Advances in Engineering Education - Volume 10 Issue 1 - Advancing Building Energy Retrofit Industry through Engaged Scholarship

Oct 15, 2026

Developing a competency-based curriculum and an engaged scholarship work process, this paper trains students to collect energy-related data and recommend actions for small commercial buildings. The program supported energy assessments for 45 buildings and helped establish retrofit plans with financing for nearly 30 projects. Targeting low-margin food retailers such as restaurants and grocery stores, it enables long-term community improvements while building real-world capabilities for students and reducing development costs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Program Approach and Curriculum Design

Results and Impact

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2022: VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1 Advancing Building Energy Retrofit Industry through Engaged Scholarship MAHSA SAFARI Opinion Dynamics Waltham, MA SOMAYEH ASADI Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA ABSTRACT This paper outlines the result of an innovative program to develop a competency-based curriculum and a work process to engage students in energy assessment of small commercial buildings in their community. Throughout the resulting course,“Leadership in Building Energy Efficiency (LBEE),” students were trained to gather buildings’ energy-related data and make recommendations for potential courses of action. The program facilitated energy assessment for 45 commercial buildings and supported the development of a retrofit plan with financing in place for nearly 30 of these projects. The purpose of this collaborative program was to advance building energy efficiency through the introduction of new methods and processes leading to financially viable energy retrofits of small commercial buildings. The program focused on assisting small restaurants, grocery stores and other food sales/services that are low-profit-margin and usually lack the ability to manage and finance energy efficiency improvements. As a result of this program, students got engaged in making long-term improvements in their communities. Additionally, they gained the real-world skills necessary to develop and execute energy retrofit projects for other customer segments as part of their careers. The program is broadening and scaling up to include other building use types and aims to be part of the development pipeline for energy retrofit projects in a way that develops students’ capabilities, increases the knowledge of building owners and operators, and reduces the development costs of energy service firms and third-party financers. Key words: Engineering curriculum, Experiential learning, Flipped classroom INTRODUCTION In the United States, residential and commercial buildings consume over 70% of the electrical power generated, 40% of primary energy, and are responsible for 40% of CO2 emissions from 2022: VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Advancing Building Energy Retrofit Industry through Engaged Scholarship combustion (EPA 2016; EIA 2018; Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz, and Pout 2008) . Once constructed, buildings remain in use for many decades. For example, in 2012 the median age of commercial buildings in the US was 32 years old (CBECS 2015) . The retrofit of buildings to improve energy performance represents a substantial opportunity in the construction market with the potential to reduce energy demand, create jobs, and achieve environmental benefits. Small and mediumsized buildings account for 10% of US primary energy use but are typically unserved by the energy retrofit industry. Significant factors restrain efforts to pursue small commercial building energy efficiency. Building owners and tenants often lack the funds or authority to invest in retrofit projects. Stakeholders may lack the necessary information to recognize the benefits of retrofit projects. These factors are compounded by limited market capability to develop and aggregate small commercial building retrofit projects. This research seeks to advance building energy efficiency through the introduction of new methods and processes leading to financially viable energy retrofits of small commercial buildings with an emphasis on restaurants and convenience stores. The first innovation in this effort was the design of a competency-based curriculum to prepare students for conducting building energy assessments. An engaged scholarship approach was then introduced to the business development process to lower the cost of developing energy retrofit projects. The retrofit of small commercial buildings on a large scale offers a significant

FAQs

What curriculum and training approach does the program use?

It uses a competency-based curriculum to prepare students for conducting building energy assessments, with an engaged scholarship approach integrated into the work process.

How many building energy assessments and retrofit plans were supported?

The program facilitated energy assessment for 45 commercial buildings and supported retrofit plans with financing in place for nearly 30 projects.

Why does the program focus on small commercial food-related businesses?

These businesses typically have low-profit margins and usually lack the ability to manage and finance energy efficiency improvements, so the program targets them to enable viable retrofits.

Oct 15, 2026

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