SBC staff - Smart Buildings Center

2021 Built Environment Social Equity Survey

March 30, 2021 By SBC staff

The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and 16 other organizations are collaborating on an important survey to better understand the diversity of the built environment and the experiences of people working in the built environment in the United States. The survey should take about 5-7 minutes, and as a thank you for completing it, you will have a chance to enter a drawing for one of four $250 Amazon gift cards.

Take the survey now

Eligibility: This survey is intended for people in the U.S. who are involved in real estate, design, construction, and/or maintenance of the U.S. built environment—that is, human-made structures, features, and facilities viewed collectively as an environment in which people live, work, learn, and play. You may receive an invitation to participate from more than one organization, but please only take this 2021 Built Environment Social Equity Survey once.

Privacy: The survey is being conducted by Avenue M Group, an independent market research company, and responses will be anonymous when collected and when shared with participating organizations. If you have any questions about this survey, please feel free to contact Trevor Schlusemann from Avenue M Group by emailing [email protected].

Why This Survey Is Important: All people working in the built environment should have the support they need and opportunities to succeed. The survey will help partnering organizations better understand…

The degree to which the built environment is inclusive
Whether some demographic groups are underrepresented at certain levels or in areas of the built environment
How people working in the built environment define diversity

This survey is crucial towards improving social equity within the built environment. We thank you for your help.

RSVP Today to Help Provide Direction on High-Impact Commercial Building Technologies

March 30, 2021 By SBC staff

What are the technologies of the future that will make commercial buildings more energy efficient and climate-friendly? The Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office Commercial Building Integration (CBI) team wants to hear from you as we review 2021’s most promising, market-ready, energy-efficient commercial building technologies.

CBI is hosting a series of discussions to collect feedback and comments on a prioritized set of cost-effective, underutilized, deployment-ready, energy-efficient technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will support our market transformation programs. Each year we invite participation from federal technology managers, renewable energy/ energy efficiency organizations, utilities, local governments, and industry and non-governmental organizations. This year, we specifically request feedback and participation from diverse and underrepresented populations.

If you think you may have contributions to help guide CBI’s prioritization of commercial building technologies, join us!

Dates and Times:

Tuesday, March 30, 1:00-2:00 ET
Thursday, April 8, 2:30-3:30 ET
Monday, April 12, 10:00-11:00 ET
Wednesday, April 21, 1:00-2:00 ET
Friday, April 30, 12:00-1:00 ET

To RSVP, please email Tim Manganello at [email protected]. In your RSVP, please include your:

Name
Organization
Top TWO preferred timeslots (we will be assigning people to timeslots to ensure we can keep the number of participants relatively even)

For more information, please visit the BTO website here.

We want your opinion! SBC Lend & Learn Program Survey

March 26, 2021 By SBC staff

The Smart Buildings Center, in collaboration with the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development, is piloting a Lend & Learn program to grow and diversify clean technologies and to expand SBC’s Tool Lending Library (TLL). The goal of the pilot is to:

Increase market access and awareness of local clean technologies specifically around energy efficiency and renewables.
Streamline product providers with business assistance such as user feedback on the tool experience.

We’re seeking input from current tool lending library users as well as those who are not current users.

Please participate in our 5-minute survey by clicking on this link.

Your feedback is valuable to us! You will have the opportunity at the end of the survey to provide your contact information to win one of four $50 gift cards from the Intentionalist, a diverse local business marketplace. You may also donate your gift card to support the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP).

Stay tuned for more details on the SBC Lend & Learn Program and Tool Lending Library! Join the Smart Buildings Center mailing list for information about events and energy efficiency news by clicking here.

Thank you for your time & support!

Job Opportunity: Buildings and Energy Advisor, City of Seattle

March 26, 2021 By SBC staff

The Department
The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) develops and implements citywide environmental policies and programs that propel our city toward a sustainable, equitable, and carbon neutral future.

The Job
The Building and Energy Advisor develops plans, policies, and programs to achieve sustainable, energy-efficient, and carbon neutral buildings in Seattle’s public and private sectors. This work prioritizes racial equity and environmental justice and aligns with our work to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Specifically, you will develop and implement Greenhouse Gas reduction and energy efficiency approaches and policies for commercial and multifamily building sectors.

To be successful, you are committed to:

Helping solve the problem of climate change in ways that are equitable and economically feasible
Asking the right questions, listening, and involving BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee communities
Doing research, thinking creatively, and finding new or refining current ideas to solve problems
Using your understanding of building science and mechanical systems to reduce greenhouse gases

View the full job description and application requirements HERE

Job Opportunities: O’Brien360

March 26, 2021 By SBC staff

Company Summary
OʼBrien360 is a 30-year-old sustainability consultancy based in Seattle and dedicated to integrating sustainable building expertise, thoughtful analysis, and a collaborative approach toward catalyzing positive outcomes in the built environment. From project conception to occupancy, OʼBrien360 delivers value and performance to clients across the entire project arc.

Vision
Equitable advancement of the built environment toward positive life cycle impacts.

Mission
Integrate sustainable building expertise, thoughtful analysis, and a collaborative approach to catalyze positive outcomes.

For more information about OʼBrien360 and our green building consulting work, please visit www.obrien360.com.

Open Positions

Business Operations Manager

Commercial Rating Systems Project Associate

Commissioning Engineer ‒ Entry Level

Multifamily Green Building Project Assistant

Washington Clean Energy Fund Grants Available

March 15, 2021 By SBC staff

Up to $4.6 million available for new round of Grid Modernization grants

Commerce is pleased to announce a new application period is now open for the Grid Modernization grant program under the state’s Clean Energy Fund. Up to $4.6 million is available through a competitive award process.

To support a wider range of the state’s utilities, this round of funding provides support for earlier-stage pre-design and design activities for future capital projects. The available funding supports electric utilities in deploying grid modernization projects that facilitate integration of renewable energy sources, deployment of distributed energy resources, and sustainable microgrids.

Only retail electric utilities are eligible to apply, however priority will be given to applicants that demonstrate partnership with federally-recognized Tribal governments and/or non-profit organizations serving Tribal communities or vulnerable populations.

Commerce is also prioritizing projects that:

Support the deployment of capital assets that benefit federally- recognized Tribal governments, Tribal communities or vulnerable populations.
Demonstrate meaningful community engagement and/or co-creation of project design and outcomes.
Use new or innovative products or services, or which deploy a proven technology using a novel approach.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on May 18, 2021.

Find more information, including examples of past projects and all application materials, on Commerce’s Grid Modernization webpage.

The Grid Modernization program is funded through Washington state’s Clean Energy Fund (CEF). The CEF invests in projects that provide a public benefit to Washington communities through deployment of clean energy technologies that save energy and reduce energy costs, reduce harmful air emissions, or otherwise increase energy independence for the state.

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