A global pandemic was no match for Virginia’s energy efficiency industry, who came together virtually to learn and connect at our Fall 2020 Forum and first ever Trade Show. Approximately 100 energy efficiency professionals participated in the event’s four educational sessions, multiple exhibitor and networking breaks, and a networking reception. A huge thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors for making this event possible, and also to everyone who attended.
COVID-19 looms large over the industry, so it was a major topic of discussion in nearly all the sessions of the day. “Air quality will be non-negotiable” [in a post-COVID-19 world],” said Serene Al-Momen, co-founder and CEO of Senseware. The unique intersection of energy efficiency technologies and strategies, building environment health, and maximizing the safety of both implementers and inhabitants has come to the forefront of many conversations nationwide, including VAEEC’s recent series of articles. Speakers throughout the event discussed the varying approaches to improving energy efficiency before, during, and after a crisis.
The event kicked off with welcome remarks from VAEEC’s Chelsea Harnish, who provided an overview of the state of Virginia’s energy efficiency industry. Highlights included:
- Updates on implementation progress for 2020 legislation such as the revised low-income eligibility criteria we worked on earlier in the year, upcoming stakeholder processes for RGGI funds and electric cooperatives’ on-bill tariff program, and the impending RFP for a statewide C-PACE administrator.
- Upcoming public comment deadlines – November 13th is the deadline for the draft Uniform Statewide Building Code and November 17th for the Dominion Large General Service customer opt-out proceedings before the SCC.
- VAEEC’s new video series, Building the Future, which highlights the incredible energy efficiency work accomplished by our members. The projects featured are Henrico County’s Varina library (with a very special guest appearance by Chelsea’s daughter), the Virginia Beach Aquarium, and Monticello.
Attendees then moved into the first of three exhibitor and networking breaks Thanks to a new event platform called Hopin, participants could step into our first ever trade show, where they could move between interactive “booths” from Community Housing Partners, C-Power Energy Management, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Virginia Energy Sense, and Viridiant. They could also choose to connect with each other one on one or in groups through the “speed-networking” and chat functions. Networking has long been one of the most beneficial aspects of our events, so we didn’t let the virtual nature hold us back.
View the event program for session summaries, speaker bios, sponsor features, and more.
The next session, Advancing Efficiency with Emerging Technologies, has become a Fall Forum tradition. Sponsored by the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), the panel was made up of innovative technology startups who shared how their product is pushing the energy efficiency industry forward. Speakers included Serene Almomen (Senseware), Jesse Thornberg (Grid Fruit), and Joe Weaver (Ario) and was moderated by Adam Sledd (Dominion Energy Innovation Center).
After a second exhibitor and networking break, attendees choose between two concurrent sessions, Large Energy Users: Efficiency Opportunities & Challenges and Energy Efficiency Implementation in the Time of COVID-19.
The Virginia Clean Economy Act allows customers using more than 1MW of electricity annually to opt-out of utility energy efficiency programs only if they are delivering energy savings via their own programs. Large Energy Users: Efficiency Opportunities & Challenges, sponsored by Schneider Electric, encouraged participants to join the discussion for a chance to help influence the VAEEC’s future work in promoting programs to meet the needs of this diverse customer class. The session started with a brief presentation by Ed Rightor (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) and Chelsea Harnish (VAEEC) before pivoting into an interactive session with participation from attendees. Thank you to everyone who joined and shared their expertise and ideas.
Energy Efficiency Implementation in the Time of COVID-19 ran concurrently with the above session. During this session, speakers shared their personal experiences with how COVID-19 has changed energy efficiency implementation and procedures for their respective businesses. The session ended on a positive note, reflecting on how much has still been able to be accomplished despite the pandemic. “COVID-19 is another constraint — not a progress killer,” said Samuel Ringelberg, Project Development Manager at Schneider Electric, during his presentation. The speakers also included Michael Hubbard (Dominion Energy) and Kerri Walker (project:HOMES), and Willie Fobbs (VA Dept. of Housing & Community Development) moderated the session.
The final breakout session of the day addressed how VAEEC members are using energy efficiency to combat the spread of COVID-19. During Exploring the Intersection of Health & Energy Efficiency, sponsored by VEIC, speakers focused on the technologies, programs, and innovations that are helping to keep our buildings safe through improved air quality. Speakers included Jody Lesko (Vermont), Michele Mitch-Peterson (Siemens), and John Morrill (Arlington County), and Bill Eger (City of Alexandria) moderated. “The measures to improve energy efficiency and to improve ventilation and air quality are the same,” said Lesko.
The VAEEC Fall 2020 Forum & Trade Show would not be possible without the continuing support of our exceptional members and sponsors. To everyone who joined us, thank you for helping us push energy efficiency forward to ensure a smooth transition to an affordable and equitable 100% clean energy future in the Commonwealth.
Presentations can be viewed below.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Advancing Efficiency with Emerging Technologies
Energy Efficiency Implementation in the Time of COVID-19
Large Energy Users: Efficiency Opportunities & Challenges
Exploring the Intersection of Health & Energy Efficiency
An audio recording of each presentation has been provided to all participants.
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Virginia’s energy efficiency community gathered in Richmond on November 14th for the VAEEC Fall Forum & Awards Luncheon. A big thank you to our sponsors, speakers, awards finalists, and attendees for making this event a great success!
