Building Potential

Seattle 2030 District Vision Awards
2020-10-15 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
This year’s Seattle 2030 District Vision Awards will be held online on October 15th at 4 pm PT! If you haven’t had the chance to attend one of their annual in-person events, now’s your opportunity. The hour-long program will feature the inspiring work from the Vision Award winners who have led notable sustainability projects or have significantly reduced emissions in transportation, water, and energy use in buildings. There will also be raffle tickets for some exceptional items and a silent auction to bid against other participants. This event is free; register here to save a seat: https://2030districts.ejoinme.org/register

Webinar: Advances in Energy/Building Code Development for EV Infrastructure
2020-10-28 10:00 - 11:30
Advances in Energy/Building Code Development for EV Infrastructure
Date: Wednesday October 28, 2020
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
Why this topic: In the coming years, many new electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be purchased and deployed by residents, businesses, and public fleets in Washington. Learn from state and local experts what is currently required, and how future code development and updates can support installation of EV charging infrastructure for these new EVs.
Who should attend?

Everyone is welcome, especially staff from public works and fleets throughout Washington
Planning officials at all levels of government
Energy/building code officials and inspectors
Fiscal managers, accountants, budget writers
Decision-makers in government
Policy makers in government

Host: Jim Jensen, Director, Green Transportation Program
Speakers: Speaker details are provided below

Chuck Murray, Washington Dept. of Commerce
Andrea Pratt, City of Seattle
Kathleen Petrie, King County and the Regional Code Collaboration

How to Participate
This webinar will be presented as a GoToWebinar meeting. Register today using the link below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.
Register now!

Featured Speakers
Chuck Murray, Senior Energy Policy Specialist
Washington State Department of Commerce, State Energy Office
Chuck Murray has served the State of Washington for 29 years, providing original field research, project implementation and policy development in the energy efficiency field. Policy development has resulted in state legislation requiring incremental improvements in energy codes stringency, mandatory building energy benchmarking and a first-in-nation existing building efficiency standard. Chuck also helped the Governor’s office craft the EV charging infrastructure legislation included in the building code. Chuck supports development state capital funding for energy efficiency programs, including net zero low-income housing.
Andrea Pratt, Climate & Transportation Policy Advisor
Drive Clean Seattle Program, City of Seattle
Andrea Pratt has worked at the City of Seattle since 2011. In 2014, she authored the City’s Green Fleet Action Plan and managed a successful transition to biodiesel (B20) for over 1,000 fleet vehicles in 2015. Andrea was a lead developer of the Drive Clean Seattle initiative in 2016, which calls for a 50% reduction in fleet emissions by 2025. To that end, she is expanding alternative fuel use including biodiesel and renewable diesel blends, deploying green technology fleet wide and electrifying light-duty vehicles. Andrea manages EV infrastructure expansion, aiming to install over 400 charging stations at dozens of fleet locations, and spearheads green fleet policy and procurement efforts.
Kathleen Petrie, Green Code Specialist
Sustainable Cities, King County
Kathleen Petrie has worked with King County since 2017, where she leads development of the Green Building portion of King County’s 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across King County. Kathleen developed zoning, energy and building codes administered by the Permitting Department in close alignment with King County’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan. She helped King County achieve a nationally recognized honor for removing barriers to installing solar energy technologies. When she worked with the City of Seattle, Kathleen founded the Regional Code Collaboration, a collection of jurisdictions from the Puget Sound region sharing expertise and resources to develop building codes and policies that address material, water, energy conservation and sustainable transportation.

Energy Leadership Summit
2020-11-12 07:30 - 17:30
The Energy Leadership Summit is the region’s must-attend clean energy event. Presented by the CleanTech Alliance & the Northwest Environmental Business Council, this unique event connects policy with practice and addresses the industry’s current challenges and future opportunities. Register at energyleadershipsummit.com.

Webinar: Expanding Access to Energy Efficiency Financing Tools and Programs
2020-11-16 13:00 - 14:30
November 16, 1:00PM – 2:30PM (PST)
Energy efficiency upgrades can help communities reach their climate goals and result in lower bills for consumers. Our challenge is to ensure these financing tools help those in need and who do not easily have access to fair financing. In this webinar, our panelists will explore how traditional financing tools are not meeting the needs of customers seeking to implement residential and small commercial energy efficiency projects and what some solutions are. This interactive webinar will include presentations from expert panelists and time for audience questions on expanding access to energy efficiency financing in the Northwest.
REGISTER

Strategic Energy Management in Local Government Buildings
2020-11-18 13:00 - 14:00
In partnership with Puget Sound Energy, the Smart Buildings Center (a project of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council) brings you an engaging webinar exploring concepts of Strategic Energy Management (SEM) specific to local government buildings, and the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities this sector brings. In this lively panel discussion, SEM experts will share their on-the-ground experience with overcoming challenges and adopting best practices in local government buildings. Attendees will come away with practical resources for implementing strategic energy management in their own facilities.
Panelists include:

