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| NCTCOG Energy Management & Renewable Energy Newsletter
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Hello , featured in this issue:
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Events:
- Brightfields 2019 - California - August 5th and 6th
- Portfolio Manager 101 - August 6th
- Step Away from the Spreadsheet: Online Tools are Making Sustainability Management in Higher Education Easy - August 6th
- Make a Splash with Quick Water Wins - August 7th
- Portfolio Manager "Ask the Expert" Webinars - August 7th and 21st
- METROCON19 Expo & Conference - August 8th and 9th
- Portfolio Manager 201 - August 13th
- Portfolio Manager 301 - August 20th
- SECO Workshop 3: Facility Retrofits to Reduce Overall Energy and Water Consumption - August 28th
- SECO Workshop 4: Energy Efficiency for Grid Resilience - August 28th
- Texas Renewable Energy Summit - September 4th through 6th
- Building Operator Certification: Energy Efficiency Through Operator Training - September 17th and 18th
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NCTCOG Energy Management and Renewable Energy Resources
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Texas Tech Making Significant Gains in Energy Efficiency, Sustainability
In West Texas, sustainability is crucial. From wind to
water, folks on the South Plains understand the need to be smart and creative with the sometimes-limited resources they have available. Perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that Texas Tech has worked to become a leading institution in energy efficiency and sustainability. That’s why the university’s chief financial officer, Noel Sloan, and Carey Hewett, managing director of business services for the Operations Division and campus sustainability officer, were in Austin recently where Hewett will present Tech’s sustainability successes to the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).
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Texas Poised To Become National Leader
in Solar Power
Solar power continues to grow in Texas, new research finds, and that growth is due in part to another renewable energy the state has in abundance: wind. The Solar Energy
Industries Association released a report in late June showing that Texas jumped up one place to sixth among states when it comes to solar power production.
Read the full article, here.
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Texas Has Generated More Electricity From Wind Than Coal So Far This Year
In the state of Texas, for the first time ever, wind has surpassed coal as an energy source. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas released data in July showing how wind was responsible for 22% of the electricity used across the state in the first half of 2019, edging out coal by 1%. Driving this shift are cheap natural gas and renewable energy prices as well as weather, which is believed to have played a role. For a chart of energy by fuel type and to read more, click here. |
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U.S. Cities Boost Clean Energy Efforts but Few on Track to Meet Climate Goals
The new American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard was recently released with Dallas and Fort Worth ranking 37th and 44th respectively out of 75 large US cities. The ACEEE Scorecard tracks policy efforts to advance renewable energy, in addition to energy efficiency, because both are needed to build a clean energy future and address climate change. It is the most comprehensive national report that tracks city progress toward climate goals. The Scorecard ranks cities in five policy areas, including: local government operations, community-wide initiatives, buildings policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies. Dallas performed best in the buildings policies category. The city earned full credit for its energy code compliance and enforcement efforts. In April 2018, the city began implementing its new Comprehensive Housing Policy.Fort Worth performed best in buildings policies and
energy and water utilities. In 2017, Tarrant County took steps to increase clean energy investments in commercial and multifamily buildings by authorizing property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing.To learn more, read a press release here.
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Empowering Tenants to Build out Sustainably with the Tenant Energy Optimization Program
This new tenant program, launched in the Energy Improvement Act of 2015, features two components—one for design and construction, and another for operation.
There are a few general requirements. First is simply estimating the energy use in one’s space. Mike Zatz of the EPA said, "The value of bench marking is you see what you start from and what gets measured then gets managed." Second is metering, to measure actual energy consumption in individual tenant spaces so far as is possible. Third is lighting configuration, as a considerable source of energy. Fourth is use of efficient Energy Star products generally. Fifth is a requirement to share data with management, which can often prove a valuable source of concepts for improvement.
Read the rest of the article, here.
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Energy Legislation Passed in U.S. Senate
and House Committees
This bill will reestablish federal authority over water and energy intensity reduction goals within federal agencies and buildings, through the formal establishment of the Federal Energy Management Program. This program has had proven success in the past, such as its 26.7% reduction in the energy intensity of federal buildings between 2003 and 2017.
Read more about all of the legislation passed, here.
