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2020: Year in Review

January 27, 2021 By SBC staff

News from our partner, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council

2020 was an unusual year for all, but through the challenges and adaptations, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) and Smart Buildings Center (SBC) programs made significant progress on many goals and initiatives. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, NEEC quickly pivoted and moved all educational programs, including the Building Operator Certification (BOC) courses and Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP), to a virtual format. Our staff, like so many others throughout the nation, began working from home, many sharing a hastily created home workspace with their own children, whose schools or childcare arrangements were closed to support safety for all of us. In early June, staff organized the SBC’s first Virtual Executive Forum, which focused on how the coronavirus pandemic and related changes to and concerns about building occupation strengthened the case for smarter buildings. Our Tool Lending Library, which closed for a short period of time, reopened as quickly as possible to essential workers and needs, and we published content highlighting how tools in our space could help building facility staff and operators better understand the conditions inside their own facilities and support operators in complying with best practice guidance coming from entities such as ASHRAE. Like so many of you, we never anticipated when we left our offices in mid-March 2020 that we wouldn’t return in any full-time capacity until a still yet to be determined date in the future, but as new information emerged and guidance was pushed out from the Governor’s Office, we “rolled with the punches” and continued to adjust our programming, bring virtual rather than in person content, and connect with all of you as best we could from our separate spaces.

Looking ahead into 2021, NEEC and SBC plan to host the Smart Buildings Exchange Conference & Tradeshow, although plans for the event format and structure are still being finalized. The ‘Why Smart Buildings?’ Executive Forums will continue and will explore relevant topics related to the role smart buildings technologies will play in the post-pandemic commercial buildings sector. The NEEC staff will support the SBC in the development of new educational content, expansion of the Tool Lending Library, development of technical content and webinars and the launching of a BOC Fundamentals of Energy Efficient Building Operations course.

During 2020, the NEEC Board of Directors welcomed four new members (Mike Christianson, Justin Fallstrom, Pete Segall, Poppy Storm) and the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP) Board of Directors welcomed two new members (Lucy Gedney and Marcus Thomas).


2021 is going to be an exciting year and we are eager to share our new content with you, so stay tuned via all of our social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn), newsletters and blogs, and please enjoy the year in review below.

NEEC represents the changemakers who are transforming efficiency for the future. We are always eager to hear your thoughts about what the future holds for our industry, so please reach out at any time. Please take a moment to renew your membership for 2021 here: https://www.neec.net/2021-membership-payment/ or by contacting [email protected], and if you are not yet a member, join us!

New NEEC Members
NEEC welcomed the following new members during 2020 and looks forward to continuing our work together to support and advance the energy efficiency industry of the future:

New SBCEP Partners
SBCEP is excited to welcome O’Brien360 as a new partner beginning in 2021. O’Brien360 works alongside clients to ensure that new and existing buildings reach the highest possible level of sustainability, providing comprehensive services including consulting, certification, building performance and commissioning. From project conception to occupancy, they bring sustainable building expertise, thoughtful analysis, and technical skills to every project, delivering performance and value for clients in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

‘Why Smart Buildings?’ Executive Forum, June 2020
In June 2020, SBC hosted Navigating the New World, How the COVID-19 Crisis Has Strengthened the Case for Smart Buildings Practices and Technologies as part of the ‘Why Smart Buildings?’ Executive Forum series. Panelists discussed how the pandemic has strengthened the case for smart buildings technologies and practices to help mitigate unforeseen crises, better manage building operations, and meet the needs of tenants, occupants and other stakeholders in the built environment. The recording is available on the SBC YouTube channel.

Smart Buildings Week, September 2020
In place of the planned in-person Smart Buildings Exchange 2020 event, SBC hosted a virtual Smart Buildings Week September 14-18, 2020. Each day during the lunch hour, a virtual session crafted from key topics and speaker commitments for the planned in-person event featured a compelling and interactive panel discussion covering smart buildings topics including Using Data and Analytics to Improve Performance, Grid Enabled Efficient Buildings, Achieving Persistent Operational Performance, and Creating Intelligent Spaces. The session recordings are available on the Smart Buildings Center YouTube channel. Thank you to the speakers and event sponsors who made the series possible!