Emma Johnson: Seattle City Light; previously City of Bellevue
Nicole Laky: Metro Transit Facilities; previously King County Wastewater Division, Seattle Public Schools
Seth McKinney: Stillwater Energy; previously Pierce County
Kevin Ruuhela: Snohomish County

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkfuGqpjsiE9YSiFTU_1P3ADNXgSFFMZPr
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Strategic Energy Management in K-12 Schools
2020-12-03 13:00 - 14:30
In partnership with Puget Sound Energy, the Smart Buildings Center (a project of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council) brings you an engaging webinar exploring concepts of Strategic Energy Management (SEM) specific to K-12 schools, and the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities this sector brings. In this lively panel discussion moderated by Romana Cohen of Stillwater Energy, SEM experts will share their on-the-ground experience with overcoming challenges and adopting best practices in K-12 buildings. Attendees will come away with practical resources for implementing strategic energy management in their own school facilities.
Panelists include:
Ilana Cember, McKinstry/Highline School District
Phil Johnson, Seattle Public Schools
Bonnie Meyer, Tacoma Power; formerly Seattle Public Schools, Tacoma Public Schools, and Olympia School District
Jackie Wilson, The Environmental Center
Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_At8qdSbXQgOl-mdkFMURXw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Inflection Point: Climate Leaders Live
2020-12-03 16:00 - 17:30
We are at an inflection point. On Thursday, December 3rd, 4pm-5:30pm PST, join us and two incredible thought-leaders for a needed post-election conversation about this critical juncture for climate, clean energy and a just economic recovery.
A virtual fundraising event for Climate Solutions featuring:

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist, policy expert, and Brooklyn native. She is founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, founder and CEO of the consultancy Ocean Collectiv, and co-creator and co-host of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet. She co-edited the anthology All We Can Save, and co-founded The All We Can Save Project in support of women climate leaders. Her mission is to build community around climate solutions. Find her @ayanaeliza.
Majora Carter: real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Majora is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic development, technology, green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training & placement systems. Find her @MajoraCarter.

While free to tune-in, this event will be the launch of a multi-week giving campaign to help support our upcoming work in 2021 to accelerate the transition to a 100% clean energy economy.
For over twenty years, Climate Solutions has been working to accelerate the solutions to the climate crisis, and with your help and support, we can keep going. Now more than ever as we experience climate impacts, it is clear we need to accelerate the transition to 100% clean and efficient energy in the region and beyond. We need solutions like 100% clean electricity for our grid, cleaner fuels and electrification to power our transportation, and clean and energy savvy buildings where we work and live. With your help, we can accelerate the transition.

Smart Buildings Exchange
2021-08-24 08:45 - 2021-08-25 14:15
Throughout the built environment, new technologies are connecting building systems and occupants in ways that generate new and exciting opportunities. From enabling buildings to perform for occupants and owners in previously unimaginable ways, to leveraging buildings to accelerate smart cities and the clean energy transition for a cleaner and healthier planet, the opportunities are countless and inspiring. The Smart Buildings Exchange brings together the key audiences to challenge the hype, bear witness to the innovation, and explore the business case for accelerating the adoption and commercialization of smart buildings technologies and practices.

Retrofit USA
2021-11-02 08:00 - 2021-11-03 17:00

2021 LIGHTFAIR® International Post-Show Webinar
2021-11-09 10:00 - 11:30
LIGHTFAIR® International is the industry event where everyone–from huge conglomerates to small tech-firm startups–come to display innovative new ideas that are changing how we illuminate and connect to the world around us.

Following LIGHTFAIR® 2021, the Lighting Design Lab and Smart Buildings Center are partnering to bring you post-conference analysis and information exchange! Bring us your questions and be ready to share your own experiences. Favorite new products? Most exciting trends? Let’s “nerd out”!
The Lab’s focus at LIGHTFAIR® includes networked and luminaire level lighting controls, non-energy benefits, integration to other building systems, or systems that connect utilities and their customers; and other hot topics like lighting and health and identifying market barriers/education needs. If any major lighting industry news is revealed, we’ll also look to cover it.
Brought to you through a collaboration between Lighting Design Lab and the Smart Buildings Center.

