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#052 Nancy Kohout – Senior Principal and Mechanical Discipline Leader at SmithGroup
What is data center heat recovery and why does it matter for decarbonization? How do penalties and fines (from inefficient energy management) reshape building design and operation? Why is storytelling a crucial skill for engineers? Nancy Kohout – senior principal and mechanical discipline leader at SmithGroup – answered these questions on a recent episode of The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey.
Nancy is a licensed mechanical engineer based in Chicago, with 30 years of experience in decarbonization strategy, mechanical design, and team leadership.
She is also a technical account manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge. Her passions lie in driving progress on electrification and heat recovery, and in creating clear pathways to leadership for women in engineering.
Nancy currently serves as president of the Illinois chapter of ASHRAE and co-chairs the upcoming 2026 Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium. Outside of work, she enjoys road-tripping to national parks in her camper van, exploring new cultures through travel, and spending time with her family.
Listen to Nancy's insights on The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey in your favorite podcast app.
In this episode:
00:00 Introduction 02:07 Nancy's journey into engineering 06:07 The importance of storytelling in engineering 08:14 Working with the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge 13:44 Strategic decarbonization in engineering projects 19:22 The inevitable rise of energy inefficiency penalties and fines 20:11 Challenges and opportunities in electrification of heating systems 22:53 Peak shaving and grid-interactive design 24:46 Data center heat recovery and decarbonization 26:29 The role of policy in waste heat reuse 31:46 Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium 35:55 Final thoughts
Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-havey-cem-leed-ap/
Connect with Nancy Kohout: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-kohout-p-e-leed-ap-151b9822/
If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review of The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey on Apple or Spotify.
View all episodes
By Joe HaveyWhat is data center heat recovery and why does it matter for decarbonization? How do penalties and fines (from inefficient energy management) reshape building design and operation? Why is storytelling a crucial skill for engineers? Nancy Kohout – senior principal and mechanical discipline leader at SmithGroup – answered these questions on a recent episode of The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey.
Nancy is a licensed mechanical engineer based in Chicago, with 30 years of experience in decarbonization strategy, mechanical design, and team leadership.
She is also a technical account manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge. Her passions lie in driving progress on electrification and heat recovery, and in creating clear pathways to leadership for women in engineering.
Nancy currently serves as president of the Illinois chapter of ASHRAE and co-chairs the upcoming 2026 Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium. Outside of work, she enjoys road-tripping to national parks in her camper van, exploring new cultures through travel, and spending time with her family.
Listen to Nancy's insights on The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey in your favorite podcast app.
In this episode:
00:00 Introduction 02:07 Nancy's journey into engineering 06:07 The importance of storytelling in engineering 08:14 Working with the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge 13:44 Strategic decarbonization in engineering projects 19:22 The inevitable rise of energy inefficiency penalties and fines 20:11 Challenges and opportunities in electrification of heating systems 22:53 Peak shaving and grid-interactive design 24:46 Data center heat recovery and decarbonization 26:29 The role of policy in waste heat reuse 31:46 Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium 35:55 Final thoughts
Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-havey-cem-leed-ap/
Connect with Nancy Kohout: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-kohout-p-e-leed-ap-151b9822/
If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review of The Future of Buildings with Joe Havey on Apple or Spotify.