Keynote Speaker: Patrick Bean of Tesla
The event kicked off with an opening presentation from Executive Director, Chelsea Harnish. Attendees were updated on the organization’s newly released three-year strategic plan and 2019 accomplishments and updates. This portion of the event was followed by a keynote address from Tesla’s Patrick Bean. Patrick wowed the crowd by sharing Tesla’s vision for strategic electrification and the role energy efficiency plays in making that vision a reality. For example, Tesla engineers were able to increase the driving range of their Model X by 10% solely through the use of more efficient materials!
Afterward, participants headed to the first breakout session of the day where they could attend an hour-long panel, Energy Efficiency and Emerging Technologies, or two thirty-minute snap sessions, Utility Energy Efficiency Updates and Community Housing Partners’ Heat, Air, and Moisture (H.A.M) House Demo.
Energy Efficiency and Emerging Technologies: Back by popular demand, this session focused on up-and-coming innovations in the realm of energy monitoring, building controls, wastewater concentration, and home performance. Panelists also spoke about how their company works with the organizations in attendance and can help Virginia meet its energy goals. Speakers included Cynthia Adams (CEO and Co-Founder of Pearl Certification), Alexander Bazhinov (CEO and Founder of Lumin), and Karen Sorber (CEO of Micronic Technologies), and Marco Rubin (Senior Investment Director for the Center for Innovative Technology) moderated the panel. This session was sponsored by the Center for Innovative Technology.
Utility Energy Efficiency Updates: During the first snap session of the event, Virginia’s two largest investor-owned utilities, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company (APCo), provided brief overviews on their current and proposed energy efficiency programs. Attendees were able to learn how their businesses can take advantage of these programs. Speakers included Michael Hubbard (Manager, Energy Conservation for Dominion Virginia / North Carolina Power) and Don Nichols (Manager of Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy for APCo), and Susan Larsen (Director of Business Policy for Columbia Gas of Virginia) moderated the panel. Columbia Gas of Virginia sponsored this session.
H.A.M House Demo: Community Housing Partners’ (CHP) H.A.M House demonstrates how Heat, Air, and Moisture move through a building. Understanding these interactions is crucial in the design, building, and retrofitting of houses for higher efficiency and health and safety. VAEEC staff and Board were wowed by this demonstration last year during a visit to CHP’s training center, so we were thrilled to be able to present this opportunity to event attendees. This session was led by CHP’s Andrew Woodruff.
2019 VEEL Awards Winners
After a plated lunch, twelve Virginia-based projects or programs were recognized in the following categories: Academic, Commercial, Government, Low-Income, Residential, and Programs. We also presented the first-ever Founders’ Award to two of our founding members, Cynthia Adams of Peal Certification and Bill Greenleaf of Virginia Community Capital. This award honored their dedication to our work. For info on each winning project or program, visit our 2019 Awards page.
The second breakout session proceeded the Awards Luncheon. Participants chose to attend either the Preparing People for Progress in the Workforce panel or two snap sessions: 2020 Legislative Forecast and CHP’s H.A.M House Demo.
Preparing People for Progress in the Workforce: Growth in the clean energy industry is often stymied by the lack of available workers. This panel discussed the existing opportunities to foster the necessary skills in our communities, and how these programs can drive further changes. Speakers included Shawn Fenstermacher (General Manager for VEIC’s Mid-Atlantic Region), Mark Jackson (Executive Director at CHP), and Todd Estes (Virginia Community College System), and Carrie Webster (Energy Manager with Henrico County) moderated the panel. The session was sponsored by VEIC.
H.A.M House Demo: CHP’s Andrew Woodruff offered a second demonstration on how Heat, Air, and Moisture move through a building and how they affect our living environment.
2020 Legislative Forecast- What’s Next: During this snap session, attendees heard from two seasoned lobbyists on what the results of November’s election mean for the upcoming 2020 General Assembly session, as well as the probability for advancing legislation to help our industry grow. We were even able to provide attendees with a just-released, exclusive update on the new chairwoman of the Commerce and Labor Committee in the House. Speakers included Carmen Bingham (Affordable Clean Energy Project Coordinator with Virginia Poverty Law Center) and Andrew Vehorn (Vice President of Government Affairs for the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives), and the panel was moderated by Chelsea Harnish (VAEEC). Old Dominion Electric Cooperative sponsored this session.
Speakers on the Final Panel discussing the relationship between EE and resiliency
After the breakout session, attendees enjoyed refreshments during the Networking and Snack break before heading into the last panel of the day, Exploring Energy Efficiency’s Role in Resiliency Efforts. Due to last-minute, unforeseen circumstances, Shelby O’Neil with Enterprise Community Partners and Joshua Saks from the Office of the Governor were unable to participate on the panel; however, two VAEEC Board members filled-in. The audience was treated to a candid discussion on what Virginia localities are doing in the realm of resiliency and how they can use Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy to help finance resiliency measures. Speakers included Abby Johnson (Executive Director of Virginia PACE Authority and President of Abacus Property Solutions), Bill Eger (City of Alexandria) and Thomas Nicholas (City of Virginia Beach). VAEEC Board member Elizabeth Beardsley (USGBC) moderated.
Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, awards finalists, and event attendees for making this one of our best events to date. Click here to view photos of the event.
Mark your calendars! We hope to see everyone at our Spring 2020 Forum on Thursday, May 14, 2020 in Richmond.
