The new Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator technical support program assists building owners or managers to meet the WA Clean Buildings Law (applies to commercial, nonprofit & nonresidential buildings 50,000 ft2 and larger) and reduce building emissions. An educational path for all buildings and individualized coaching will be starting this fall. Coaching training spaces are prioritized for buildings that serve or have importance to frontline communities (e.g., black, indigenous, people of color, immigrants, refugees, youth, elders, houseless people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, low-income). This could include many types of buildings or those with tenants like nonprofit organizations, small/local businesses, museums, shelters, community centers, worship facilities, health centers, nursing homes, and more. Register for a Sept 7th (noon – 1pm) info session or visit the program website to learn more and watch a past info session recording.
Transatlantic Energy Efficiency Forum – The Role of Electrification, Sept 22nd
Decarbonizing Buildings – The Role of Electrification
This virtual event will discuss the transatlantic movement away from fossil fuels and gas toward carbon-free electricity.
In the US, buildings are responsible for 28% of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But more than half of American houses still use gas or other fossil fuels as their main source of heating and cooking, which results in the production of hazardous gasses including methane, carbon dioxide, and many more.
Washington State is the first in the US to have statewide energy codes that require building electrification. We want to find out if building electrification is the push to switch from using fossil fuels for cooking and heating to clean energy consumption.
Questions we will cover in our virtual event:
- What fuel-switching incentives and electrification programs exist?
- Does electrification play the same role in Germany and Washington State?
- What role will utilities play?
- What has to happen in addition to carbon-free electricity?
Key Takeaways:
- Find out if electrification is a key component of a green transition
- Understand how Germany and Washington State can learn from each other
- Learn about the role of renewables – status quo and goals
- Gain insights about German technologies
Find the link to part 1 of this virtual event series here.
SBC Announces 2022 BOC Operator of the Year!
The Smart Buildings Center (SBC) and Building Operator Certification (BOC) program are proud to announce the 2022 BOC Operator of the Year: Matthew Wardell, Building Maintenance Supervisor for the City of Kentwood, Michigan.
Each year, BOC requests nominations for people working to improve the energy efficiency of their work environment using skills they learned in the BOC program. We received many impressive 2022 nominations detailing how methods learned in BOC classes are helping people make improvements in their work environments, but Matt’s story stood out among the rest.
In his role at the City of Kentwood, Matt manages nine city buildings, four of which are staffed 24 hours a day. Matt was pivotal in completing the Consumer’s Energy Building Tune Up Program in four City of Kentwood owned buildings from 2020 to 2022. The buildings were benchmarked using Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and all four buildings were significantly improved by Matt’s efforts. His BOC training and hard work translated into the following:
- Energy savings in the four buildings of a total 586,592 kWh annually
- $46,927 in annual electric cost savings
- Energy savings equaling 21% of the total buildings’ energy use
- The City Hall’s Energy Star score increased by 114%
- The City Hall’s Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) decreased by 23.5%
Matt believes BOC training is valuable because it touches on the many different aspects of energy conservation. He has found BOC training to be helpful as it builds and expands on knowledge in the many different areas of operating healthy and efficient buildings. The thing he enjoys most about his work is having a positive impact.
The SBC and BOC program applaud Matt on his efforts to improve the City of Kentwood’s building energy performance and congratulate him on being named as 2022 BOC Operator of the Year!
Know someone who deserves recognition for their work in the industry? Nominations will open for the 2023 BOC Operator of the Year award in May, so stay tuned!
SBC Celebrates Success of Portland Green Janitor Education Program
The Smart Buildings Center (SBC) is proud to partner with SEIU Local 49 to support the Portland Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP). The GJEP is a national program developed by the Building Skills Partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles (USGBC-LA), the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles, and the Service Employees International Union. The program is a qualified USGBC program through which janitors are accredited in green building cleaning practices to help meet the latest energy, water, and environmental sustainability standards. The GJEP curriculum addresses energy efficiency, recycling, waste management, water conservation and other sustainable and green cleaning practices.
