Energy Management Newsletter

Events:

Better Buildings Webinar - Internal Engagement and Communication: Sharing Your Energy Vision
NCTCOG Webinar: Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Programs and No-Cost Resources
The 9th Annual ESC Market Transformation Conference
SPEER Building Operator Certification Fall Course
The Future of Renewable Energy in Texas
2021 Resilience Week Symposium
2021 National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource
North Texas Facilities Expo
DFW Solar Tour
Getting to Zero Forum
2021 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Virtual Conference

SECO’s Technical Assistance (TA) & Preliminary Energy Assessment (PEA) Services

The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) partners with Texas local governments, county governments, public K-12 schools, public institutions of higher education and state agencies, to reduce utility costs and maximize energy efficiency.
SECO’s Local Government Energy Program is one of those resources, funded and administered by SECO which provides a number of integrated services to assist municipalities in setting up and maintaining effective energy efficiency programs. The services include various Technical Assistance services and Preliminary Energy Assessments to identify potential projects. All services under the Local Government Energy Program are provided at no cost to the local governments (example: municipalities, cities, county governments etc.) and public K-12 schools.
To receive Technical Assistance services at zero cost to the qualified local government or K-12 entity, please download and complete the application request form found on SECO’s website. To learn more, attend the NCTCOG-hosted workshop about these resources and services on September 16, as listed under “Events”.

To receive Preliminary Energy Assessment at no cost to the qualified entity, download and complete application form: Comptroller.texas.gov

Better Buildings Water Savings Network

Facility owners and managers who are interested in the nexus between water efficiency and energy reductions can find a network of valuable resources through the Better Buildings Water Savings Network. Visitors to the site can expect to find webinars on water efficiency in buildings; curated resources for guidance on creating water management strategies, estimating and tracking water consumption, and implementing new technologies; real and proven water savings solutions from Water Savings Network partners; and much more.

Access the Water Savings Network: BetterBuildingsSolutionCenter.Energy.gov

WINDExchange Releases Tools to Help Communities Realize Benefits of Wind Energy

Despite the benefits wind energy projects can bring (clean energy, creation of local jobs, increased local community tax revenues to name just a few), planning them can be complex. Which is why the Wind Energy Technology Office (WETO) has released two new tools to help communities weight the benefits while understanding siting considerations for potential wind energy projects. The tools include a siting guide and a web-based economic development guide.

Read more about these tools here: Energy.gov

30th Anniversary of EPA’s Climate Partnership Programs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is celebrating 30 years of climate partnership programs this year! EPA’s Climate Partnership Programs have helped save more than $500 billion and achieve more than 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which exceeds all 2019 U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Over the past 30 years the EPA’s Climate Partnership Programs have opened the door to countless partnerships amongst local and state governments and private sector partners.

Learn More: www.Epa.gov/30Climate

The Department of Energy Announces Nearly $83 Million to Increase Building Energy Efficiency and Cut Consumers’ Energy Bills

In August, the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office awarded $82.6 million in funding to 44 projects that will help lower the energy bills of Americans and bring the U.S. closer to the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050. These projects were selected and awarded through the Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) funding opportunity announcement which invests in new energy efficient building technologies, construction practices and the U.S. building-sector workforce. The topic area of Building Technology Research, Development, and Field Validation selected projects in the categories of: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Research, Development, and Field Development; Lighting Technology Research, Development, and Field Validation; Energy and Demand Data, Modeling, and Analytics; and several others. The topic area of Advanced Building Construction selected projects in categories such of: Building Envelope Research, Development, and Field Validation; Advanced Workforce for Advanced Technology; and Mass Produced Highly Efficient Manufactured Homes and Portable Classrooms.

Read More: Energy.gov

Better Buildings Webinar - Internal Engagement and Communication: Sharing Your Energy Vision

The Department of Energy’s Better Buildings program has just released their 2021-2022 webinar schedule which brings insights from leading industry experts to participants. Join the kickoff session Internal Engagement and Communication: Sharing Your Energy Vision to explore ways to engage employees in your organizations energy efficiency vision and improve communication and teamwork.

