and serving the remaining energy needs with low-carbon emission sources.
One way we can reach decarbonization of our buildings is through grid-responsive electrification, and one of the projects that I work on is aimed at decarbonizing homes in rural Alaska through the adoption of high-efficiency heat pumps that are responsive to varying electric grid emissions profiles. This work is taking place in a region where decarbonization through electrification can be more difficult than elsewhere in the country due to climate, location, and income barriers.
This project allows researchers to bring the health, comfort, and environmental footprint benefits of decarbonization and electrification directly and equitably to communities who may not be able to reach them on their own. Projects like these are instrumental in achieving our nationwide goals and extending the outcomes from high-performance- buildings research to all people.
