2012 GEFA Sessions
In 2012, Greenprints partnered with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to present a series of workshops highlighting energy projects from around the state. These dynamic sessions featured topics and insights from renewable energy finance strategies to successful energy performance contracting.
ENERGY PROGRAM SPEED DATING: Peer Exchange for Local Governments
Wednesday, March 7 from 12:15 – 2:30 p.m.
Connect with your peers for Energy Program “Speed Dating!” Local government officials from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program will share best practices and lessons learned on implementing renewable energy projects, residential and commercial energy efficiency programs, energy tracking and conservation planning, regional partnerships and government retrofits. This is an opportunity for local governments to exchange knowledge and ideas, and develop implementation plans for future energy projects through interactive roundtable discussions.
CEUs: 2.25 AIA LU/ HSW/ SD Units, 2 GBCI Units
Table hosts will be representatives from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.
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ARRA SUCCESS STORIES: Presentations of "Best in Georgia" Energy Programs
Wednesday, March 7 from 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
To date, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, run by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, has distributed $12 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Georgia. These projects range from energy efficiency upgrades on government buildings to rebate programs for conversion to highly efficient agricultural irrigation pumps. GEFA has selected the best of these programs for presentation in this session. Come learn how these investments are saving energy and keeping energy dollars in the community. This session is paired with a peer exchange starting at lunch.
CEUs: 1.5 AIA LU, 1.5 GBCI Units
Katie Coulborn, City of Woodstock
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Katie Coulborn works in the Community Development Department for the City of Woodstock, GA. Woodstock was awarded a $220,000 ARRA grant for Energy Program implementation and energy efficiency retrofits, including a 6.3 kilowatt solar array. Katie contributed to the management of grant funds and reporting, and designed five graphic panels which are on display in the City Council Chambers as part of Woodstock’s sustainability awareness efforts. Katie received her Master’s Degree in Design for Sustainability from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Eric Harris, Effingham County Schools
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Eric Harris is the energy education specialist within the Effingham County School System. His implementation of a behavior-based energy conservation program has resulted in an annual average energy usage decrease of six million BTUs over 2007 baseline usage, all while the district was adding 245,000 square feet of space. His work has also allowed Effingham County to obtain a $300,000 ARRA grant to complete energy-efficient lighting retrofits and purchase 40 kilowatts of solar generation. This money provides the energy program with a working budget to complete other efficiency improvements.
Julian Powell, City of Mountain Park
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Julian Powell is an entrepeneur in the energy and recycling fields. He initiated the City of Mountain Park’s application for an EECBG grant, resulting in the maximum award of $300,000, and was subsequently retained as project manager. In 15 months the project has enabled efficiency upgrades in almost 20 percent of the city’s 255 single-family residences. It has also transformed the historic city hall into a showplace of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, and upgraded the HVAC and building envelopes in other city buildings. Julian earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of New Hampshire.
Kim Thompson, Pine Country RC&D Council, Inc.
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Kim Thompson currently serves as the coordinator for the Pine Country Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Inc. in Soperton, Georgia. The Pine Country is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to accelerate natural resource conservation throughout a thirteen-county area. Kim has been very successful in obtaining grants for various projects throughout the area; for example, a partnership between Dodge County and Pine Country resulted in a successful GEFA Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant application. Prior to working for the Pine Country RC&D Council, Kim was employed as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service representative to the Pine Country Council. Kim retired from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in 2011.
Jennifer Wilson, GEFA
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Jennifer Wilson is the State Energy Program Manager for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. She currently oversees the implementation of the State Energy Program and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In this role, she oversees nine programsthat provide financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives in the public, private, and residential sector. Prior to joining GEFA, she was the program director for environmental sustainability at CIFAL Atlanta, a United Nations-affiliated training center for local government officials. In this role she hosted capacity-building workshops on solid waste management, land use planning, and water resource management.
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FINANCING SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENERGY PROGRAMS IN A POST-ARRA ECONOMY
Thursday, March 8 from 9:00 – 11:15 a.m.
With ARRA grant funding ending in 2012, many local governments are looking for alternative financing opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. In this session, speakers will provide an overview of several non-grant financing opportunities. Georgia state agencies are expected to embrace energy-related improvement projects with the coming implementation of Georgia's new energy performance contacting legislation. In addition, local governments across Georgia are expected to broaden their use of performance contracting as a way to more easily justify city and county facility improvements and reduce project risk. This session will feature examples of public customer performance contracting projects and lessons learned, as well as how performance contract projects are implemented, how energy savings guarantees work and a listing of some of the myths about performance contracting.
