Virginia’s energy efficiency industry gathered together on May 5th to learn and connect at the VAEEC’s annual Spring Forum. With over 100 energy efficiency professionals in attendance, this was our largest Spring Forum since the pandemic. Thanks to our sponsors, speakers, and attendees for making the event a great success! A special thank you to Henrico County for providing the venue.
The Spring Forum kicked off with an opening presentation from Executive Director, Chelsea Harnish, who provided an update about Virginia’s energy efficiency industry and the organization’s accomplishments throughout the past year. We also conducted a live audience poll to get real-time feedback from attendees about what benefits and topics they’d like to see more of.
-
- In light of recent federal and state funds and legislation, what are the top three technologies you feel the VAEEC should focus on?
- #1 Heat pumps
- #2 Data center efficiency technologies
- #3 (tie) Heat pump hot water heaters
- #3 (tie) Solar-ready/EV-ready construction
- #3 (tie) Commercial/Industrial decarbonization strategies
- The VAEEC has a strategic goal to diversify membership to better reflect the racial and geographic diversity of the state. What are the top three outreach strategies you feel the membership committee should focus on?
- #1 Community events
- #2 Workforce development outreach
- #3 Locality engagement
- The VAEEC hosts two biannual forums per year, in addition to webinars, round tables, and workshops. What are the top benefits you’re like to see more of?
- #1 Networking
- #2 Icebreakers and/or opportunities to get to know other members
- #3 More interactivity
Next was a keynote address from Paula Glover, President of the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE). With ASE’s focus on advancing federal energy efficiency policy, Paula provided an inspirational message about the importance of working as a team. She used the metaphor of running as a team and creating winning strategies for this long and complex race we are all running to advance energy efficiency forward. Paula encouraged us to team up and use our strengths towards a greater goal.
Next, VAEEC Board Chair Leigh Anne Ratliff led the business meeting, which started off with our 2024 Board of Directors election.
VAEEC members re-elected one board member:
-
- Michael Hubbard, Dominion Energy (3rd full term)
Members then voted to elect three new directors to the Board:
-
- Raye Elliott, FLIPP Inc.
- Megan McMillen, Community Housing Partners
- Nam Nguyen, Virginia Tech
We are thrilled to add new voices to our leadership and to continue working with our current Board members.
Attendees were next treated to a round-robin of updates and successes from our members before moving into a networking break. After reconvening, the plenary session began. Over the last few years, we have seen many changes to the energy efficiency industry – energy efficiency legislation, new State Corporation Commission (SCC) commissioners, unprecedented funding from federal and state programs, new model building codes, the ongoing fight over Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and more. This panel, Exploring the Energy Efficiency Landscape in 2024 & Beyond, explored how these changes affect Virginia and strived to answer the question: what’s next?
Speakers included:
-
- Chelsea Harnish, Virginia Energy Efficiency Council: Along with moderating the session, Chelsea provided applicable policy updates from the 2024 General Assembly session.
- Will Cleveland, Lighthouse Policy & Law: Will discussed the Commonwealth’s regulatory landscape and changes to the State Corporation Commission.
- Hadja Doumbouya, Virginia Energy: With ample federal programs providing funding to the Commonwealth, Hadja provided an overview of the Home Energy Rebate Programs (HOMES and HEAR) guidelines, updates, and eligibility.
- Sean Shanley, Viridiant: Sean provided an update on Virginia’s residential building code policy, including changes from the past year and what we can expect moving forward.
- Meghan McMillen, Community Housing Partners: As the Director of Weatherization with CHP and Board President of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Meghan discussed the current status of weatherization across Virginia and what we can expect in the near future.
Once the event wrapped up, nearly 50 people joined us for an off-site happy hour where the networking continued well into the evening. Networking opportunities are still one of the key benefits our members value, and we are happy to provide these opportunities for connection and collaboration.
As always, this event would not have been possible without our sponsors, speakers, and attendees. We would also like to thank the VAEEC Education & Events Committee for helping staff plan such a successful event.
Be sure to save the date for our fall Energy Efficiency Forum– October 2nd (virtual) and October 3rd (in-person, University of Richmond). We hope to see you there.
Additional event information, including speaker biographies and sponsor features, can be found in the event program. Event attendees received a PDF of the event’s presentation in the post-event email. Contact info@vaeec.org if you did not receive it. Events photos can be viewed in the photo gallery below.