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New Solar Permit Software to Reduce Cost and Expand Residential Markets
The Solar Foundation and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) are joining the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), several national residential solar companies, and other nonprofit organizations to develop new automated permit software for distributed solar and storage, reducing the cost of solar installations and saving resources for local governments and taxpayers.
Learn more about the SolarApp platform here: http://bit.ly/2K8WKRm
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Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations
The EPA is finalizing three separate and distinct rulemakings. First, the EPA is repealing the Clean Power Plan (CPP) because the Agency has determined that the CPP exceeded the EPA’s statutory authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Second, the EPA is finalizing the Affordable Clean Energy rule (ACE), consisting of Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Existing Electric Utility Generating Units (EGUs) under CAA section 111(d), that will inform states on the development, submittal and implementation of
state plans to establish performance standards for GHG emissions from certain fossil fuel-fired EGUs. In ACE, the Agency is finalizing its determination that heat rate improvement (HRI) is the best system of emission reduction (BSER) for reducing GHG – specifically carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing coal-fired EGUs. Third, the APS is finalizing new regulations for the EPA and state implementation of ACE and any future emission guidelines issued under CAA section 111(d).
DATES: Effective September 6, 2019.
For more information, please visit:https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-07-08/pdf/2019-13507.pdf |
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Brightfields 2019 - California
Connect with CCLR and some of the best minds in the solar industry at Brownfield Listing's Brightfields 2019 - California! This dynamic, action-oriented solar energy development event will bring together solar developers, property owners, policy makers and professionals for illuminating educational sessions, active networking and live market-making in an open 'Solar Market Mixer' that is free for landowners and communities with potential solar sites.
Date: August 5-6, 2019
Location:Sacramento, CA
Register here: http://bit.ly/2Yn62gf
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Portfolio Manager 101
Join the EPA as they introduce and demonstrate the core functionality of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. Attendees will learn how to: navigate Portfolio Manager; add a property and enter details about it; enter energy and water consumption data; and generate template performance reports to assess progress.
Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:
• Portfolio Manager
• Getting started with benchmarking
• Generating reports
Webinar level: Beginner
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Time: 12:00 pm CST
Register here: http://bit.ly/2YlpH07
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Step Away from the Spreadsheet: Online Tools are Making Sustainability Management in Higher Education Easy
Join this webinar hosted by AASHE to learn more about six key tools and what they offer to the higher education sector:
1. GRITS (sustainability project tracking)
2. SIMAP (greenhouse gas inventory preparation)
3. Second Nature Reporting Platform (greenhouse gas reporting)
4. STARS (sustainability tracking and benchmarking)
5. USGBC LEED (green building certifications)
6. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (building energy, water, and waste tracking and benchmarking)
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Time: 11:00 am CST
Register here: http://bit.ly/2YgZNKY
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Make a Splash with Quick Water Wins
Managing water within your facility doesn't have to involve major retrofits or renovations. Significant water savings can be achieved with small changes to operation and maintenance procedures and changes to user behavior. Learn about no- and low-cost solutions that can be implemented to start saving water in buildings right away, without the need for costly capital improvements.
Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:
· Water efficiency
Webinar level: Beginner, Intermediate
Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Time: 12:00 pm CST
Speaker: Tara O'Hare, EPA's WaterSense Program
Register here: http://bit.ly/2YohSXE
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Portfolio Manager "Ask the Expert" Webinars
Join the Portfolio Manager "Ask the Expert" webinar every other Wednesday. This live webinar gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a "real" person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join the webinar and get an answer to all your questions about ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in this public forum.
Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:
· Portfolio Manager
· Getting started with
benchmarking
· Solutions to your unique questions
Webinar level: Beginner, intermediate, or advanced
Date: Wednesday, August 7th & 21st
Time: 11:00 am CST
Register for Wednesday, August 7th here. Register for Wednesday, August 21st here.
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METROCON19 Expo & Conference - Dallas, TX
METROCON is the largest not-for-profit [501(c)6], self-produced, volunteer-driven, design specification-focused regional expo and conference in the USA. The annual event introduces new products and ideas to the region’s community of Interior Designers, Architects, Specifiers, Facility Managers, Real Estate Professionals, Students & other Essential Industry Members catering to the built environment.
Date: Thursday, August 8 – Friday, August 9
Time: 8:00 am – 5:00
pm
Location: Dallas Market Hall, 2200 Stemmons Frwy., Dallas, TX 75207
To learn more click here. To register for the event, click here.
