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In-person Conference registration includes the following:

• On-site Access to Technical Program from September 23-25, 2026.
• Interactive Conference App: ASHRAE 365.
• Welcome Reception on Tuesday evening, September 22, 2025. 
• Networking Reception on Thursday evening, September 24, 2025
• Light Breakfast, Lunch and Coffee Breaks Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24.
• Light Breakfast and Coffee Break on Friday, September 25.

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SEA Central Mechanical Plant Tour

Location: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Round Trip Transportation Provided from Conference Hotel.
Tour Requirements: Tour attendees must have passport/Real ID with them
Price: $15 

The Central Mechanical Plant (CMP) uses a campus chilled water and gas fired steam and condensate return system to provide cooling and domestic heating and hot water for the Sea-Tac Airport. The original plant was constructed in 1969-1970. The cooling side of the plant provides 17,500 tons of cooling for the approximately 5M sq ft airport HVAC systems of the campus, process loads, and even the centralized pre-conditioned air system that cools the aircraft while parked at the gates. The chiller plant incorporates centrifugal water chillers, primary and secondary system chilled water pumps, condenser water pumps, and automated ice storage system to greatly decrease the peak demand required by real time cooling systems. The aircraft cooling chilled water requires two stages of cooling to achieve the 20°F chilled water solution provided to each of the seventy-three gate air handling units. This project was completed at an active airport working around aircraft and passengers. Over sixty thousand feet of piping was routed across the entire airport to make this system possible.

Rethinking Hydronics: Behind the Scenes at The Museum of Flight’s Smart Chilled Water System Retrofit Tour

Location: The Museum of Flight
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Round Trip Transportation Provided from Conference Hotel.
Tour Requirements: Tour attendees must have passport/Real ID with them
Price: $15

Achieving deep operational carbon reductions in existing infrastructure requires moving beyond theoretical targets to high-efficiency plant execution. Step behind the exhibits at the Museum of Flight to examine how a major cultural landmark transitioned from conventional hydronic systems to an intelligent, distributed pumping system. This technical walkthrough explores the practical engineering decisions behind upgrading an active chilled water loop—demonstrating how decentralized flow control eliminates balancing losses, cuts operational carbon, and maintains precise climate stability for sensitive gallery spaces. Attendees will see the installed plant hardware, review baseline-to-retrofit operational data, and discuss measurable lessons for existing building decarbonization. The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world! With over 130 aircraft and spacecraft, tens of thousands of artifacts, millions of rare photographs, dozens of exhibits and experiences and a world-class library, the Museum and its people bring humankind's incredible history of flight to life.

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Stet Sanborn, SmithGroup

Stronger Than the Break: Lessons for Big Impact from the Recovery Room for the Decarbonization Movement

Stet Sanborn shares out a vision for scaling our decarbonization impact in a time of turmoil, federal rollbacks and escalating energy costs. Using the lens of his own recovery from a traumatic injury involving a years-long rehabilitation, Stet will cast the value of ASHRAE and members' decarbonization services as an interconnected set of impact drivers that, when layered with each other, provide a pathway to radically scale our decarbonization impact.    

Keynote Panel: Harmonizing Policy, Reducing Burden: State Leadership in Coordinated BPS Development

Supriya Goel, West Monroe 
JoAnna Saunders, California Energy Commission 
Emily Salzberg, Washington Department of Commerce 
Nicole Ballinger, City of Seattle 
Coleen Wisniewski City of Chula Vista

As Building Performance Standards (BPS) expand nationwide, states play a critical role in coordinating policy development with municipalities to advance decarbonization goals while reducing administrative burden on building owners. This panel brings together state and local leaders to discuss how statewide frameworks can align with municipal priorities to create consistent, streamlined compliance pathways. Panelists will explore strategies for harmonizing performance metrics, timelines and implementation approaches across jurisdictions to support portfolio owners operating in multiple cities within a state or building owners who need to comply with policies of city and state. The discussion will also highlight collaborative approaches to stakeholder engagement, including partnerships with local governments, community-based organizations, utilities, and workforce programs to ensure equitable implementation. Attendees will gain insight into governance models that balance statewide consistency with local flexibility, lessons learned from early adopters, and practical solutions to simplify compliance while accelerating building decarbonization across diverse communities.