Understanding the Washington Clean Buildings Standard
2021-11-16 10:30 - 12:00
The Clean Buildings Act of 2019 is one measure Washington State is taking to improve building operational efficiency. Propelling buildings to targeted energy use intensity by building type and size, all commercial buildings over 50,000 sf will need to comply by 2028 (220,000 sf by 2026), and then maintain compliance or be subject to penalties.
UMC, Hargis Engineers and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) have joined forces to break down the Clean Buildings Standard’s options and implications so you can define a path forward that aligns with your portfolio. [AIA CEU HSW 1.5 Credit]
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tuesday, November 16th – Washington State Compliance + Panel Discussion

Rep. Alex Ramel, Washington State House of Representatives
Amy Wheeless, Northwest Energy Coalition
Ron Major, WA State Dept. of Enterprise Services
Poppy Storm, 2050 Institute
Moderator: Kerry Meade, Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC)

REGISTER

Building Decarbonization and the Future of Washington State
2021-11-16 17:30 - 19:00
November 16, 2021 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Register
Join the Puget Sound ASHRAE Government Affairs Committee and Washington Society of Professional Engineers for a panel discussion on decarbonization in Washington State. What comes to mind when you think about the word “decarbonization”? Most might immediately picture the electric vehicle and the transportation sector. But what about the sector that leads the U.S. in carbon emissions? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2019, commercial and residential buildings led the U.S. in carbon emissions, making up 31% of total emissions which tops the transportation sector that accounts for 29% of total emissions. Buildings account for a majority of carbon emissions and building decarbonization is critical to slowing down climate change. In this panel, you’ll learn about how Washington state has become a leader in building decarbonization and about ASHRAE’s efforts in decarbonization through the ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization.

Understanding the Washington Clean Buildings Standard
2021-11-18 10:30 - 12:00
The Clean Buildings Act of 2019 is one measure Washington State is taking to improve building operational efficiency. Propelling buildings to targeted energy use intensity by building type and size, all commercial buildings over 50,000 sf will need to comply by 2028 (220,000 sf by 2026), and then maintain compliance or be subject to penalties.
UMC, Hargis Engineers and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) have joined forces to break down the Clean Buildings Standard’s options and implications so you can define a path forward that aligns with your portfolio. [AIA CEU HSW 1.5 Credit]
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Thursday, November 18th – Seattle building focused discussion, through the lens of the Seattle Energy Code and what’s next.
REGISTER

Rebuilding as a Community in K-12 Schools: COVID and Beyond
2021-11-30 14:00 - 15:00
In this interactive webinar sponsored by Puget Sound Energy and hosted by Smart Buildings Center, panelists with expertise in Strategic Energy Management (SEM) in K-12 schools will discuss their lessons learned in navigating the challenges of operating their buildings safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll also share insights for moving forward with a re-focus on energy efficiency, in light of the challenges presented by climate change and resulting mandates such as the WA Clean Buildings Performance Standard (H.B. 1257).
Panelists:
Marina Tanay, Capital Projects/Facilities Manager, Sumner-Bonney Lake School District No. 320
Michael Knaack, Sustainability Manager, Tacoma Public Schools
Travis Bown, Director of Maintenance, Mead Public Schools
David McCaughey, Sr. Business Developer, Energy Services, UMC

GridFWD Seattle
2022-04-19 - 2022-04-20
Sharing What We’ve Learned, Focusing on the Future
The past two years have been unprecedented for our region: the pandemic with its brutal human and economic repercussions; a historic and devastating wildfire season; a nationwide movement for racial and energy justice; ice storms and more. Federal energy policy is rapidly evolving and lining up with major regional legislation and policy shifts to pursue resiliency, clean energy and decarbonization. Through it all, our industry has done a remarkable job in maintaining the grid to meet our region’s needs while continuing to push forward on grid modernization and decarbonization.

Join us in exploring key grid topics at GridFWD Seattle April 19-20. Visit www.gridforward.org/conference/gridfwd-seattle/ for full event and registration details.

Clean & Affordable Energy Conference
2023-12-06 08:00 - 19:00 | Doubletree by Hilton, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland, OR, 97232
Join the NW Energy Coalition on December 6 in Portland for their first in-person conference since 2019! Network with peers in the clean energy community, hear from expert panelists and keynote speakers, and stick around for our Clean Energy Awards reception. Panelists will discuss how utility planning should change to deliver equitable and affordable outcomes, the role of energy efficiency and distributed energy resources for vulnerable populations, and how the Bonneville Power Administration needs to modernize to drive forward the clean energy transition. We hope to see you there!
Register Now!

2024 Critical Environments Summit
2024-01-17 08:00 - 17:00 | Seattle Marriott Waterfront
The 2024 Critical Environments Summit was held at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront on January 17th, 2024. The event brought together thought leaders, designers, and engineers focused on critical environments.
Material from the summit can be downloaded at https://atspnw.com/support/support-services/24cesummit/.