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Portfolio Manager 201
Continue to learn about EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, with a deeper dive into more advanced functionalities such as: editing property data; correcting and updating property use details; using the data quality checker; and sharing property data.
Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:
· Portfolio Manager
· Sharing property data
Webinar level: Intermediate
Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Time: 12:00 pm
CST
Register here: http://bit.ly/2YoTQLY
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Portfolio Manager 301
With a good background on the basic functionality of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, learn about some advanced features including: using spreadsheet upload templates to update property data; setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; creating custom reports; and using the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.
Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:
· Portfolio Manager
· Setting goals for energy improvement
· Custom reports
Webinar level: Advanced
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Time: 12:00 pm CST
Register here: http://bit.ly/2JX3q50
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SECO Workshop 3: Facility Retrofits to Reduce Overall
Energy and Water Consumption
Facility retrofits are a beneficial way to improve energy and water efficiency and reduce overall consumption and save money. This workshop will explore ways local governments can implement facility retrofits to reduce overall consumption within their own facilities. Financing and technical resources will be highlighted that can be accessed by local government entities in North Central Texas. The process to receive free technical assistance and preliminary energy audits assessments (PEAs) from the State Energy Conservation Office will also be covered
Speakers:
- Saleem Khan, P.E. - President, TEESI Engineering
- North Central Texas Council of Governments
- General Services Administration (Tentative)
- Texas State Energy Conservation Office (Tentative)
Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: NCTCOG CP3
Tejas Conference Room, 3rd Floor
600 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, Texas 76011
Box Lunch:
$10 Box Lunch will be provided for those who purchase a lunch when registering
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SECO Workshop 4: Energy Efficiency for Grid Resilience
Disruptions in power occur for a variety of reasons in North Central Texas. Natural and
man-made hazards can lead to disruptions in electric services to local government facilities, residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. This workshop will explore ways local governments can better prepare for future disruptions by reducing their electric demand. By reducing demand on the grid through improvements in energy efficiency and implementation of technologies such as distribution generation and micro-grids, local governments can improve their resilience to grid outages. Integrating energy efficiency into resilience planning will also be explored and resources for local governments to evaluate energy efficiency as a tool for resiliency will be provided. Information on how to integrate alternative fuel vehicle technology and infrastructure in emergency preparedness applications will also be discussed.
Speakers:
- Gavin Dillingham - Houston Advanced Research Council
- Corothy Gilliam - North Central Texas Council of Governments
Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: NCTCOG CP3
Tejas Conference Room, 3rd Floor
600 Six Flags Drive
Arlington, Texas 76011
Box Lunch: $10 Box Lunch will be provided for those who purchase a lunch when registering. Arrive at 12:00 pm for lunch
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Texas Renewable Energy Summit
Texas cities, munis, and co‑ops continue to embrace and procure renewables from wind to community to distributed solar. However, this year has seen a trend towards aggregating offtakers to purchase renewable energy. Attend the Texas Renewable Energy Summit — the number one event for the state's renewables markets — to dive into the discussions on aggregating renewable energy purchasing: - What is driving this trend?
- How do offtakers views of the market contribute to their decisions about what to procure?
- How are aggregators addressing the unique needs of
individual offtakers in their procurements?
- What types of projects and sizes of projects are desirable for renewables sourcing? What kind of solutions are they looking for from renewables suppliers?
- How do they view the economics?
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Building Operator Certification: Energy Efficiency Through Operator Training
This national training and education program helps building engineers, maintenance supervisors and technicians advance their skills in the energy efficient operation of commercial buildings. It is also geared towards building owners, operators, and maintenance personnel focusing on teaching them how to make small behavioral changes that will decreased the building’s energy consumption and utility bills drastically. Savings are roughly $10,000/annually per graduate. SPEER has been
licensed to run this program in Texas & Oklahoma where it is the only energy efficient program with combined classroom and hands on training.
Date:
September 17-18, 2019
Time: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Tempo Service, 911
Maryland Dr., Irving, TX 75061
To learn more, visit: http://bit.ly/DallasBOC. View a program flyer here or an event flyer here.
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For questions or additional information on any of these items, please contact:
Tamara Cook
Senior Program Manager of Environment and Development
tcook@nctcog.org
817-695-9221
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