The call for presentations is now CLOSED.

ASHRAE’s 6^th building decarbonization conference will be an information and idea exchange between stakeholders in the built environment industry concerning the improvement of energy efficiency, health, comfort, and reduction of GHG emissions in new and existing buildings and systems. The scope of the conference covers a range of building types and includes topics on data centers, municipalities, airports/transportation, hospitals, laboratories, higher education and school districts.

This year’s theme is: “Decarbonization That Delivers: From Policy to Projects to Performance”.

Tracks and subtopics include:

The conference organizers are pleased to offer several sponsorship opportunities to engage industry participation. All sponsors will have their company logo and name on the event flyer, the conference web site and recognition during the conference. A summary of the specific benefits of each sponsorship level is included. If you have questions or are interesting in being a sponsor, please contact Staci Loeffler sloeffler@ashrae.org.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Conference Hotel

Hotel reservations can be made at the conference hotel

Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport,
1053 Lake Washington Blvd N, Renton, WA 98056

ASHRAE has a block of rooms available at the negotiated group rate of $294 + tax per night. (Includes daily Destination fee)

To make reservations at the group rate click below: https://www.hyatt.com/events/en-US/group-booking/SEARL/G-ASHR

Room reservations must be made by Monday, August 31, 2026. to guarantee availability and the negotiated room rate.

Visa Letter

Click the button below to fill out the form and have a visa letter generated for you.

Visa Letter

Processing times for visa applications vary depending on the visa office and the time of the year. Participants are encouraged to check the processing times calculator for guidance, but generally we recommend applying approximately 12 weeks in advance of their departure date to ensure they receive the visa in time for the start of the event.

Platinum Level

Gold Level

Silver Level

Networking Reception 

Lanyard Level

Bronze Level

Ginger Scoggins, Chair

Carrie Brown, Vice Chair

Nancy Kohout

Fiona Martin

Ghina Annan

Krishnan Gowri

Sierra Spitulski

Brad Lentz

Emily Osurman

Hashani De Silva

2026 ASHRAE Decarb Presentation Template

PPT Commercialism Guide

Submissions Now Closed

ASHRAE is pleased to offer travel grants for students to attend the 2026 Building Decarbonization Conference. The conference will be held Sept. 23-25, 2026, in Seattle, WA 

The awards will cover: 

• The cost of registration for all awardees
• $400 USD to subsidize airfare, ground travel, and lodging for awardees traveling from out of town

Applications are due June 12, 2026.  

Eligibility 

Recipients must be either:

• a full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in an accredited college or university during the Fall 2026 term, in a course of study that traditionally has been a preparatory curriculum for the HVAC&R profession

What’s Covered

• Free conference registration, and
• For recipients requiring travel to attend the conference: Up to $400 USD to subsidize the costs of:
• Hotel room costs for the duration of the conference.
• Travel: airfare and ground transportation to the conference.

How to Apply

• Fill out our APPLICATION FORM HERE
• You will be asked to provide:
• ASHRAE membership number (membership is not required but provide if you have one)
• A letter describing your background and motivation for attending the conference (up to one page)
• CV or Resume
• Title of your conference presentation or paper (if applicable)
• Contact information for a faculty sponsor or employer (faculty sponsors or employers may be contacted to confirm eligibility).

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

• Professional Relevance: How relevant is the conference to the applicant’s background, current work, and future career goals?  
•  Engagement and Leadership Potential: Has the applicant demonstrated prior involvement or leadership in ASHRAE or another organization?  
• Conference Involvement: Is the applicant a presenter for an accepted presentation, or, a major contributor to a presentation, at the ASHRAE 2025 Building Decarbonization Conference?  If not, has the applicant attended or presented at a previous ASHRAE Conferences? 

Earlier application submissions will receive priority.

What Happens if You Receive an Award?

Successful applicants will be notified by July 8, 2026.  Awardees will be expected to attend the full conference and participate in conference activities supporting students and emerging professionals.  

Timing

• June 12, 2026 – Applications due by 11:59 pm PDT
• July 8, 2026 – Awards announced
• September 23-25, 2026– Conference Dates

Questions

Direct questions to: meetings@ashrae.org