CEUs: 2.25 AIA LU, 2 GBCI Units
John Bracey, Southface
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John’s focus is new and existing commercial building energy analysis, high-performance building training, and education and building energy performance software. John developed performance monitoring and data analysis strategies on the Southface Eco Office, a LEED Platinum commercial demonstration building in Atlanta. Prior to joining Southface, John spent five years working on energy performance modeling and energy auditing for commercial and industrial clients. Supporting these efforts, he developed Web-based software to streamline building audits and energy analysis, energy performance monitoring and incorporating energy usage into regular business operations. John holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Steve Morton, Georgia Power Company
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Steve Morton is Georgia Power Company’s Commercial Energy Efficiency Program Manager. Steve has been in this position since it was created in January of 2010. Steve has 29 years with Georgia Power, having worked with Residential, Commercial and Industrial customers. Steve also has extensive experience working with Architect & Engineering firms. External involvements include past Allied Director on the AIA-Atlanta Board of Directors, and current Director on the USGBC-GA Board.
Jason Rooks, Clean Energy Lobbyist
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Jason Rooks is a Georgia native with more than a decade of experience lobbying the Georgia General Assembly. In 2010, he directed Taxpayers for Energy Efficiency, a successful statewide ballot initiative campaign regarding performance contracting. As a well-respected voice on renewable energy and energy efficiency, Jason has helped create numerous clean energy incentives through legislation. From 2002 to 2008, he served as Executive Director of Georgia Conservation Voters. Prior to that, he was a practicing attorney at Whelchel & Dunlap in Gainesville. Jason received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He is a Trustee of The Georgia Conservancy and a past board member of Hands on Atlanta.
Bill Stark, Honeywell
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Bill Stark is a customer solutions manager at Honeywell based in Duluth. In his role, Bill helps state and local governments make improvements to their facilities using savings-based energy performance contracting. Bill serves as the chairman of Georgia Energy Services Coalition (ESC) Communication Committee and works with an outstanding team of his peers to educate and promote performance contracting throughout Georgia. Bill also serves on the Board of Directors of a non-profit organization that produces the TV show The Real Winning Edge (now airing on Fox), which inspires excellence through stories of student-athletes who have overcome significant life obstacles. Bill has a B.A.degree from the University of Mississippi.
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WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?: Energy Tracking for Local Governments
Thursday, March 8 from 12:15 – 2:45 p.m.
Energy tracking requires the accurate measurement and evaluation of how, when and where energy is used in a building. This information allows building operators to establish baselines, create an action plan and ultimately better manage their overall energy practices. PJ Newcomb, state utilities program engineer for GEFA, will explain several energy tracking models that assist state governments in these initiatives. A representative from the ENERGY STAR program will provide an overview on how to leverage Portfolio Manager for energy tracking by building, and will highlight changes coming through the pipeline in 2012. A representative from the City of Douglas, Georgia, will describe the tracking tools they have implemented to identify energy savings opportunities, measure impacts and publicize results.
CEUs: 2.5 AIA LU/ HSW/ SD Units, 2.5 GBCI Units
John Bracey, Southface
Read more about John
John’s focus is new and existing commercial building energy analysis, high-performance building training, and education and building energy performance software. John developed performance monitoring and data analysis strategies on the Southface Eco Office, a LEED Platinum commercial demonstration building in Atlanta. Prior to joining Southface, John spent five years working on energy performance modeling and energy auditing for commercial and industrial clients. Supporting these efforts, he developed Web-based software to streamline building audits and energy analysis, energy performance monitoring and incorporating energy usage into regular business operations. John holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Rick Counihan, EnerNOC
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Rick Counihan is the vice-president of government affairs for EnerNOC, Inc., a leader in demand response and energy management services for the commercial and industrial sectors. In this capacity, he is responsible for regulatory relationships in the western United States and with the federal government in Washington, D.C. Rick has 25 years of experience in the energy and utility fields, with employment stints in state, local and federal government, as well as the private sector. Rick sits on the boards of the Center for Resource Solutions, the Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
Caughey Hearn, Evans County
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Caughey Hearn has served as the County Administrator for Evans County, Georgia since 2001. His agency was awarded a $223,000 ARRA EECBG grant for energy efficiency improvements for the county’s two largest facilities. The county used the funds to replace 20 HVAC units, retrofit lighting systems, and employ a web based energy management system for the HVAC systems. The improvements have provided tremendous savings in energy consumption. Caughey holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
PJ Newcomb, GEFA
Read more about PJ
PJ Newcomb serves as state utilities program engineer at the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, where he works with state agencies on the State Energy Leadership Initiative (also known as the “Energy Challenge”) to reduce state agencies’ energy use intensity 15 percent by 2020 over a 2007 baseline. The state owns over 15,000 facilities covering 140 million square feet, with annual utility spending of over $200 million. PJ works with agencies on energy use baselining and tracking, strategic energy management planning, energy performance contracting and technical training. PJ has also been intimately involved in the implementation of $65 million in federal stimulus (ARRA) funds for energy efficiency projects in state facilities.
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