Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update
Here are your WEEkly Updates:
1. The CEC will be holding the first Empower California workshop on February 26th at 9am to kick off AB 865, also known as the EmPower California Act, which will boost job creation and business opportunities for minorities, women, LGBT and disabled veteran-owned businesses in the energy industry. Implementation will include establishing an outreach plan to increase participation of diverse business enterprises in Energy Commission funding opportunities and creating a Diversity Task Force. For more information on attending or participating by WebEx, click here.
2. The latest Annual Report is out from the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN). The report builds on the best practice findings from their Permit Resource Opportunity Program, and features case studies including stakeholder engagement for energy code development in Santa Clara, and support offered on reach codes in Marin County, as well as best practices learned from the City of Berkley’s adoption of its new Building Energy Services Ordinance, “BESO” (replacing its prior residential and commercial energy conservation ordinances). Click here to read the report.
3. New DSM technology: Interested in new technologies to optimize demand side management (DSM)? Opower and SDG&E's Supervisor of Residential Programs will discuss the latest energy efficiency and demand response opportunities and reporting tools available through Opower's new Agile EE in a March 10th webinar. Click here to learn more and/or register.
4. Carrying out Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) efficiently can be a challenge. A new EM&V report from the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) explores how IT developments are enhancing EM&V options. Click here to read more.
5. An article on parking garage HVAC energy efficiency provides some interesting findings on opportunities for energy savings through fan controls, featuring four California properties as an example. Read more at Energy Manager Today's website.
6. The CEC is holding a public workshop on March 8th to present a draft of the Natural Gas Vehicle Research Roadmap. This roadmap details the strategic research, development, demonstration, and deployment needed to enhance the viability of the natural gas vehicle market in California. For more information, click here.
7. Registration is open for the Navigating the American Carbon World conference, May 4th-6th in San Diego. Click here to review the program or register.
8. Heavy truck standards moving forward: Those of us with heavy-duty sanitation, parks, or other municipal fleet, or managing public transit fleets may be interested to hear that Phase II of the federal heavy-duty vehicle fuel efficiency standards has been proposed by US DOT and US EPA, and is expected to be adopted this summer. Read more on this and take a look at some helpful graphics at ACEEE’s website, or take a look at the proposed rule in the Federal Register, here. Per ACEEE, the Phase 2 standards would reduce fuel consumption by new heavy-duty vehicles an additional 24%.
9. For some news on energy efficiency efforts across the Pacific, here's a story describing China's new energy efficiency and demand response planning and programs, spurred on by extreme air pollution.
10. Job announcement: Empower Efficiency is hiring for two positions:a Commercial Behavioral Energy Assessor, and a Behavioral Campaign Manager/Facilitator. Both positions can be found on their website.
As always, you can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE Events Calendar.
That is all for this week!