April 2019 Energy Management & Renewable Energy Newsletter

Events:

PACENation Summit 2019 - April 3-5
SPEER's 2019 Clean Energy Exchange - April 8-9
Waste Heat to Power in the Utilities Market: The Veyo Project - April 9, Webinar
2019 Renewable Energy Policy Forum: Solar & Storage Finance Investment - April 9-10
Combined Heat and Power for Academic Facilities - April 16, Webinar
Financing Energy Efficiency Projects - What to Know Before You Sign - April 17
Resilience Planning for Critical Infrastructure with Combined Heat and Power - April 18, Webinar
Combined Heat and Power and Resilience - Keeping the Lights On and Lowering Operating Costs - April 25, Webinar
EarthX 2019 - April 26-28
Fleet Workshop: Efficiency Solutions for Fleets that Support Our Community - April 26
Texas Energy Managers Association (TEMA) 2019 Conference - April 30 - May 2
North Texas BPI - May 20-23, Irving, TX
2019 National Energy Codes Conference - May 28-30

Have you Heard About the Programs SECO Has Available?

The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) supports and administers a variety of energy and renewable energy programs that local governments can participate in to reduce cost and consumption.

SECO's Texas Power Pool is a comprehensive electricity purchasing aggregation with access to wholesale renewable power, with optional add-ons for on-site solar energy and demand response to achieve historically low energy costs with no construction outlays. This electricity purchasing option is offered through services under Texas SmartBuy Contract 961-M2 awarded by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Statewide Procurement Division to Texas Energy Aggregation.
Eligible customers for the Texas Power Pool are municipal entities, school districts, utility districts, water authorities, state agencies, and universities in both competitive and non-competitive (deregulated and regulated) electricity regions of Texas.

For information about SECO's Texas Power Pool Program, visit: https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/resources/tpp.php

Texas Power Pool surpasses 140MW, releases renewable RFP

The Texas Power Pool, one of SECO's programs, has received sufficient Letters of Interest to surpass its initial 100 megawatt goal, placing taxpayer-supported public entities within striking distance of a 3-cent per kWh target price to procure 100% Texas-produced renewable wholesale power. The Texas Energy Aggregation (TEA) was selected to help public entities source power, including pooled access to longer-term renewable power purchase agreements.

Texas Power Pool is the first new Statewide purchasing option available to public entities to be built around an aggregated wholesale renewable energy buy.

Read full article here.

'Rooftop' Solar to Protect Cars at McKinney Dealership

El Dorado Chevrolet/Mazda of McKinney will soon break ground on an expansive construction project that will put the majority of its 28-acre lot under the protection of 37 canopies topped with 3,456 photovoltaic solar panels. When completed, the mini, private solar energy farm will produce a remarkable one gigawatt of electricity, thus powering the business and producing enough current to sell back to the utility company.

The motivation for such a huge investment in renewable power was a matter of smart fiscal decision-making. The dealership will save millions of dollars in the next three decades in both electric bills and insurance premiums.

Read full article here

PACE: 1st Tarrant County Project and New TX-PACE Regions

Tarrant County’s first PACE project is a $556,000 PACE assessment that will turn a vacant property into a residential treatment center for teenagers. Energy and water retrofits are projected to reduce energy use by 575,136 kWh annually. The project is expected to result in over 575,000 gallons of yearly water savings.

Texas PACE Authority also welcomes the Cities of Cameron, Corinth, and Panhandle to its region. The City of Corinth is located in Denton County and joined the TX-PACE program on January 10, 2019.

Visit https://www.texaspaceauthority.org/ to learn more.

Featured Resources from SolSmart

The North Central Texas Council of Governments would like to share the resources available from SolSmart, a national designation program recognizing cities, counties, and regional organizations that foster the development of mature local solar markets.

Resource topics include planning, permitting, inspection, construction codes, solar rights, utility management, community engagement, and market development, among others.

The SolSmart program is managed by ICMA (International City/County Management Association) and The Solar Foundation, and their featured resources can be found in this link: https://www.solsmart.org/resources/

New Resources for Rural States, Local Governments, and K-12 Schools

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released two resources to help rural states, local governments, and K-12 schools achieve energy and cost savings from energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.
The new Rural Resources for States, Local Governments, and K-12 School Districts webpage offers information and resources on technical assistance programs, case studies, and applicable examples. Topics include energy planning, energy efficiency financing, energy data management, outdoor lighting, and wastewater infrastructure.
The new Better Buildings Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Resources for Rural K-12 School Energy Managers and Educators includes information that:

Addresses the unique opportunities and challenges rural K-12 schools face
Helps states, local school administrators, school boards, and facilities personnel supporting rural school districts to make informed decisions around the use of funds for energy efficiency improvements as a part of their facilities management plans
Compiles best practices and solutions to foster energy and cost savings in rural schools.

