Category: Technology

2023 Energy Efficiency Forum Recap

October 9, 2023

The Commonwealth’s energy efficiency community gathered on October 4th and 5th for the VAEEC’s annual Energy Efficiency Forum. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, award winners, and attendees for making this event a great success!

Day one was fully virtual in an effort to make the event more accessible and to provide a diverse array of speakers from across the country. It consisted of a keynote address and four breakout sessions:

Keynote Address: Dr. Bob Holsworth is a Managing Partner at DecideSmart, a consulting firm that provides strategic solutions for complex challenges. Bringing decades of experience in the political sphere, he provided an analysis of Virginia’s election landscape and what that can mean for the Commonwealth’s clean energy future. 

“Regardless of the election results, there will be a slate of new legislators. Education will be important.” – Dr. Bob Holsworth, DecideSmart

 

Technology: What’s New and What’s Next?: The panelists in this session discussed heat pumps and heat pump hot water heaters, demand response AI programs, and data center cooling technologies. The discussion helped to sift facts from fiction and suss out what the on-the-ground realities are, and what we can look forward to in the future. Speakers included Richard Anderson (Siemens), Millie Knowlton (CPower), Andrew Grigsby (Viridiant), and Adam Sledd (Dominion Energy Innovation Center, moderator).

“The question we try to answer is, how can we leverage technology to help humans?” – Richard Anderson, Siemens

 

Implementing Green Building Policies in a Dillon Rule State: As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia localities are limited as to what they can and cannot mandate. However, jurisdictions are finding creative ways to make progress happen in their communities. Join speakers from Arlington County and the City of Alexandria as they discuss their green building policies and programs,  and how they have established minimum standards for new development and major renovations. This was an interactive session where audience members were encouraged to engage with speakers to learn how to implement their own green building policies. VAEEC Board member, Bill Eger (Arlington County), moderated the panel, which included Arlington County’s Paul Roman and the City of Alexandria’s Valerie Amor, and Robert Kerns.

“The idea of ‘business as usual’, ‘we’ve always done it this way’, is one of the biggest challenges in getting developers on board. We’ve got to embrace new ways of doing things to implement green building strategies.” – Valerie Amor, City of Alexandria

 

Rural Energy Efficiency: No Town Left Behind: According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 88% of Virginia is considered rural. However, this population is often overlooked in energy efficiency policy and programs. This panel focused on how to reach rural communities and what opportunities are available to them. Speakers included Adia Holland (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Lance Hostutler (Optimum Building Solutions LLC), Will Payne (Energy Delta SWVA), and VAEEC Board Vice Chair, Leigh Anne Ratliff (Trane Technologies, moderator). 

 

Case Study Session: Green Building Certifications: Green buildings are environmentally responsible, resource-efficient, and create healthier, more comfortable spaces. Numerous certification systems exist to assess a building’s sustainability and designate it as a green building. This case study session was designed for attendees to benefit from shared knowledge and experience through presentations and audience Q&A. The certifications featured included EarthCraft, Zero-Energy Ready, and Pearl Certification for single-family homes, multifamily buildings, and whole communities. The session was moderated by VAEEC Board member, Bryna Dunn (Moseley Architects), and speakers consisted of Stephen Dareing (Viridiant), Jay Epstein (Healthy Communities), and Casey Murphy (Pearl Certification).

“I want to make low-performing homes the green avocado refrigerators of 2023.” – Casey Murphy, Pearl Certification 

 

After the virtual day wrapped up, attendees had the opportunity to join one of two regional happy hours to further connect with other energy efficiency professionals. This was the first time we have offered a regional happy hour in conjunction with a virtual event. What a great way to spend 2023 #EnergyEfficiencyDay!

Attendees gathered in person for day two at the University of Richmond Jepson Alumni Center in Richmond. The day began with an opening presentation from Executive Director, Chelsea Harnish. Attendees were provided with updates on the organization’s 2023 accomplishments and our 2024 priorities, as well as an overview of the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency industry. The day also included a keynote address, a plenary panel, the eighth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards ceremony, and an on-site reception.