The GJEP is certified by USGBC and qualifies buildings for an additional point on LEED certification applications. According to a SeedLA report, 76% of buildings that have utilized the program to educate their staff have seen reductions in energy and water use, and on average participating buildings use 5.6% less energy than non-participating buildings.
The program in Portland is financed through partnerships between building owners, janitorial companies, SEIU Local 49, and grant funding provided by the Portland Clean Energy Fund. So far, Able and ABM janitors at four Portland office towers owned by American Assets Trust and Unico Properties have completed the program.
The GJEP compliments SBC’s mission to enable a cleaner, healthier and more productive future through the use of smart technologies and practices in the built environment. SBC delivers and promotes training programs to educate and elevate the building workforce of the future, providing a career and credential pathway for individuals to obtain a meaningful career in facilities.
“Janitors are on the frontlines of building operations, noticing trends and potential areas of improvement for occupancy comfort and energy savings before anyone else in the building” said Shino Severson, SBC Senior Project Manager. “By investing in training janitorial staff, organizations invest in their future to promote individuals throughout the organization, experience less employee turnover, and realize short- and long-term achievements in improving the health, cleanliness and sustainability of their buildings.”
By increasing the recognition of the important role these individuals play in their buildings, the GJEP can help build the pipeline for those entering the field of facilities through credentials and training. This skilled workforce provides valuable energy and resource savings to building owners and organizations while helping to advance sustainability efforts.
“SEIU Local 49 members appreciate the partnership with SBC to work together for a cleaner future for all” said Scott Cheesewright, SEIU Local 49 Assistant Director of Property Services Organizing. “We’re thrilled that janitors become involved more closely in important building processes and decisions around energy and water use, waste stream management, green chemicals, and workplace health and safety through this critical program.”
To learn more, watch the GJEP promotional video and read the SEIU Local 49 program update.
Smart Buildings Exchange 2022 Session Recordings Available!
Last week the second annual Smart Buildings Exchange (SBX) delivered a value-packed three days of conversations focused on the market opportunity for smart buildings and their role in our clean energy future.
The conference kicked off with an Opening Plenary session featuring Darlene Pope, President of Planon, North America, who is a globally recognized subject matter expert and visionary in the smart building industry with more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate, technology, and smart building consulting.
Following the Opening Plenary session were sessions on Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings, Building System Interoperability, Demystifying Digital Twin Technology, and Making Existing Buildings Smarter.
The second day of the conference began with a Plenary Session during which Ash Awad, the Chief Market Officer for McKinstry, moderated a panel where senior executives: Debra Smith of Seattle City Light, Wayne O’Connor of Creative Energy, David Woodson of University of Washington, Greg Smith of Urban Visions, and Andy Wappler of Puget Sound Energy discussed the future of energy services and the built environment. The day continued with sessions on the Role of Smart Buildings in Reducing Carbon Emissions, Workforce Development Opportunities, Achieving and Maintaining Indoor Environmental Quality, and Making Smart Actionable.
The third and final day of the conference featured an in-person discussion on building performance data and how smart technologies can help building owners and managers in fulfilling requirements related to energy and ESG reporting. The session was also live streamed for virtual participation, and it was great to convene in a hybrid format for the first time in nearly three years!
All SBX session recordings are now available on the Smart Buildings Center YouTube Channel so you can watch any you missed and rewatch any you enjoyed.
Thank you to all sponsors, planning committee members, speakers, and attendees who helped make the event a success!
SBC Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk
Do you wonder what the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard is about or don’t know where to start to bring your building into compliance?
The Smart Buildings Center’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk offers support to building owners, managers, and facility personnel responsible for their building’s compliance with the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
The utility-sponsored helpdesk offers:
- Free one-on-one coaching during office hours via phone, virtual meetings, and email
- A resource webpage including training videos
- A searchable table for Qualified Persons and Qualified Energy Auditors
- FAQs
For more information and to schedule a consultation, please visit https://smartbuildingscenter.org/resources/clean-buildings-performance-standard/
Thank you to our sponsors!
