Thank you for joining us!

The refrigerant transition is reshaping the built environment and architects and engineers are on the front lines of this change. From mechanical system design to capital planning, design professionals have an essential role in advancing sustainable HVAC solutions that reduce lifecycle climate impact. This REEF Quarterly Webinar spotlighted how A/E teams can bridge the gap between policy ambition, owner goals, and real-world project delivery. Attendees gained insights into design strategies, policy signals, and lessons from recent projects that are accelerating adoption of ultra-low GWP and low-LCCP HVAC systems.

Key Themes

Designing for Low Climate Impact: How engineers balance feasibility, cost, and performance when specifying refrigerants and HVAC systems.

Integrating Goals into Capital Planning: Where refrigerant targets do (and don’t) show up in owner RFPs, design briefs, and project requirements.

Navigating the Regulatory Landscape: Interpreting new refrigerant policies—including the AIM Act, SB 1206, and CARB LRM—and understanding how they affect design decisions.

Lessons Learned from the Field: Success stories and cautionary tales from A/E professionals working to prioritize refrigerant-smart solutions.

---

Speakers

Stet Sanborn: Vice President, Director of Climate Impact, SmithGroup

Stet leads SmithGroup’s IMPACT team, advancing decarbonization, resilience, and sustainability across projects nationwide. He shared whole-life carbon case studies demonstrating how refrigerant design choices can drive up to 90% emission reductions.

Rami Moussa: Managing Principal, Point Energy Innovations

A 2025 “40 Under 40” honoree, Ramy has led high-profile decarbonization projects including AIA San Francisco’s HQ. He discussed industry trends, cost risks, and a CO₂ refrigerant case study while clarifying stakeholder responsibilities in transitions.

Jamy Bacchus: Associate Principal, Building Performance, ME Engineers

A LEED Fellow and chair of the LEED Energy & Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group, Jamy brings deep expertise in codes, standards, and performance. He explored refrigerant leakage calculations, rating system gaps, and specification challenges.

---

Next Steps

The conversation doesn’t end here:

REEF will share responses to unanswered Q&A in an upcoming blog post.

---

Download Transcript Here

Download Slides Here