Keynote Address: Attendees were then treated to a keynote address from Dr. Karma Sawyer, Director of Electricity Infrastructure & Buildings (EI&B) Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL). In this role, Dr. Sawyer is responsible for shaping and managing a vision and strategy to ensure that PNNL addresses the U.S. Department of Energy’s most important energy efficiency, clean energy, and electricity infrastructure challenges. She discussed energy efficiency as it relates to cutting-edge research, building codes, market transformation, federal funding, and emerging technologies, with a specific focus on equity.

 

The Energy Efficiency Workforce Initiative: A Holistic Path to Workforce Development: After a break for networking and snacks, attendees came back together for the plenary session focused on the VAEEC’s Energy Efficiency Workforce Initiative. For the last two years, the VAEEC has been developing the EEWI to address Virginia’s growing workforce needs. This panel provided updates from staff and our expert partners as we build out each piece of the puzzle – recruitment, training, placement, and sustainable retention. Speakers included Laura Hanson (Tidewater Community College), Phil Hull (CHP Energy Solutions), Michael Flanagan (Quick AC Quote), Crystal McDonald (D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility), and Rebecca Hui (Virginia Energy Efficiency Council, moderator). 

Energizing Efficiency Campaign & Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards Ceremony: Next, we had the honor of hosting our eighth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards ceremony. We started off by highlighting the 18 submissions to our inaugural Energizing Efficiency Campaign. Case studies can be viewed for each of these participating projects or programs on our 2023 Energizing Efficiency Campaign page. From these 18 submissions, five were chosen by the VAEEC’s Education & Events Committee to receive a 2023 Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Award for their incredible energy efficiency contributions. For information on each winning project or program, visit our 2023 Awards page. 

The event concluded with an on-site networking reception sponsored by Dominion Energy. It is always a pleasure to connect with many of our members and others in the industry face-to-face, and this was no exception. 

Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, award winners, and event attendees for making this one of our best events to date. Click here to view photos of the event. Additional event information, including speaker biographies and sponsor features, can be found in the event program.

Event attendees will receive recordings for each of the four breakout sessions in the post-event email. Presentation PDFs can be viewed at the links above.

Study: Indoor Air Quality is “the biggest challenge for public spaces and workspaces of this century.” 

March 18, 2022

America has a building problem. 

Americans spend up to 90% of their lives indoors, in buildings that were not designed with ventilation in mind. The quality of indoor air affects all aspects of life – health, school and job performance, cognitive abilities, and energy bills. 

While COVID-19 brought indoor air quality into sharp focus, many of the most common – and often dangerous – communicable illnesses are spread through airborne transmission. Additionally, chronic illnesses like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and COPD are exacerbated by factors in the living environment. Comparative risk studies performed by EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health. In fact, there is over thirty years of research on the effects of indoor air quality on human health and behavior. 

Improvements to air filtration and ventilation have lagged behind other building systems for years, leading to what Dr. Vin Gupta, the Chief Health Officer at Amazon, calls “the biggest challenge for public and workspaces of this century.” 

“Go back 100 years. The big issue that was killing people were communicable diseases passed fecal to oral,” Gupta said. This issue led to improvements in sanitation and waste disposal across the world. “100 years later, it is how do we ventilate public space and workplaces.” 

Building owners and residents need to prioritize improved indoor air quality in their spaces. “Treat indoor air quality like a must-have work benefit, not a trendy perk” said Prof. Joseph Allen, associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Allen is also leading ongoing research on the correlation between indoor air quality and health. 

Allen was a leading author on a recent study that explored the coexistence of energy efficiency and health. The third in a series that focused on the effects of air quality on cognitive function, researchers concluded that cognitive scores averaged between 61-101% higher in green building designs over conventional buildings. The authors stated these findings have “wide-ranging implications” as the study mimicked many typical indoor environments. 

Typically, increases in ventilation and filtration result in an increase in energy use, but by leveraging equipment controls and efficient equipment, these programs help building owners and residents keep energy increases manageable. 

George Barnes, Account Manager for Complex Solutions for Trane said, “the challenge is to complete [measures] in an energy efficient manner. If done correctly, spaces will be safer, occupants will be healthier, and any cost increases will be mitigated.” 

Energy efficiency and green building also reduces absenteeism in schools and the workplace, improves workforce retention and productivity, and contributes to better comfort for residents and workers. As employers bring workers back into physical offices, it is critical that everyone – building owners, CEOs, employees, and more – keep a keen eye on the health of the buildings and the people within them.