ASHRAE announced the technical program for the 2026 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference, taking place September 23–25, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. Bringing together engineers, architects, building owners, policymakers and industry leaders, the conference will showcase innovative approaches for reducing building emissions while improving resilience, performance and long-term value.
Through expert-led seminars, panel discussions and interactive workshops, attendees will explore the technologies, policies and implementation strategies shaping the future of the built environment. The program emphasizes real-world case studies that demonstrate how organizations are successfully advancing decarbonization across commercial, institutional and public-sector buildings.
“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.”
The conference will also feature keynote presentations from two internationally recognized leaders in sustainable 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,” exploring how collaboration, resilience and innovative thinking can accelerate meaningful climate action. Erin McConahey, Arup Fellow and Global Director of Sustainable Development, will deliver “Design for Carbon: Shifting from Metrics to Mindset/Converting Insight to Impact,” challenging attendees to embed whole-life carbon considerations into every stage of the design process.
A keynote panel, “Harmonizing Policy, Reducing Burden: State Leadership in Coordinated BPS Development,” will bring together leaders from state and local government to examine how Building Performance Standards (BPS) can better align across jurisdictions. Panelists will discuss strategies for creating consistent compliance pathways, reducing administrative burdens for building owners, and balancing statewide coordination with local flexibility to accelerate equitable decarbonization efforts.
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.
Early Bird registration is now open. Professionals involved in building design, operations, energy management, sustainability and public policy are encouraged to register by July 31 to take advantage of discounted rates.
For the complete technical program, registration information and hotel accommodations, visit the 2026 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference page at ashrae.org/decarb2026.
