Krystal Cunningham has been working on energy performance analysis of buildings since her Master’s thesis. Her thesis was “A simulation-optimization method for economic efficient design of net zero energy buildings” and focused on using energy modeling along with a genetic algorithm to optimize building parameters. Krystal later when into consulting for the 179D Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction. Her work over this period included creating and reviewing energy models for a large variety of new construction and renovation projects that included everything from K-12 schools, universities, military buildings and other government owned properties. Krystal has a Master’s Degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s Degree from Old Dominion University, both in Mechanical Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. In her free time, Krystal enjoys traveling, hiking, crafting and playing with her two children.