World's Biggest Battery to Boost Solar in Texas Oil Country

The world’s largest battery could soon be storing solar energy deep in the heart of Texas oil country. The 495-megawatt storage system would be built in tandem with a solar farm of the same size in Borden County, Texas. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc., which operates most of the state’s grid, posted the details in a chart that shows the state’s battery storage will surge more than sixfold to 584 megawatts when the projects are completed in 2021.

Read more

SPEER's 2019 Clean Energy Exchange
April 8-9, 2019

ATTENTION TEXAS CITIES! Join SPEER in Austin on April 8 & 9, 2019 for the SPEER Clean Energy Exchange!

SPEER is extending one scholarship per city to SPEER’s annual conference covering a range of energy efficiency topics for Texas and Oklahoma. This year they are hosting the conference at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin on April 8 & 9. In this year's local government breakout session - "Beyond Low Hanging Fruit - Public Sector Energy Management" we will discuss pushing beyond easy energy efficiency to a new era of public sector energy management.

2019 SPEER Clean Energy Exchange Keynote Speakers:

Katherine Hayhoe, Mitigate, Adapt, or Suffer: Connecting Global Change to Local Impacts and Solutions

Jeff Butler, The Ins and Outs of Managing 4 Generations in the Workforce

CEE is a premier energy efficiency event for Texas and Oklahoma. The format incorporates keynote speakers and panel discussions with SPEER's signature deep dive breakout sessions - dialogues on energy efficiency topics including utility programs, building energy codes, financing, distributed generation, efficiency in electric markets, demand response, local government initiatives and more! View the full agenda here.

Interested in registering? Contact Cassidy Ellis at SPEER (cellis@eepartnership.org / 512-279-0765) for special city scholarships!

Waste Heat to Power in the Utilities Market: The Veyo Project
April 9, Webinar

Waste Heat to Power (WHP) is the process of recovering waste heat and using it to generate power with no combustion and no emissions. WHP and Combined Heat and Power projects are gaining traction among utilities, as a great opportunity to reduce energy costs, save money and improve the resilience of the power grid. The Department of Energy’s CHP Technical Assistance Partnership is leading a webinar in collaboration with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) on the opportunities and applications WHP in the utility market.

Please join us on April 9th at 11 am CST, to learn about these WHP benefits, federally funded engineering services, case studies, and opportunities.

Register here

2019 Renewable Energy Policy Forum: Solar & Storage Finance Investment
April 9-10, 2019

The Solar & Storage Finance & Investment Texas is the only event designed specifically to uncover PV and storage finance opportunities in Texas. It provides the attendees with a wide variety of opportunities to network via exclusive VIP meetings, interactive sessions, dedicated speaker meet-and-greets and speed networking sessions. This is the only event which matches best in class content and networking.

Location: Hyatt Regency, 208 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Register here

Combined Heat and Power for Academic Facilities
April 16, Webinar

Join the Department of Energy’s Upper-West and Southcentral CHP TAPs, AASHE and IFMA on April 16 for a webinar on trends, opportunities, and challenges of Combined Heat and Power systems in academic facilities. This interactive webinar will cover the drivers and strategies that have helped academic facilities successfully adopt CHP as well as discuss lessons learned and best practices. Subject matter experts will share information about technologies, procurement and operations, management and maintenance as well as opportunities for improved resilience related to CHP.

Panelists:

Carlos Gamarra, P.E., CEM - Assistant Director, Department of Energy Southcentral CHP TAP
Roger Copeland, P.E., - Principal, Jacobs Engineering
Jimmy Gresham, LEED GA – Director of Facilities, Wesleyan University

Partners: AASHE, IFMA and DOE CHP TAPs

Register here

Financing Energy Efficiency Projects - What to Know Before You Sign
April 17, 2019 - Webinar

Learn about the pros and cons of eight different financing structures commonly used when financing energy efficiency projects. Attendees will learn how each structure addresses common internal management and financial hurdles in both the public and private sectors. During this session, you will also learn about ENERGY STAR tools and resources that can help you understand financing mechanisms and with your energy efficiency financing decision-making.
Watch this webinar if you’re interested in: Financing, Energy efficient financing, Energy savings performance contracting, and Financial barriers.

Register for this webinar here.

Resilience Planning for Critical Infrastructure with Combined Heat and Power
April 18, 2019 - Webinar

Join SPEER to learn about the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Distributed Generation for Resilience Planning Guide and CHP for Resilience Site Screening Tool. These tools help cities assess and prioritize resilience risk for their portfolio, as well as overall critical infrastructure resilience

Speaker: Gavin Dillingham, Program Director, Clean Energy Policy, HARC

CELC webinars are intended to extend the conversation about public sector energy management best practices through education, training, and discussion. Webinars are open to anyone interested in public energy management in Texas, Oklahoma, and beyond.
Have questions or idea for future webinars? Contact Cassidy Ellis, Local Government Program Manager, SPEER, cellis@eepartnership.org.

