Jay Jagpal, Principal and Co-Owner of Olympic International was recently featured by the Building to Electrification Coalition (B2E) in their member spotlight interview series.
Jay is a senior engineering salesperson who is an expert in designing low-carbon systems that meet architectural, performance, and energy efficiency requirements. He and his team ensure that equipment is properly designed, installed, and commissioned by working with contractors involved in each project so that owners get a system that functions as intended.
Here’s what Jay has to say about building electrification…
Tell us about any exciting building electrification projects that you’re currently working on.
We’re excited about a lot of projects. We have many new construction projects underway. We’re also working on renovations and office retrofits; electrification of existing buildings, especially domestic hot water. There are also some exciting institutional projects, electrification in healthcare and universities.
We are also working with a few other B2E members to create a best practice guide to enable electrification retrofits in commercial buildings. We have a set amount of building stock out there, but how do we approach it? We’re creating a systemized approach to elevate the starting point for designers. Currently, every consultant is starting from the ground up and learning along the way. The intention is to have an elevated starting point and prove that technological solutions already exist and have been implemented. That’s where we come in, our value is in experience with products and solutions for many building types. We know what works and can help to educate the industry, then we hope that with the higher starting point we can leapfrog into even better solutions.
One trend we’re seeing right now is integrating decarbonization into the capital planning cycle. Organizations looking at equipment and trying to figure out how to electrify these systems towards the end of equipment life. Do you see your organization has a role to play in educating your customers on future needs?
Absolutely. I think that an equipment-to-equipment approach may not be the right approach in today’s environment. To electrify, it’s not as simple as plug one in, plug one out. We’re thinking of electrical infrastructure on site, and a much more integrated replacement approach is needed than a like-for-like replacement. We try to put ourselves in the owner’s shoes and suggest solutions with the least amount of roadblocks.
Why did you become a B2E member?
We became a B2E member because our company has been focusing on electrification for the last seven years. We’ve been part of creating high-performance, fully electric buildings and working with manufacturers to bring the right technologies for it. When B2E was formed, we saw a group that we can really share our experiences with. By contributing our systems and product knowledge, we can help further the industry as a whole and be a partner in it. We help to educate other stakeholders, advise and consult with them using our knowledge from working with many types of buildings and multiple solutions.
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