Paul Sambanis: The Nexus of Water and Energy in Buildings

Summary:  Water is one of the most overlooked systems in building performance, yet it sits at the intersection of energy, public health, resilience, and climate adaptation. In this episode, Matt Watson sits down with Paul Sambanis, PhD, Vice President of Sustainability at Sloan, to unpack why water efficiency deserves far more attention from building owners, operators, and the broader green building industry. From the retrofit of Wrigley Field to the water-energy nexus hidden inside every gallon that enters and leaves a building, the conversation reveals how much complexity lives behind something most of us take for granted every day.  Paul explains how water savings scale, why older buildings can still make meaningful progress through smart retrofits, and how technology like leak detection and advanced metering is changing the way owners manage risk. The episode also zooms out to the neighborhood and city level, connecting water infrastructure to flooding, environmental justice, and long-term community health. By the end, the message is clear: treating water as a strategic building priority is not just good stewardship, it is a practical path to lower emissions, stronger resilience, and healthier communities.    Key Takeaways:  Water is a major but often invisible driver of building energy use and carbon emissions.  Retrofitting older buildings can deliver meaningful water savings without major structural changes.  Water quality matters as much as water efficiency, especially in dense urban systems.  Smart connected plumbing, leak detection, and advanced metering help owners catch issues early and reduce damage.  The water-energy nexus means water savings can also translate into energy and carbon savings.  Flooding, stormwater management, and wastewater capacity are critical resilience issues for cities like Chicago.  Environmental justice is central to water infrastructure decisions, especially in communities facing industrial burden.  Decentralized water systems and on-site reuse are emerging as important strategies for the future.  Public health outcomes, including mold and asthma, are closely tied to building water events.  The future of water in buildings is moving toward smarter, more localized, and more adaptive systems.