As a senior research engineer, Russ plays various roles in projects that contribute to cost-effective energy savings in buildings. These roles have included: recommissioning existing buildings; providing support for utility efficiency programs; conducting building energy simulations; leading reviews of building plans and simulation submittals for compliance with energy code and above code programs; energy code and above-code program development; and serving as principal investigator for field research, technology and market studies.

Russ began working as an engineering intern at CEE before he received his BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1990. Since 2005, Russ has been increasingly involved in new construction to provide plan review, whole-building energy simulation, and other technical support to design teams and to organizations charged with project oversight and verification.

Russ’s recent and ongoing work addresses the efficiency of a mix of new and existing buildings, both commercial and multifamily. His new construction work includes commercial energy code compliance support through plan review, training, and resource development; support for development of Minnesota’s future commercial energy code; technical support for the Minnesota’s Sustainable Buildings 2030 above-code program; and technical support for a research project focused on high performance building envelopes. Russ’ ongoing work on existing buildings includes providing technical support for CEE’s programs and research in the specialty areas of multifamily buildings, ice arenas, grocery refrigeration, and space-heating boiler control optimization.