Energy Insights Forum
2024-01-30 15:00 - 17:00 | Smart Building Center, 1200 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98144
Join us on January 30th at 3pm for the Energy Insights Forum! The Seattle and Bellevue 2030 Districts along with Building Potential (formerly Northwest Energy Efficiency Council) host this back-to-back panel discussion on how to reduce demand-side energy usage.
Learn about the policies that impact the industry and discover the incentives propelling sustainable practices forward. Hear from property managers and service providers as they delve into the practicalities of reducing building energy use. Gain valuable insights into successful strategies, implementation challenges, and collaborative approaches that are transforming the sector.
A networking break between the panels offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange. Following the panels, unwind and continue the conversation at the happy hour to continue the discussion.
We hope to see you there!
Register Here

Webinar: Energy Efficiency and More: Benefits of Small Building Controls for Retail Buildings
2024-04-25 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
Join this webinar to hear about the benefits of HVAC controls for retail buildings, from a chain of country clubs and a retail skin care brand. Improved controls are proven to reduce energy waste by 10%-20% and improve occupant comfort. Presenters will share their approach to upgrading controls, the benefits they’ve experienced, and the lessons learned along the way. This webinar will also include a brief summary of the findings from the first year of the DOE-sponsored Smarter Small Buildings Campaign.
Webinar Registration – Zoom

Clean & Affordable Energy Conference
2024-05-07 08:00 - 19:00 | The Grove Hotel, 245 S Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID, 83702
Join the NW Energy Coalition on May 7 in Boise for its Spring Conference! Network with peers in the clean energy community and hear from expert panelists on the pressing energy issues in our region. Panelists will discuss next steps in salmon recovery and replacing the energy services on the lower Snake River dams, how new opportunities in markets and transmission can benefit Northwest communities, and protecting customers and communities as the region decarbonizes. We hope to see you there!

Efficiency Exchange (EFX)
2024-05-14 08:00 - 2024-05-15 17:00 | Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d'Alene, ID
EFX is the premier networking and learning conference for energy efficiency professionals from across the Northwest brought to you by the Bonneville Power Administration, NEEA and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Regional and national attendees from public and private utilities, consulting and research firms, and government and non-profit organizations come together to learn and connect to help the region more effectively achieve its energy efficiency goals.

Webinar: Efficient Large Boiler Systems
2024-05-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
On May 30th, 2-3pm EST (11-12 PST), the Space Conditioning team and guest speakers will present detailed examples of efficient large boiler systems in the field. We will talk about system components, performance, challenges, and successes. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, and we invite you to join the discussion.
Register here!

Webinar: Barriers to and Progress Towards More Interoperable Building Systems
2024-06-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Achieving the energy efficiency potential of advanced building systems has long required the use of controls. However, controls require data, as do other software applications that enable, for example, space utilization analytics or grid-responsiveness. The configuration of such applications – that is, the matching of data sources to software needs, has long been time and cost intensive, and thus a barrier to deployment. Sematic interoperability standards can reduce these barriers, and several such standards are currently being finalized or updated. Join this webinar to learn about recent progress and suggestions for how building managers might leverage them when procuring new equipment or making upgrades from Michael Poplawski at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Speakers: Michael Poplawski, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Registration Link

Building Potential Member+ Meeting
2024-11-06 16:00 - 19:00 | Smart Buildings Center, 1200 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA, 98144
Please join us for our annual Building Potential Member+ Meeting on Wednesday, November 6th from 4-7pm at the Smart Buildings Center! Similar to last year, this will be a fun social event with pizza and beverages, and we will also use the meeting to discuss regional program and policy topics relevant to the Pacific Northwest market opportunities for building energy use decarbonization, energy efficiency, GEBs, and other related topics. Please RSVP at the link below and save the date on your calendar. We’ll be in touch soon to share additional details about the event!
Please RSVP here

Clean & Affordable Energy Conference
2024-11-13 08:00 - 19:00 | University of Washington – Husky Union Building (HUB) South Ballroom, 4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98195
Don’t miss the Clean & Affordable Energy Conference, hosted by the NW Energy Coalition!
November 13, 2024
8:00am – 5:00pm
The University of Washington HUB – Seattle, WA
Clean Energy Awards Reception
November 13, 2024
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Register!
Join the NW Energy Coalition on November 13 in Seattle for the fall Clean & Affordable Energy Conference! Hear the latest on energy issues in our region and learn from peers’ experiences within the clean energy transition in a tabletop discussion. Expert panelists will discuss how to support energy affordability as we make needed investments and upgrades to decarbonize our economy, the successes and opportunities in advancing Tribal energy projects, and the movement to connect the West in an independently governed energy market including the “hot off the press” new Pathways Initiative governance proposal to be released in early November.
Stick around afterwards for the Clean Energy Awards Reception from 5pm – 7pm at the HUB.