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council was excited to gather in person with Virginia’s energy efficiency industry leaders for our annual Spring Forum on May 5th. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, and attendees for making this event a great success!
Our biannual forums are known for their ability to bring together Virginia’s energy efficiency leaders to make valuable connections, and this event did not disappoint. Energy efficiency professionals convened in person at the Dorey Recreation Center in Henrico County for ample networking time, a keynote address from a prominent energy-efficiency champion, educational presentations, a membership spotlight, and the organization’s annual business meeting with Board elections.
Senator Jennifer McClellan
The event kicked off with a brief opening presentation from Executive Director, Chelsea Harnish, who provided an update on the organization’s 2022 accomplishments thus far. Attendees were then treated to a keynote address from Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan, a long-time advocate for clean energy in the Commonwealth. Senator McClellan began by stating the importance of clean energy before specifically discussing the numerous benefits of energy efficiency; “energy efficiency is the cheapest way and the zero-carbon way to have clean energy”. She also provided a recap of recent clean energy legislation, including the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, insisting that Virginia must continue taking action to remain a clean energy leader. We are in the midst of transiting to clean energy; Virginia can continue to be a leader, or it can be at the end of the pack.
Members voting during the Board election
Next was our annual business meeting, a dedicated time where we hold our Board of Directors election and have our members share their accomplishments. Chelsea Harnish started this portion of the meeting with organizational updates, including the process of developing our 2023-2025 strategic plan. Afterward, Board Vice-Chair Mark Jackson (CHP Energy Solutions) led our 2022 Board of Directors election. VAEEC members re-elected seven Board members:
- Elizabeth Beardsley, U.S. Green Building Council
- Tim Bernadowski, Siemens Industry
- KC Bleile, Viridiant
- Bill Eger, City of Alexandria
- Stephen Evanko, Dominion Due Diligence Group
- Mark Jackson, CHP Energy Solutions, and
- Carrie Webster, Henrico County
Members elected Megan Partridge with Franklin Energy to fill an open seat on the Board of Directors. We also officially welcomed Joyce Bodoh (Rappahannock Electric Cooperative) and Bryna Dunn (Moseley Architects) to the Board. These individuals are fulfilling the terms of former Board members. We are excited to add new voices to our leadership and to continue working with our seven re-elected members.
Remarkable Member Updates
After the remarkable member updates, a time for members to highlight their latest successes, and a networking break, attendees reconvened for our plenary session, Advancing Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment. Speakers included: Bryna Dunn (Moseley Architects), Andrew Grigsby (Viridiant), Abby Johnson (Virginia PACE Authority), and Benjamin Knopp (Community Housing Partners). Julia Reynolds (Chesterfield County) moderated.
While the keynote address focused on past successes and an overview of this year’s General Assembly session, this session was more forward-focused. Speakers touched on the latest and greatest opportunities for the field right now and their predictions for the next five years. They also covered the challenges and barriers, as well as the opportunities, they are seeing in their particular niche of the energy efficiency industry.
Advancing EE in the Built Environment
Abby focused on the statewide Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, including recent legislation that enhances the scope of C-PACE projects. Andrew emphasized the value of efficiency and green design and using funding to support social good. He also discussed the energy code work that Viridiant is doing with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. Ben talked about pushing the boundaries of weatherization with MERV-13 filtration, heat pump deployment, electrification, and weatherization deferral repairs. Bryna provided an overview of Moseley’s True Sustainability Program and how it ties together wellness, decarbonization, and resilience.
After closing remarks, the event concluded with a happy hour at Triple Crossing – Fulton in Richmond. With networking being one of the main benefits of a VAEEC membership, we were delighted to safely offer this in-person opportunity. It was a pleasure to connect with many of our members face-to-face again after primarily hosting virtual events for the past two years.
Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, and event attendees for making this one of our best events to date!
Additional event information, including speaker biographies and sponsor features, can be found in the event program. Event attendees received a PDF of the event’s presentation in the post-event email. Contact info@vaeec.org if you did not receive it. Events photos can be viewed in the photo gallery below.
Social distancing did not stop Virginia’s energy efficiency industry from coming together to learn and connect at our first-ever virtual Spring Forum. Over 100 energy efficiency professionals participated in the event, which included three educational sessions, our annual member meeting with Board elections, the fifth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards, and a virtual networking break. Attendees were treated to topics such as the 2020 legislation, energy data, high-performance buildings, technology, and more. We want to extend a huge thank you to our sponsors for their support and to everyone who attended.