New Industry Resource: Remote Learning Calendar & Library
With support from Puget Sound Energy, SBC launched a Remote Learning Calendar and Library to provide access to a clearinghouse for remote education and training opportunities. The calendar and resources are curated for commercial energy managers, trade allies, facility managers, and those with a general interest in energy efficiency and smart buildings technologies and provide details and links to upcoming live and previously recorded remote learning events covering a wide range of topics. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to submit events and recordings using the links below.

Submit calendar event    |    Submit recording

Building Operator Certification (BOC) Program Update
The BOC program responded quickly to the need to pivot to online training in the face of COVID-19 and delivered trainings with little interruption to schedules. All 2020 NEEC BOC courses were delivered virtually, offering students the opportunity to attend live classes remotely with engagement with instructors and peers in an online platform. More about the BOC’s response can be found here. Via 40 BOC courses, BOC trained 661 professionals across 22 states.

Spring 2021 courses and the 2021 technical webinar series are open for registration at www.theboc.info.

Building Operator Certification logo

Washington State Controls Apprenticeship
The Washington State Controls Specialist Apprenticeship Committee launched two Controls Specialist Apprenticeship programs aimed at developing professional expertise in the application, programming and management of building controls and automation systems. The high-demand, high-tech Controls Technology industry needs a “talent river” that benefits both employers and organized trades that build, operate, maintain and/or optimize the built environment. The youth and adult apprenticeship programs provide career pathways into facility operations, engineering and controls contracting occupations.

Tool Lending Library News
After a brief closure due to COVID-19 precautions, SBC shared Tool Lending Library (TLL) reopening guidelines and resumed filling tool loan requests using COVID-19 safety protocols. An April 2020 SBC blog post summarized best practices to reduce the spread of the virus in buildings, focusing on airborne transmission, and highlighted tools in the TLL that can support efforts to effectively prepare and maintain buildings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEEC Staff News
During the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are grateful that NEEC staff members stayed safe and healthy. NEEC staff transitioned to working from home adhering to WA State pandemic guidelines.

NEEC also welcomed 2 new babies

  • Brittany Quigley welcomed her daughter Isla Virginia Quigley on 12/20/2019
  • Harneet Kaur welcomed her daughter Arzoe Kaur Grover on 07/04/2020

Download PDF

Filed Under: SBC News

PSE Releases RFI for 2022-23 Program Years

January 27, 2021 By SBC staff

Our Customer Energy Management (CEM) group is interested in receiving information which may result in new and innovative demand-side energy management products, programs and support services for the program years 2022-2023. The goal of this Request for Information (RFI) is to secure information on potential energy efficiency products that could be incorporated into energy management programs and related services for our customers in the 2022-2023 biennium. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute for a Request for Proposals or any contractual opportunities or obligations.

If your company is interested in learning more about submitting a written response, please review the RFI document for details. Final responses must be submitted electronically to us at [email protected] on or before 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on March 1, 2021. You will not receive a hardcopy of the RFI; distribution is through e-mail only. These documents have also been publicly posted on the Conduit website.

GET STARTED

 

Filed Under: Resources

EEaS Project Solicitation – Jan-Apr 2021

January 27, 2021 By SBC staff

Seattle City Light is excited to launch the second round of project solicitations for the Energy Efficiency as a Service (EEaS) pilot program.

For this this round, we are seeking 10 buildings (new or existing) with plans to implement deep energy efficiency projects. Participants will be selected through a competitive Request for Projects (RFP) process which opened January 22, 2021 and closes April 30, 2021.