Venue
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_stktO4ukQsmjV9VW-PgHJA

Starts
Thu Apr 18 2019, 9:00am CDT
Ends
Thu Apr 18 2019, 10:00am CDT

Combined Heat and Power and Resilience - Keeping the Lights On and Lowering Operating Costs
April 25, Webinar

Combined Heat and Power (Cogeneration) is a great opportunity to reduce energy costs, save money and improve the resilience of critical infrastructure. Seventy-two percent of CHP capacity in the United States is fueled by natural gas. Join the Department of Energy’s Southcentral CHP Technical Assistance Partnership, with Bill Liss of the Gas Technology Institute (GTI), are leading a webinar on the opportunities and applications for CHP at critical infrastructure sites with an in-depth discussion of how natural gas infrastructure, in most regions of the U.S., provides a reliable and resilient fuel source for CHP. Please join us to learn about these CHP benefits, federally funded engineering services, case studies and opportunities for your critical infrastructure site.
Presented by the Southcentral CHP TAP and GTI.

Register here

EarthX 2019
April 26-28, 2019

EarthX is an international environmental nonprofit connecting a global community to create a sustainable world for all life and future generations. The enormous exposition brings people together, attracts green investment, impacts environmental policy, promotes awareness, and inspires action for a sustainable future.

Location: Fair Park, 1121 1st Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210
See the map of Fair Park in the event guide.
Dates: April 26-28 from 10 AM to 6 PM
Cost: Admission is $5, but free with registration at EarthX.org, or by downloading the mobile app from here.

Be part of the world's largest environmental experience!

Fleet Workshop: Efficiency Solutions for Fleets that Support Our Community
April 26, 2019

Join the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Clean Cities Coalition, Transportation Energy Partners, and NAFA Fleet Management Association at EarthX, the world’s largest Earth Day festival, on April 26th for a half-day workshop aimed at promoting fleet efficiency in the Emergency Response, School Bus, and Delivery Truck sectors. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn directly from peers in these represented industries and hear how to implement clean vehicles and efficiency practices in their community. Industry leaders will provide their expertise on the financial and environmental benefits, overcoming barriers, and strategies for deploying new technologies. Fleet managers, purchasing officials, sustainability staff, and all other interested professionals are encouraged to attend.

Various vehicles and/or technologies will be on display for attendees to experience first-hand. Space is limited so click here to register ASAP.

For additional information, agenda, and how to register, visit the DFW Clean Cities website at www.dfwcleancities.org/earthxworkshop.

Texas Energy Managers Association (TEMA) 2019 Conference
April 30 - May 2, 2019

Come and join TEMA Conference 2019 in Waco from April 30 – May 2. The conference will have 2 full days of learning sessions, off-site tours, networking opportunities, TEMA courses, and energy focused exhibits. During the conference, TEMA will be offering their first awards luncheon, where they will celebrate the best in Energy Management. There will also be a celebration of TEMA's 10th Anniversary and a banquet on May 1, honoring those that helped to create and form their great organization.

Location: Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave., Waco, TX 76701
Register Here

North Texas BPI - Irving, TX
May 20-23, 2019

The North Texas BPI is an annual 4 day program offering continuing education in the areas of: Recertification for Plumbing Inspectors, Texas Accessibility, Architecture/Green Building, Code Enforcement, Electrical, Engineering, Environmental Health, Fire Prevention, International Building Code, International Energy Code, IPC/IMC/IFGC, International Residential Code, Permit Tech, Plan Review, Planning, Surveying, Residential Construction & Inspection, and ICC Courses. Special topics also include: Disaster Training & Certification and Human Trafficking.

Course and Hotel Registration for May 2019 BPI coming soon.
https://bpi-tx.com/north-texas-bpi/

2019 National Energy Codes Conference
May 28-30, 2019

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program is pleased to announce the 2019 National Energy Codes Conference!
This year's event will be in the sunny and mile-high city of Denver, Colorado. Join us for three days of informative sessions, interactive discussions, and educational opportunities. The National Energy Codes Conference is the only national event dedicated solely to building energy codes, providing attendees with a great opportunity to network with peers, engage with leading experts, and learn about the latest innovative technologies and solutions in the building sector.
Dates and Location

When: May 28 - 30, 2019
Where: Hilton Denver City Center, Denver, CO
Who: Builders, designers, code officials, state and government representatives, policymakers, and stakeholders of all types!

Event registration and hotel lodging are now available. Lodging reservations are subject to availability, so be sure to register for the event and make your lodging reservations today! Stay tuned for additional information, including the full technical program, in the coming weeks. Register today.