The event started off with the “2020 Legislation” session. Led by VAEEC’s Chelsea Harnish, Sen. Jennifer McClellan, and Del. Rip Sullivan discussed the monumental energy efficiency laws that passed the General Assembly earlier this year, including the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). The VCEA mandates 5% energy savings from the investor-owned utilities by 2025, marking Virginia as just the second state in the Southeast to establish a mandatory stand-alone Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS). Additional items discussed included the On-Bill Tariff and the Solar Freedom bills, as well as the election of a new State Corporation Commissioner.
Next, “Virginia’s Energy Efficiency Potential” provided organizational updates and accomplishments, along with the incredible momentum VAEEC and the industry as a whole is gaining. Many of the organizational highlights can be found in our 2019 annual report. Also during this session, Board Vice Chair John Morrill (Arlington County Government) led our 2020 Board of Directors election. VAEEC members re-elected Goerge Barnes (Trane)and elected two new Board members: Maggie Kelley (Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance) and Leigh Anne Ratliff (CPower Energy Management). We are excited to add these new voices to our leadership.
Board Chair David Koogler (Rappahannock Electric Cooperative) recognized winners of the fifth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards. Henrico County was recognized for its LEED Certified buildings, and the University of Virginia (UVA) was recognized for its Delta Force Program. Since 2011, Henrico County has built or renovated 16 government buildings and schools to LEED certification standards. The County is currently pursuing certification of LEED Silver or higher on six current projects. These efforts have reduced energy use by approximately 30 percent and are overseen by Carrie Webster, Energy Manager with Henrico County.
UVA’s Delta Force Program achieves energy efficiency and savings across the university’s nearly 18 million square feet of building space. Since 2009, UVA has invested $17.4 million in energy projects, for a savings of $28.7 million in avoided energy costs and 180,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. The program is overseen by Jesse Warren, sustainability program manager for buildings and operations in the Division of Facilities Management. Congratulations, Henrico County and UVA’s Delta Force Program! Keep up the inspirational work.
During this portion of the event, David Steiner (D+R International) was also recognized for his service to the VAEEC. David joined the VAEEC Board of Directors as a founding member in 2012 and has now stepped into a new role as Director Emeritus. Thank you, David, for your tireless support of the organization.
VAEEC’s annual forums are known for their ability to bring together Virginia’s energy efficiency leaders to make valuable connections. Even though this year’s event occurred virtually, VAEEC wanted to make sure this opportunity was still available. The next session, “Virtual Networking”, went off without a hitch. Participants joined breakout rooms based on different topics: 2020 Legislation, Weatherization Programs, COVID-19 Predictions & Responses, and Innovation & Technology. Lively conversations ensued, and beneficial connections were made. Thank you Community Housing Partners for sponsoring this session.
“Leveraging Energy Data from Start to Finish”, moderated by John Morrill (Arlington County Government), followed. Brandi Frazier Bestpitch introduced the Virginia Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy’s new Energy Data Warehouse. Tim Bernadowski Siemens Industry) covered building automation, including the types of data you can collect and how to utilize those data to meet your needs. Scott Dicke (Sustainable Real Estate Solutions (SRS)) discussed how data collection can lead to project origination while rolling out SRS’s new EPIC tool. The group also discussed project opportunities during a global pandemic.
The last session of the day, “Achieving High-Performance Buildings”, focused on EarthCraft and LEED certifications for commercial buildings. Liz Beardsley (US Green Building Council, VAEEC Board) moderated the session and provided an overview of what defines a high-performance building. Matt Waring (Viridiant) and Bryna Dunn (Moseley Architects) covered the differences between EarthCraft and LEED and the best practices for achieving these above-code credentials.
As with all of our work, the VAEEC Spring Forum would not be possible without the continuing support of our remarkable members and sponsors. To everyone who participated in this year’s Spring Forum, thank you for helping us push energy efficiency in Virginia toward an even brighter future.
Presentations can be viewed here:
2020 Legislation
Virginia’s Energy Efficiency Potential
Leveraging Energy Data Tracking from Start to Finish
Achieving High-Performance Buildings
An audio recording of each presentation has been provided to all participants.
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.
