Tag: Spring Forum

Spring 2024 Forum Recap

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.

Spring 2023 Forum Synopsis

View the event program

Virginia’s energy efficiency industry gathered together to learn and connect at the VAEEC’s annual Spring Forum on May 23rd. Nearly 100 energy efficiency professionals participated in the event, which included a keynote address, business meeting with Board of Directors elections, membership spotlight, plenary session, and networking time. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, and attendees for making this event a great success!

Prior to the start of the event, around 20 attendees came together to tour the award-winning, LEED Gold-certified Fairfield Area Library. Opened in late 2019, the library is Henrico County’s 18th government or school building to earn LEED certification for sustainable design and construction and reduced environmental impact. Encompassing 45,000 SF, it features LED interior and exterior lighting, third-party verification of its mechanical and electrical systems, and long-term energy performance verification. Building materials include sustainably harvested wood, rapidly renewable cork, and low-emitting materials. The tour was led by Andrea Quilici and Chuck Wray from the project’s architect firm, Quinn Evans, and Carrie Webster, Henrico County‘s Energy Manager.  

The Spring Forum then 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 from 2022 to today. This included the VAEEC’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan objectives and our new Energizing Efficiency Campaign.

Next was a keynote address from Theresa Backhus, Director of the Building Innovation Hub (HUB) with the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT). The HUB supports high-performing buildings across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia by connecting decision-makers, localities, contractors, building owners, and others to resources that make buildings energy-efficient and resilient. Theresa shared an overview of the resources the HUB provides, as well as the building decarbonization opportunities available through federal funding. She also gave an overview of the DMV’s building code updates and building energy performance standards with an emphasis on what Virginia localities can do to address energy efficiency in a Dillion Rule state.

“It’s important not to forget that at the end of the day, buildings are for people; they must support the community they surround.” – Theresa Backhus, Building Innovation Hub (IMT)

Approximately 1/3 of our greenhouse gas emissions are from the new and existing building stock. The HUB emphasizes the importance of transitioning from looking at buildings as the problem to looking at them as the opportunity. And above all, we cannot forget that buildings are for people, which is especially true when you consider that we spend roughly 90% of our lives in buildings. Therefore, they must support the community around them by focusing on energy efficiency, resiliency, and health and safety.

Next, John Morrill, led the business portion of the event, which started off with our 2023 Board of Directors election. VAEEC members re-elected two board members:

  • Bryna Dunn, Moseley Architects (1st full term)
  • Leigh Anne Ratliff, Trane Technologies (2nd term)

Members then voted to elect two new directors to the Board:

  • McKenna Dunbar, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter 
  • Lesley Fore, Alliance to Save Energy

We are thrilled to add new voices to our leadership and to continue working with our two re-elected members. We would also like to recognize our outgoing Board members, Maggie Kelley Riggins, with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, and Joyce Bodoh, with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, for their outstanding leadership to the organization.

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. Meeting the Moment for Building Demand touched on the how the federal climate initiatives passed by the Biden administration will change the energy landscape for decades to come, before moving into how experts from across the field are planning to implement successful programs and projects using the funds. The discussion also included how we can make this round of funding more “durable” than that of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) era to create systemic change and avoid the “one and done” projects.

“We don’t have a shortage of money, but we need an easy button now to effectively deploy it. The Inflation Reduction Act is our window of opportunity to create a unified customer experience.” – Andrew Grigsby, Viridiant

Speakers included:

  • Bettina Bergoo, Virginia Energy: Along with moderating the session, Bettina also spoke on Virginia Energy’s role and plans with the federal funding and the guidance currently available for HOMES/HEERHA. 
  • Andrew Grigsby, Viridiant: Andrew spoke on Viridiant’s success with the BENEFIT grant and how that can serve as a model for future programs. He also went into detail about the need for a unified customer experience that includes financing options available. 
  • Marco Rubin, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation: Marco discussed the startup environment since the passage of the inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including looking the economic conditions at the micro-, macro-, and Marco-levels. 
  • Joyce Bodoh, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative: Given her role as the Director of Energy Solutions and Clean Energy at one of Virginia’s electric cooperatives, Joyce focused on how federal funding can be braided with the federal funding. She also spoke to the importance of customer data access and shared how REC’s summer savings pilot program provided $12k in bill credits to customers and saved REC $70K in wholesale power. 
  • Kim Strahm, Community Housing Partners: After having developed a successful workforce development program using funds from the 2009 ARRA, Kim shared best practices and lessons learned for developing and implementing programs using federal funding. Through CHP’s position on both the demand- and supply-side of high-performance buildings, Kim kept coming back to the need for a trained workforce. 

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 4th (virtual), October 5th (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.

Spring 2022 Forum Recap

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 programEvent 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.

Spring 2020 Forum: An Interactive, Virtual Experience

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.