​Buildings are a crucial last mile element of the smart grid of the future. Demand flexibility offered by buildings and appliances is an untapped opportunity for distribution utilities. Grid-Interactive Net Zero Energy Buildings (G-NZEBs) are highly energy-efficient, grid-connected buildings that meet their energy needs through renewable means, while maintaining two-way communication with the grid to balance demand with electricity supply. The ZerO-In Dialogue Series will expand the discussion from a singular net-zero building to high-performing, smart, connected, and flexible communities and cities moving towards net-zero emissions. The first dialogue of this series introduces the concept of Grid-Interactive Net Zero Energy Buildings; – what they are and why they are important.

1.John Smith-Sreen (Director, Indo-Pacific Office of USAID/India)

John has been serving as the Director of the Indo-Pacific Office since October 2021. Until recently, John served as the Economic Growth Office Director in Bangladesh and as Deputy Mission Director in Karachi, Pakistan. From 2016-18, John was the Director of the Afghanistan Division in the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs (OAPA) in Washington, DC. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, John joined USAID in 2000 and has now served in seven Missions including India, Jordan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya/East Africa, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Over the years, he has worked with CARE, Catholic Relief Services, the American Red Cross, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

 

2.Atul Bali (Chief General Manager, National Smart Grid Mission)

  Atul Bali is an Electrical Engineer who has over 28 years of rich experience in the power sector. His experience spans design, engineering, monitoring and successful implementation of SCADA/EMS/DMS projects. He has worked in NHPC, POWERGRID, and PFC, the Navratna Public Sector Undertakings of the Ministry of Power, Government of India. He has been associated from concept to commissioning of the Unified Load Despatch & Communication Scheme and has also supervised the implementation of IT-based distribution reform projects under the prestigious Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (RAPDRP).

 

3.Arun Kumar Mishra (CEO, EESL)

Arun Kumar Mishra is a veteran in the energy sector, with more than three decades of experience in National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) including Policy perspective as Director, National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM)– Project Management Unit (PMU) and Vice-Chair, International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN). His experience spans the planning, design, and implementation of power systems, information, and communication technology (ICT) integration in power utilities, SCADA, and smart grid applications.

 

4.Ralph DiNola (CEO, New Buildings Institute)

Ralph DiNola has dedicated his professional life to bringing sustainability, green building, and energy efficiency innovation to scale. For more than 20 years he has served as a consultant to developers, governments, and Fortune 500 companies seeking quantum advances in their building practices and projects. Ralph served as a technical advisor for the Living Building Challenge standard and has consulted on over 130 LEED projects, including ten precedent-setting LEED Platinum certifications. Ralph was founding Board Chair of the International Living Future Institute, served on the USGBC LEED Retail Committee, and was a recipient of the Better Bricks Green Building Advocate Award and voted one of the 50 most influential Portlanders by Portland Monthly Magazine. Ralph has a bachelor’s degree in Historic Preservation from Roger Williams University and a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon.

 

5.Neelam Janaiah (Vice Chairman and Managing Director, TSREDCO)

Neelam Janaiah has an experience of 28 years in the fields of Generation, Transmission, and Distribution and served Telangana State Electricity departments in various positions. He played a key role in promoting renewable energy power generation and its efficient distribution in the state. Especially his contribution toward solar policy implementation in the state is appreciable. His interests are also in promoting other renewable energy programs in the state in an innovative manner. He is presently working towards increasing the RE share in total power generation and promoting energy conservation activities in the state of Telangana.

 

6.Apurva Chaturvedi (Senior Clean Energy Specialist, USAID/India)

Apurva is a clean energy professional currently working as Senior Clean Energy Specialist in the energy division of the Indo-Pacific Office in USAID/India. She has over 15 years of experience in the clean energy and power sector. She has experience in designing, leading, and managing several clean energy programs at USAID. Her area of expertise is strategy formulation and program design & management. She is currently leading the distribution utilities, smart grids, e-mobility, and energy efficiency portfolio of USAID’s clean energy program in India. Prior to USAID, she worked for the British Council, British High Commission, as Project Manager-Climate Change for four years. She has done her Master’s in Microbiology with a specialization in Environment Microbiology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights.

 

7.Tanmay Tathagat (Director, Environmental Design Solutions)

Tanmay leads the Environmental Design Solutions [EDS] team of consultants working on climate change policies, energy-efficient building design, building code development, energy efficiency policy development, energy simulation, and green building certification process. Tanmay has extensive experience in green building design, energy simulation, architectural and mechanical design, and green building certification process. Since 2002 EDS has worked on over 200 green building and energy efficiency projects worldwide. Tanmay hails from New Delhi. He completed his M.S in Building Design from Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA in 1996.