As communicated in the last newsletter, eligibility has been expanded to include the following non-residential building types:

  1. Existing buildings:
    1. City Light account type: Commercial
    2. Primary City Light account must for more than 90% of the building’s electricity
    3. Lease type: any
    4. Ownership type: any
    5. Size: Min 50,000sf
    6. Savings target: Project must intend to save 25% of annual electricity consumption
  2. New Construction:
    1. City Light account type: Commercial
    2. Primary City Light account must for more than 90% of the building’s electricity
    3. Electricity must be sole fuel source for the building (back-ups excluded)
    4. Lease type: any
    5. Ownership type: any
    6. Size: Min 50,000sf
    7. Savings target: Project must take the C401.3 Target Performance Path code compliance pathway and intend to perform 25% better than code requirement

How do I get more information?

To learn more about the pilot program, please visit https://powerlines.seattle.gov/eeas/. Updated program documentation is provided on the webpage.

There will be an EEaS Information Session on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 from 11AM – 12:30PM. If you are interested in joining, please email Colm Otten to register and block off your calendar. Please email all specific questions emailed to [email protected] before February 12th, 2021. All questions will be answered and covered during the information session. Meeting invitations will be sent to all who submit questions or indicate interest in attending.

Filed Under: Resources

Growing & Developing the Energy Efficiency Workforce: A Resource Portal

January 20, 2021 By SBC staff

Careers in the energy efficiency industry are booming. To grow our nation’s workforce of building managers, operators, and technicians, we have teamed up with the U.S. Department of Energy. Check out the Better Buildings Workforce Development Portal to get career guidance, curriculum/credentials, continuing education and training, and internship opportunities.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Webinar Series: Basics of Building Benchmarking for Ordinance Compliance

January 20, 2021 By SBC staff

Are you a building owner who needs to comply with a mandatory benchmarking requirement? Do you have little or no experience using EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool?

Join us for a new, three-part webinar series on the basics of Portfolio Manager. Learn the ins and outs of the Portfolio Manager tool and get to know the benefits of energy efficiency and energy management.

Using the tools in these training sessions, you can feel confident submitting your building data for compliance. In Part 1, you will learn the basics of Portfolio Manager and everything you need to submit your benchmarking report, while Parts 2 and 3 will take you beyond submitting your report to improving your building by understanding your building’s performance and helping you make a plan to reduce energy consumption and costs.

All webinars are at 10 am PT

Part 1: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Portfolio Manager for Benchmarking Law Compliance — January 26th 

Part 2: Using Benchmarking Results to Understand your Building’s Performance — February 24th 

Part 3: To Efficiency and Beyond! How to Benefit from Benchmarking Compliance with Strategies for Improving your Energy Performance — March 30th 

Filed Under: Resources, Webinars

Job Opportunities

December 18, 2020 By SBC staff

Energy Management Analyst Supervisor, Seattle City Light
Location: Seattle, WA

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle’s electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Customer Care & Energy Solutions (CCES), the longest continuously operating municipal energy conservation initiative in the country, is seeking an Energy Management Analyst (EMA) Supervisor for the Project Development team. This supervisor will lead a team of multi-disciplinary energy management professionals who promote and deliver the utility’s portfolio of demand-side management programs to its commercial, industrial, multifamily, and institutional customers. The portfolio has historically been predominantly comprised of energy efficiency programs, however it is evolving and expanding to include distributed energy resources, such as demand response, distributed generation, electric vehicles, as well as building electrification. CCES is responsible for acquiring/delivering all cost-effective energy efficiency (kWh) to the utility (a least-cost resource) in support of I-937 targets – preserving and extending the benefits of Seattle City Light’s low-cost, carbon-neutral resources. The Project Development team, comprised of 18 EMAs, is responsible for delivering roughly 60% of the division’s resource acquisition target and processes several hundred customer energy management projects annually.

The Project Development team delivers programs and services that help our customer owners and community partners meet their evolving energy needs, while striving to be their most valued and trusted energy partner. The group works with business customers across all sectors to conduct program outreach, opportunity assessments, and project development activities. The team also works closely with owners, developers, building operators, property managers, tenants, and a network of contractors, distributors, architects, engineers, design consultants, and other service providers that enable this work. The team helps customers maximize the performance of their existing buildings (across capital, O&M, and behavioral improvements) and new construction projects (to exceed energy code requirements) and through equipment incentives at distributor channels. In addition, the team contributes heavily to program design & development with a focus on enhancing customer experience, implementing continuous process improvement, and minimizing evaluation risk.

