Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access
ISSN: 2090-4541
ISSN: 2090-4541
Chris Castro
IDEAS For Us, USA
Keynote: J Fundam Renewable Energy Appl
In every major American city, buildings account for the majority of energy use and carbon pollution even more than the transportation or industrial sectors. If cities want to be more competitive and more resilient against energy-related crises, they must boost the energy efficiency of their building stock. In the City of Orlando, 6% of the number of buildings contributes to 57% of the impacts regarding energy use and carbon pollutions showing that improving the energy performance of these buildings will yield significant, rapid results to reaching our energy and climate action goals. However, in order to achieve significant energy savings, cities must know how much energy their large buildings are using in the first place. As a participant of the City Energy Project, the City of Orlando is developing an integrated framework of policies and programs that will increase energy efficiency investments in commercial, multifamily and industrial buildings. This multi-faceted approach will work on improving the city��?s municipal building portfolio enabling actionable information about energy use, creating new financial instruments, developing custom incentive programs for improving performance, crafting new workforce development programs that educate building operators, exploring new energy codes and green building standards (for new construction) and launching creative ways to spur investments through city-wide competitions. This presentation will unveil the overview of City Energy Project initiatives and disclose what the City of Orlando is working on to drive economic growth and improved competitiveness, enable smarter markets and governments, improve our environment and become a national leader in energy efficiency for new and existing buildings.
Chris Castro is an emerging Social Entrepreneur, Community Organizer and Sustainability Professional with a passion for accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy. He is currently a Sustainability Program Manager and Senior Energy Adviser for the City of Orlando working on implementing the Green Works Community Action Plan and developing policies and programs to advance clean energy and sustainability initiatives throughout Central Florida. In 2008, he Co-Founded IDEAS For Us, an award-winning international 501c3 non-profit and UN-accredited NGO; building a movement of people working to accelerate environmental solutions on campuses and communities in more than 20+ countries around the World. In 2012, he helped create Citizen Energy, a clean energy consulting and development firm working to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions in commercial buildings throughout Washington DC. In previous roles, he also held sustainability & energyrelated positions with University of Central Florida, Orange County Government and US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) in Washington DC. Finally, he was recently designated as Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and a delegate for the Clinton Global Initiative. In his spare time, he enjoys urban farming and surfing the east coast of Florida.
Email: chriscastro.ideas@gmail.com