Resources - Smart Buildings Center

AESP Seeking Input on Flexible Demand Management Workforce Training, Update

February 7, 2023 By SBC staff

The Smart Buildings Center has partnered with the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) on an exciting project that will change the future of energy workforce development, and we are looking for your input.

AESP is developing free, online, flexible demand management workforce training and needs your feedback on the proposed course outline.

UPDATE: This is a re-post of our January 18th blog post, the deadline is lifted. If you haven’t yet provided feedback consider taking a few minutes to do so now.

To give feedback, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BENEFIT-NEEC

The initial course content plan addresses critical gaps in flexible demand management workforce education. Whether you are new to the field or have years of experience, you stand to benefit; this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to rapidly upskill our entire community in demand management. To get it right, we need to know if the proposed course curriculum meets YOUR specific needs.

A Closer Look at the Non-Energy Benefits of Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems

January 31, 2023 By SBC staff

This resource is brought to you by BetterBricks

Very high efficiency dedicated outdoor air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) are a proven solution for reducing energy consumption as they optimize the control and functionality of ventilation and thermal comfort independently. This very high efficiency approach is comprised of four key elements: high efficiency heat/energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV), a high-performance electric heat pump system that meets or exceeds current ENERGY STAR® minimum efficiency requirements, fully decoupled ventilation from the heating and cooling equipment, and a right-sized heating and cooling system.

Addressing the heating and cooling needs of a building, and applying best practices in design on a project-by-project basis, enables maximum performance and substantial energy savings. But did you know there are non-energy benefits of applying this approach to HVAC in commercial buildings that are also important?

Continue reading here

The U.S. Department of Energy Announces the Buildings Upgrade Prize

January 18, 2023 By SBC staff

The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) is offering more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams across America with winning ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage billions of dollars in funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, utility rebate programs, and many other sources to upgrade our existing buildings and help address climate change,” said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Transforming existing buildings is a complex task. Each building has its own set of needs related to size, use, age, location, and more—there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Buildings UP is designed to build capacity within multi-stakeholder teams to develop a variety of solutions and drive the implementation of effective building upgrade initiatives across the country.”

Visit the US Department of Energy website or learn more about the Buildings UP Prize.

AESP Seeking Input on Flexible Demand Management Workforce Training

January 18, 2023 By SBC staff

AESP is developing free, online, flexible demand management workforce training and needs your feedback on the proposed course outline.

To give feedback, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BENEFIT-NEEC

Please take a few minutes to provide your input by Monday, January 30^th, 2023.

A Proven Approach to High-Performance HVAC Improves Efficiency, Health & Comfort

January 18, 2023 By SBC staff

This resource is brought to you by BetterBricks

Very high efficiency dedicated outside air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) pair the highest performance HVAC equipment with key design principles to provide cleaner and safer indoor air, enhance indoor comfort, and reduce commercial building HVAC energy use. This approach has been demonstrated to reduce HVAC energy use by an average of 69% when compared to a code-minimum version of the existing equipment (often a packaged rooftop unit).

Very high efficiency DOAS consists of the following key elements:

A high efficiency HRV/ERV that features 82% or greater sensible effectiveness.
High-performance heating and cooling system that meets ENERGY STAR® performance standards.
Ventilation fully separated from heating and cooling.
Right-sized heating and cooling equipment.

To learn more about very high efficiency DOAS, including through case studies, research, and technical guides, visit: https://betterbricks.com/solutions/very-high-efficiency-doas

Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator Updates

November 15, 2022 By SBC staff

The following updates about the Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator—a no-cost technical support and training program for building owners and operators to meet the requirements of the Washington Clean Buildings law and reduce carbon emissions—were provided by Stillwater Energy and the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment.

The Educational Pathway—a web-based resource—is live! https://www.seattlebuildingsaccelerator.com/
- This educational pathway is self-led online and is available to all audiences and building types who need to comply with the WA Clean Building law (buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger).
- To access, we ask building owner/operators to complete a brief form to help us learn more about their building’s needs, so that we can grow and tailor the resources as we make updates.
- We will continue to update this site with resources and information to help buildings comply with the WA Clean Buildings law and reduce carbon emissions.
The first cohort of the Light Coaching Pathway launched October 12 with six organizations enrolled! We are now enrolling for a second cohort in December.
- The light coaching pathway provides tailored support and hands-on assistance.
- Seattle is prioritizing the Light Coaching Pathway for building(s) located in or serving frontline communities including black people, Indigenous people, sovereign tribal nations, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, youths, elders, houseless people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and people with low and no income. This may include many types of buildings like non-profits, buildings with small businesses important to or owned by frontline communities, museums, shelters, healthcare facilities, community centers and more.
- If you know of a building that is in or serves frontline communities, please send them our way for an upcoming informational session on Tuesday, November 29 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Register here: https://bit.ly/SeattleCleanBuildingsInfo_Nov29

For additional information, see the Seattle Clean Buildings Accelerator flyer or reach out to [email protected].

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