This position is one of two EMA Supervisors who report to the Project Development Section Manager.

View the full job description and application requirements HERE.

Director of Energy Programs, Energy Trust of Oregon
Location: Portland, OR

About Us
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy development. We serve 1.6 million Oregon customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista. These customers are renters, homeowners, commercial business owners, property managers, schools, agricultural operations, small to large industrial facilities and communities.

Since 2002, customers have saved $3.4 billion on energy bills from efficiency retrofits, high-performance new construction and renewable energy systems installed at 718,000 locations and purchased through retail and distributors. These dollars recirculate in Oregon’s economy, driving broader economic benefits for all.

Energy Trust is overseen by the Oregon Public Utility Commission and is accountable for meeting annual minimum performance measures set by the commission. A non-stakeholder, volunteer board of directors sets the strategic direction, policies
and annual budgets, and offers independent perspectives.

About the Director of Energy Programs Position
We’re looking for a visionary, innovative, strategic and collaborative individual to lead and advance Energy Trust’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs into the dynamic energy future. The Director of Energy Programs is a senior leadership position at Energy Trust, managing the organization’s program teams in the direction, design and implementation of all of the organization’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The Director of Energy Programs reports directly to the Executive Director and is a member of the executive management team.

Download the recruitment flyer for this position (PDF).

We will be accepting applications in January 2021. Please visit www.energytrust.org/about/careers beginning in January for the full position description and instructions on how to apply.

Marketing Manager – New Markets and Innovation, McKinstry
Location: Seattle, WA

At McKinstry, we’re proud to be a diverse and passionate group of innovators and problem-solvers, builders and engineers, mentors and students. We believe the world needs curious, forward-thinking, solutions-oriented people who want to make our planet better. We are committed to strengthening our diversity through recruiting, developing, and retaining professionals from all backgrounds, and we believe that promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity is an integral component of our continuing quest To Build a Thriving Planet. If you are looking to leave a purposeful mark on the world, then McKinstry is the place for you.

Here’s where you come in:
We are currently seeking a Marketing Manager to join our team as a member of our sales engagement and enablement team.  Join an established and dynamic team and make an immediate impact. This role will initially focus on new start-ups within our organization and strategic enterprise initiatives requiring specialized go-to-market expertise. It will further build our capacity to develop new offerings and accelerate new ventures against our 2025 plans and Aspirations.  We are looking for candidates with strong AEC business acumen and multi-disciplined communications and marketing skills.

You’re great at:
Marketing Management
You know how to work in a fast-paced environment that requires juggling multiple deadlines concurrently and are looking for a dynamic role that provides new challenges and growth opportunity.  You are competitive, self-motivated, and want to be a part of a winning team.  You are an excellent facilitator, working across leaders and teams to develop winning strategies and differentiators for new products, services, or approaches to the market. You seek to understand our industry and client trends deeply, and the strategies needed to connect to clients effectively and build lasting relationships. You are comfortable managing others, but are also motivated to dig in and do the work yourself. You are an influencer with excellent relationship-building skills that bring people together to make an impact.

Communications
You know how to utilize all means to effectively communicate. Your storytelling ideas, strategies for how to best position digital mediums, and writing influences the way customers and markets see and connect to us, and sets up our vision of Building a Thriving Planet.

Leadership
You’re not only great at leading and managing people, but you like people. Being a great leader is important because we are a People First employer that values emotional intelligence, kindness, and trust. You understand and place value in recruiting, hiring, developing, inspiring, and retaining people. You know how to set performance goals and conduct performance evaluations for assigned team and provide supervision, mentorship, and motivation to assigned staff as required.

View the full job description & apply here

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Contact Us

Smart Buildings Center
Pacific Tower
1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98144

206-538-0832

[email protected]

Smart Buildings Center is a project collaboration with Building Potential

        

Smart Buildings Center · Pacific Tower, 1200 12th Ave. S., Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98144 · 206-538-0832

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