ATLANTA, GA — ASHRAE has released the technical program for its 2026 Building Decarbonization Conference, scheduled for Sept. 23–25 in Seattle. The event will bring together engineers, architects, building owners, policymakers and other industry professionals to examine practical strategies for reducing building emissions while improving performance, resilience and long-term operational value.

The conference will focus heavily on existing building retrofits, highlighting technologies, policies and implementation approaches that support decarbonization across commercial, institutional and public-sector facilities.

Conference Focuses on Proven Retrofit Strategies

The technical program includes seminars, panel discussions and workshops centered on real-world building decarbonization projects. Presentations will emphasize practical lessons learned from completed projects, giving attendees examples of how organizations are improving building performance while lowering carbon emissions.

For mechanical engineers, HVAC professionals and facility managers, the conference will offer insights into retrofit planning, system upgrades and long-term building performance strategies that can be applied to existing facilities.

"Retrofitting existing buildings is one of the greatest opportunities we have to create a more resilient and sustainable future," said 2026-27 ASHRAE President Sarah Maston, P.E., BCxP, LEED AP BD+C. "This conference embodies our Society theme, Changing the Game: Retrofitting for Resilience, by bringing together the people, ideas and innovations that are helping our industry turn ambitious goals into measurable results. Whether you're developing long-term decarbonization strategies or implementing projects today, you'll leave Seattle with knowledge you can immediately put into action."

Keynotes Address Sustainable Design

The conference will feature keynote presentations from two leaders in sustainable building design.

Stet Sanborn, Director of Sustainability at SmithGroup, will present Stronger Than the Break: Lessons for Big Impact from the Recovery Room for the Decarbonization Movement, examining how collaboration and resilience can help advance climate initiatives within the built environment.

Erin McConahey, Arup Fellow and Global Director of Sustainable Development, will deliver Design for Carbon: Shifting from Metrics to Mindset/Converting Insight to Impact, focusing on integrating whole-life carbon considerations throughout the building design process.

Panel Examines Building Performance Standards

A keynote panel titled "Harmonizing Policy, Reducing Burden: State Leadership in Coordinated BPS Development" will explore how Building Performance Standards (BPS) can be better aligned across state and local jurisdictions.

Panelists will discuss approaches to creating more consistent compliance requirements for building owners while reducing administrative burdens and maintaining flexibility for local implementation. The session will also examine how coordinated policies can help accelerate building decarbonization efforts while supporting equitable outcomes.

Technical Program

Highlights of the technical program include:

• Interactive workshop: Play Your Cards Right: Implementing Strategies to Achieve Energy Savings challenges participants to work in teams to develop energy-saving solutions for a variety of building types through collaborative problem-solving.
• Building the business case for decarbonization: Sessions examine how owners can align carbon reduction goals with capital planning, navigate evolving regulations and secure investment for long-term resilience, drawing on lessons from projects including the Empire State Building.
• Adaptive reuse and embodied carbon: Case studies explore the transformation of an aging office building into a net-zero workplace and manufacturing facility, demonstrating how electrification, mass timber construction and renewable energy can dramatically reduce whole-life carbon emissions.
• Low-carbon transportation infrastructure: Experts will share the design strategies behind one of the nation's first all-electric, net-zero energy airport terminals, offering insights applicable to aviation and other large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Decarbonization at portfolio scale: Learn how California is advancing one of the country's largest public-sector decarbonization efforts across more than 15,000 buildings through data-driven planning, electrification and implementation.
• Community resilience through net-zero design: Presenters will highlight an innovative community center and health clinic that combines all-electric systems, geothermal technology and community-centered design to support both sustainability and public health.
• AI and mission-critical facilities: As demand for AI and hyperscale data centers accelerates, sessions will examine emerging approaches, including trigeneration, carbon capture and waste heat recovery, that improve efficiency while supporting reliable, lower-carbon operations.

Beyond the technical program, attendees will have opportunities to connect with industry experts, exchange ideas with peers and discover emerging technologies that are helping transform existing buildings.

For registration information visit the 2026 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference page at ashrae.org/decarb2026.