TRACK 8:
Near-Zero Energy: Getting There
We raise the bar and strive for goals beyond standard practice. By looking at systems, storage, contracts, renewable energy certificates and more, we make our way forward.
SESSIONS |
Near Zero Energy: What You Need to Know, What Systems Can Help
Wednesday 11:00-12:30
Net-Zero/Near-Zero Energy is a goal for residential and commercial buildings. While neither claim zero energy, excellence demonstrates what can be done with standard building practices. The Zero-Energy Home in Hadley, MA (http://www.swinter.com/WMECO/ZeroEnergy.html ) and The Ordway Building in Woods Hole, MA (http://www.whrc.org/building/index.htm ) are monitored allowing analysis of the major building systems, (heating, hot water, cooling, lighting, plug loads) shows their design managing energy demands. The session will also include the 2006 winner of the Northeast Zero Energy Building Award.
Session Chair:
Henry K. Vandermark, Solar Wave Energy, Inc.
Session Speakers:
Joseph L. Hackler, Woods Hole Research Center
John T. Walsh, Western Massachusetts Electric Company
Robb A. Aldrich , PE, Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
Wednesday Sessions | Top of Page
Guaranteed Energy Performance: Who Is the Best to Do It for You?
Wednesday 2:00-3:30
For years, companies have been offering Energy Performance Contracts to municipalities, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial clients with varied success. Some companies can benefit from these agreements, as they get both capital investment in their buildings and lower energy and water bills. Conversely, some of these agreements merely grab the "low hanging fruit" that was easily attainable and invest little capital in the building. Learnhow these agreements can work and whether or not it would be better to do it yourself.
Session Chair:
F.L. Andrew Padian, Steven Winter Associates
Session Speakers:
James Kavanagh, The Maricor Group
F.L. Andrew Padian, Steven Winter Associates
Catherine Muller, E-Squared Marketing
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Energy Storage – The Secret
Wednesday 4:00-5:30
Energy Storage – ‘The Secret’ covers the key methods and benefits of energy storage including electrical, chemical, and mechanical energy storage. This session will explain how proper energy storage system design can balance and minimize energy peak load problems, while allowing optimal sizing and utilization of energy production systems. Although energy storage is critical for solar and wind systems, it is also vital to balancing our national energy Grid and optimizing the utilization of local and distributed energy resources. Topics to be covered include short, medium, and long term storage using technologies from vanadium redox to compressed air storage, and use of ammonia, urea, and hydrogen as an energy carrier, both for transportation and mainstream energy usage.
Session Chair:
James Dunn, Center for Technology Commercialization
Session Speakers:
Lyle K. Rawlings, PE, Advanced Solar Products
John J. Bzura, PE, National Grid
Mark T. Kuntz, PE, VRB Power Systems
Wednesday Sessions | Top of Page
Profits = Energy/Carbon
Thursday 8:30-10:30
In this session we will analyze the energy efficiency models that produce profits with less carbon. This analysis is both macro i.e. the large energy intensity of countries/companies to micro i.e. energy projects and homes. Some of the questions answered in this session are which countries/companies best utilize their energy resources to produce more GDP per BTU with less carbon, which home builders are designing the most energy efficient homes and which energy projects are most likely to be built. From this discussion, measurable and practical models will be presented to compare various applications with each other to determine our overall energy competitiveness. Anyone interested in profits from clean energy production and efficiency will want to attend this session.
Session Chair:
Robert S. Preston, Merrill Lynch
Session Speakers:
Robert S. Preston, Merrill Lynch
Leslie Hoffman, Earth Pledge
David Marcus, Chestnut Capital
Richard J. Siegel, Arch Bridge Holdings, Inc.
Alex Klein, Emerging Energy Research
Regional and Global Significance of Local Clean Energy Actions
Thursday 10:30-12:00
Here’s a more accurate and useful statement of this track’s focus: “Getting to zero imported, unsustainable energy”. While the cumulative effects of billions of individual, local energy actions determine how rapidly we reach that goal, individuals are paralyzed by their APPARENT irrelevance. This session presents a concrete mechanism tying local actions to regional results, plus an analytic method for relating local actions to their global impacts, and translating global energy imperatives to local action needs.
Session Chair:
Robert H. Murray, GreenHomes Northeast
Session Speakers:
Sonia W. Hamel, Massachusetts Office for Commonwealth Development
Robert H. Murray, LEED AP, GreenHomes Northeast
Assessing Business Opportunities: An Investor’s Perspective
Thursday 2:00-3:30
This session will be focused on business plan analysis from the investor’s point of view. Two private clean energy companies will present their investment “pitch” to a panel of investors. The panel, which represents both an angel and a small fund perspective, will consider the strengths, risks, and weaknesses of the investment opportunities.
Session Chair:
Michael Bartner, Investors’ Circle
Session Speakers:
Eric Emmons, Massachusetts Green Energy Fund
Tom Balderston, Balderston Capital, LLC
James Lee, Cimetrics
Jeffery D. Wolfe, PE, Global Resource Options, LLP
Renewable Energy Certificate Markets: What's Working, What's Not, What's Coming
Thursday 4:00-5:30
This session addresses the evolving Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) markets, a critical revenue source for renewable energy projects. Panelists include regulators, REC aggregator and marketers, a company bringing automation to REC markets, the developer of a new REC Futures product and leading independent REC market consultants. After a short overview of RECs, the session will cover successes, problems and emerging trends in REC markets and some long term challenges that REC markets face.
Session Chair:
Erich Stephens, People's Power and Light
Session Speakers:
Erich Stephens, People's Power and Light
Michael Winka, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Fred Unger, Fat Spaniel Technologies
Larry Chretien, Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance
Ed Holt, Ed Holt & Associates
Ann Elsen, ICF Consulting