Date: September 14, 2021
Time: 2:00 pm CST
Register: Link

NCTCOG Webinar: Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Programs and No-Cost Resources

Join this NCTCOG hosted webinar to hear from representatives from Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) regarding their programs and no-cost technical assistance! The SECO partners with local and county governments, public K-12 schools, public institutions of higher education and state agencies to provide funding and incentives, resources, and programs to maximize efficiency and reduce utility costs.

SECO programs to be covered during this webinar include Technical Assistance for Local Governments, Education and Training, Reporting, LoanSTAR, and Pantex. For more information on the programs and assistance opportunities SECO provides, visit https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/.

Date: September 16, 2021
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00a.m. CST
Register: Link

The 9th Annual ESC Market Transformation Conference

The Texas State Energy Conservation Office and the Tx ESC Chapter are teaming together to offer 20 registration for Texas public officials. The scholarships cover the registration fees for the conference. Please contact Tracey Kohler (tkohler@energyservicescoalition.org) with any questions. To complete a scholarship application click here: 2021 ESC Conference Scholarship Application

Click here to view the preliminary agenda.
Click here to register.
Click here to book your conference hotel room.
Click here to sponsor.(one remains)
Click herefor 2021 Scholarship Application

Date: September 20-22, 2021
Registration: Conference2021.EnergyServicesCoalition.org

SPEER Building Operator Certification Fall Course

Hosted by SPEER, The Building Operator Certification (BOC) program is a training and certification program for maintenance and operations personnel and technicians that provides energy-saving operational strategies. BOC graduates make their buildings more comfortable, efficient, and environmentally friendly, thanks to skills they learn and behavioral changes they master throughout the course.

Start Date: September 21, 2021
Registration: EEPartnership.org

2021 Resilience Week Symposium

Organized by Idaho National Laboratory and a committee of national laboratories, academia, and industry, the 2021 Resilience Week Symposium convenes public and private partners to discuss how to ensure a secure and reliable flow of energy across the nation. Too often large disasters can ripple across not just cities or regions but across states and nationally through our interconnected critical infrastructure systems. Many of these connections are invisible or critical links are uncovered too late. This symposium seeks to address these issues to ensure a secure and reliable flow of energy across the nation.

Date: October 18-21, 2021
Registration: Resilience.inl.gov

2021 National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource

This conference on policies and programs aims to reduce customers' energy waste and thus help utilities meet the grid's demand for electricity. The role of energy efficiency in transforming the utility industry has become increasingly essential and more utilities are setting ambitious corporate carbon reduction goals. Meanwhile, policymakers are expanding their expectations for what energy efficiency programs deliver, from greenhouse gas reductions to job creation, economic recovery to bill affordability, many with a focus on energy equity and justice.

Who are the likely participants? Utilities and program administrators, regulatory commissions, state government, consultants, manufacturers, environmental organizations, consumer groups, and research institutes.

Date: October 19 - 21, 2021 and October 26 - 27, 2021
Registration: ACEEE.org

North Texas Facilities Expo

Looking to network and learn valuable information about facilities engineering, maintenance repair and operations (MRO), and green building communities? The North Texas Facilities Expo is the perfect opportunity for local facility mangers to expand their thinking and gain local expertise. In this two-day event, you can attend shows regarding issues in building safety, water management, conflict management, disaster preparation, and much more! North Texas Facilities Expo is free to register and attend, so sign up now!

Date: Wednesday, October 20 and Thursday, October 21

Time: Wednesday: 10 am – 3 pm CST; Thursday: 10 am – 2 pm CST
Register: www.Fent.FacilitiesExpo.com

DFW Solar Tour

The annual DFW Solar Tour enables people to learn how their neighbors – homeowners and businesses alike – are using solar energy, wind energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to save money and consume less of our natural resources. There will be education opportunities at Learning Centers across the metroplex with a range of topics to help the public understand the basics of solar energy & storage, energy efficiency, and sustainable practices. Most sites will be open between 10 am and 4 pm, however, it is advised to check individual sites for exceptions. This year, participants can expect to see a vegetated roof garden, learn how solar works with “Solar 101” talks at various sites, check out solar cars, take personal tours of a LEED Certified School and much, much more.

Date: October 21, 2021
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm CST
Registration: Dfwsolartour.org