Green Vision consistently brings industry leading guest speakers to the table to share best practice experiences with construction and property professionals in Yorkshire.

The finale of their ‘Retrofit Reality Series’ does not disappoint with a guest appearance from a leading figure involved in the retrofit of The Empire State Building, on 1st December, via a live Skype presentation from the U.S. 

The event, to be held at Old Broadcasting House in Leeds, will feature U.S based Clay Nesler, Vice President of Global Energy and Sustainability at Johnson Controls, sharing his experience with property professionals gathered in Leeds, and globally online, on what was involved in developing a blueprint to retrofit the Empire State Building to make it one of the most energy efficient commercial buildings in the United States. 

Clay will address delegates during the GVis2011 Half Day Retrofit Reality Conference, sharing how the retrofit program will place the Empire State Building in the top 25% of all US energy efficient offices, by reducing energy usage by 38% per year.  

As a key feature of the event, his presentation will discuss how the processes that have been implemented for The Empire State Building can be replicated in any existing multi-tenanted office building in Leeds, Yorkshire and around the world, looking at how advanced information and automation technology provides the foundation for achieving significant energy and carbon reductions and creating high performance tenant workspaces.  

Claire Walker Project Manager at Green Vision, said: “We're sure Clay’s experience with one of the most high profile retro-fits in the world will inspire developers and construction professionals on a local level as we have some very innovative organisations doing great things on our doorstep, but we’re also looking forward to sharing this content worldwide thanks to our live streaming of Clay’s presentation and live blogging and tweeting from GVis2011 delegates on the day. Clay’s involvement supports what Green Vision is all about - collaboration and global knowledge sharing within the built environment.” 

"I am pleased to share the story of the Empire State Building Retrofit project at the Green Vision Retrofit Reality conference" said Clay Nesler, Vice President of Global Energy and Sustainability, Building Efficiency at Johnson Controls, the energy performance contractor for the project. "The use of integrated design practices and a cross-functional collaborative team led to a project that produced not only a positive environmental impact, but also a great financial return for the owner."  

The Empire State Building Company brought together leading energy-efficiency organizations to develop an innovative approach to sustainable retrofits supported by state-of-the-art tools. Johnson Controls is delivering cutting edge technologies through the project, including extensive onsite window refurbishment, high efficiency cooling equipment, and a Metasys® building management system including Sustainability ManagerTM, which will provide tenants with an online dashboard to help them track and manage their energy usage. As the energy services company, Johnson Controls is guaranteeing project results, including the expected 38% reduction in energy use.  

Run by Leeds Metropolitan's Centre for Knowledge Exchange and the Construction Sector Network the event is supported by global legal practice Squire Sanders Hammonds, Award-winning Leeds sustainable developer Citu and Leeds College of Building. 

The event will also provide an opportunity for local organisations to showcase their companies, as part of a creative Pecha Kucha* competition, offering a platform at the event to illustrate their achievements in 20 slides, lasting no more than 20 seconds each; a dynamic format fast becoming a favourite in the world of architects and designers. Entrants must submit a short description of their proposed quick fire presentation to d.camp@leedsmet.ac.uk by the 17th November. The 5 most innovative and exciting presentations will be selected to take to the stage at the event. 

Chairing the conference will be Matt Fulford, Head of Building at Sustain, a specialist carbon reduction consultancy. He completed a project in 2010 which has successfully delivered the first zero carbon church in the UK and he'll use this experience to discuss the possibilities of integrating modern renewable and energy saving initiatives within heritage buildings to create a sustainable future in both environmental and economic terms. 

Providing one of many interactive roundtable sessions will be Katherine Deas, Managing Director of Low Carbon Workspace, the first UK entity committed to delivering high quality, low-carbon, inspiring value for money offices. Her session will discuss the Green Deal, the Refurbishment of Leeds Metropolitan Estate, behavioural change and low-carbon workspaces. 

John Alker, Director of Policy and Communication at the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) will lead a conference on the role of retrofitting. John has worked as an MP’s researcher and speech-writer in the House of Commons and in commercial public affairs for Political Intelligence. John said: “Retrofitting our existing buildings is a huge challenge, but also a great business opportunity. It's going to require leadership, the right policy framework and working in partnership. But if we're successful it will create jobs, reduce utility bills and leave us with a better quality built environment.”

The event is on 1st December from 1.30pm-5.30pm at Old Broadcasting House in Leeds. For more information or to book visit green-vision.org.uk. Tickets are £40.00.

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