Green Energy Challenge Finalists Presentations

The first Green Energy Challenge for NECA student chapters invited teams of students studying electrical construction, engineering, design and management to conduct an "energy audit" of a local K-12 school. Based on their findings, students developed customized proposals for energy retrofits that would improve the schools' energy efficiency. Teams also designed a new solar PV and/or wind energy system for the facility. Learn more, and become a fan on Facebook.

1. Energy Economic Modeling and the NECAWORKS™ EEM Screening Tool

A complete energy solutions proposal requires a detailed financial analysis of the costs and benefits the customer will experience if the project is ever going to get approval from the company CFO or obtain financing from a bank or alternative financing source. Get a solid understanding of energy economic modeling, its use in energy services contracting, and learn about a new online resource that NECA has developed exclusively for its members, the NECA WORKS®EEM Screening Tool. This session will be repeated as a management workshop on Sunday, Oct. 23.

Moderator: Rob Colgan
Panelists: Dick Paulson, Jack Russ

Dick Paulsen, President, EEM Inc. Prior to founding EEM, Paulsen was Chief Operating Officer of Commonwealth Energy Corporation , one of the nation’s largest independent Energy Service Providers. He was also President of UtiliHost, Inc ., a wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Energy; CEO of a national medical imaging company; the COO of an international marketing firm; and the co-founder and vice president of a computer software firm. Paulsen has a degree in mathematics from Loyola University and has done postgraduate work in computer sciences.

Jack Russ, Vice President and Chief Engineer-Economist, EEM Inc, has over 30 years of experience in the power and energy industry, in both public and private sectors. He has worked for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), formulating strategies for the procurement of fuel and electric energy. Russ has provided economic rationale and financial modeling expertise to Independent Power Producers, Qualified Facilities and Energy Service Providers for the negotiation of Power Sales Agreements and Fuel Purchase Contracts. He is a professor at San Diego State University’s Dept of Economics and a Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer (M18855) with an engineering degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of West Florida.

Rob Colgan, Executive Director of Market Development, NECA, works to develop and manage a wide range of marketing and communications issues for the leading trade association for electrical contractors in the U.S. Provide executive management for the marketing, public relations, member communications, brand management and business development efforts of the organization. Committee Secretary to both the NECA National Marketing Committee and the NECA Energy Solutions Task Force. Currently leading the effort to expand business development in energy efficiency, green construction and renewable energy for electrical contractors.

2. Moving Toward Net-Zero Energy Buildings

Energy efficiency is the heart of any energy solutions project, and in most cases the most effective way to reduce energy consumption and related operating cost for your customers. Our energy efficiency experts will discuss a number of options that contractors should consider when proposing energy improvement projects, with or without renewable energy sources. This workshop includes a brief discussion of energy auditing as a first step to energy efficiency.

Panelists: Doug Avery, David Wylie
Moderator: Bernie Kotlier

Bernie Kotlier is the director of Sustainable Energy Solutions for the California Labor Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC), a joint effort of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in California. Bernie is responsible for developing, promotes and delivers sustainable energy training for electricians, and business development programs for contractors in California including energy auditing, energy efficiency, photovoltaics, and electric vehicles. He has been a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency Workforce Development, and the PUC Working Group on Lighting. He serves as Co-Chair of the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program, co-chairs the national Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP), and is a member of the State of California Schools of the Future Initiative. Prior to the LMCC, Bernie directed business development for Solectria Renewables in the Western U.S., was President of Brunswick Bicycles International, President of Bell Sports Specialty Retail Division, and President of Service Cycle/Mongoose.

Doug Avery, Project Manager, Southern California Edison, has over 30 years of experience in the lighting industry and has consulted for utility companies, including Southern California Edison, Hawaiian Electric Company, Nevada Power Company and Central Maine Power, to develop demand side management programs related to the installation of efficient lighting systems. Avery has conducted numerous lighting audits and retrofit design and acted as project manager for Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Lodi Unified School District, LA County, and the old Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Avery spent seven years at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab working on a project with Dept. of Energy’s “Rebuild America” program. He currently works for Southern California Edison as a Project Manager for the Design and Engineering Group and as the functional lead for the Southern California Lighting Technology Center. Avery was also project manager for the development of the current courses being offered by California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program that was developed in partnership with IBEW/NECA, CLTC, SCE, PG & E , Sempra, SMUD, and the Community Colleges.

David Wylie is a professional engineer for ASW Engineering. Wylie, a mechanical engineer, has specialized in energy efficiency for over 30 years and has conducted hundreds of energy audits in the commercial and industrial sectors. As a credentialed college professor, he has developed and taught many courses in energy-related matters and is a published author. David is a partner and the “W” in Tustin, California-based ASW Engineering that provides services to utilities and commercial/industrial firms. Recent projects include the development of NECA’s Energy Audit Training. Wylie is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and National University in San Diego.

3. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

2011 has seen the introduction of plug-in electric vehicles as production models with both the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Other major automakers and some newcomers to the industry have announced their entry into the electric vehicle market with passenger cars, commercial trucks and buses in 2011 and beyond. These new transportation options create new market opportunities for electric contractors since electric vehicles require charging stations at home, at the workplace, and in public locations. This session will highlight opportunities for contractors, address the role and responsibilities of the electrical contractor, and provide an overview of the unique characteristics of the EVSE installation market. The workshop also outlines the codes and standards that apply to this business segment, as well as tips on dealing with customers, inspectors and utilities all facing a new technology. You will also learn about the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) that trains and certifies installers for this market. At the conclusion of the workshop, you should have enough information to determine if EVSE installation presents a real opportunity for your company and leave with some strategies on tapping into this emerging market.

Panelists: Jennifer Mefford, Mark Earley, Joel Pointon
Moderator: Michael Johnston

Jennifer Mefford is the Director of Business Development for the Southeastern Michigan LMCC Mefford has over 18 years of business development, marketing and management experience for an array of large, small and mid-sized companies. As business development director for the Southeastern Michigan Labor Management Cooperation Committee, she is tasked with business development across traditional and new market sectors on behalf of the National Electrical Contractors Association of Southeastern Michigan and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 58. Mefford has experience in program and event management at all levels, strategic planning, sales, public relations, marketing and economic development. She is the National Co-Chair of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP).

Mark Earley P.E., Chief Electrical Engineer for the NFPA. Earley serves as secretary of the National Electrical Code® Committee, and is the chief editor of the National Electrical Code Handbook. He was also a coeditor for the Handbook on Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Earley joined NFPA in 1986 and is co-author of Electrical Installations in Hazardous Locations. He has published numerous technical articles on the fire protection of electrical equipment. His professional organization affiliations include the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and the Standards Engineering Society. Earley was elected to serve on the Council of the US National Committee, and he also serves on the steering committee on the Joint IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash/Arc Blast Research Project.

Joel Pointon is the Manager of Electric Transportation for Sempra Energy Utilities. Pointon moved from Sempra Energy Corporate as a Environmental Advisor to Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) utility in 2006 when he accepted the position of Manager of Electric Transportation (ET) to restart the ET Program that had previously been functioning in the 1990s. His background and education is in the field of environmental health sciences (MSPH from UMass – Amherst). He has worked in government, private industry and as an independent consultant in the 25 years before joining Sempra Energy in 2004. He has served on the Boards of Directors for the California Electric Transportation Coalition (CalETC) and the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA); as Chairperson for the Board of Directors for San Diego’s Regional Clean City Coalition (DOE), and Vice Chair of the San Diego Regional Sustainable Partnership Transportation Committee. He is an active participant in the Electric Power Research Institute’s Infrastructure Working Council’s Steering Committee as well as their Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) and Non Road Vehicle Committees. Pointon currently leads a working group on “Multi-unit Dwellings and Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure” for the GM/EPRI/Utility Coalition, as well as being a member of the “Ready, Set, Go” initiative for California.

Michael Johnston is NECA’s Executive Director of Standards & Safety. Prior to working with NECA, Mike worked for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) as the director of education, codes and standards. Mike is a certified master electrical inspector through IAEI and ICC and has worked as an electrical inspector and electrical inspection field supervisor for the City of Phoenix, AZ. Mike achieved a BS in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He served on NEC CMP-5 in the 2002, 2005, and is the CMP-5 chair representing NECA for the 2011 NEC cycle. Mike is the Chairman of the NEC Technical Correlating Committee and also currently serves on the NFPA NEC Smart Grid Task Force. Among his responsibilities for managing the codes, standards, and safety functions for NECA, Mike is secretary of the NECA Codes and Standards Committee and oversees the production of the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS), the only ANSI-approved performance and workmanship industry standards for electrical construction. Mike is a member of the IBEW and has experience as an electrical journeyman wireman, foreman and project super-intendant. Johnston is an active member of IAEI, NFPA, ASSE, the NFPA Electrical Section, Education Section, the UL Electrical Council, and National Safety Council.

4. Financing Options for Energy Projects

Electrical contractors who want to succeed in energy services have to deliver the entire package, which can include financing options for an owner. Power purchase agreements, energy service contracts, qualified energy conservation bonds, public-private partnerships — there’s a myriad of options to help owners get the energy solutions they need. This session will clear up some of the confusion about the financing options and provide some resources to help you deliver the best financing fit for your customers.

Panelists: David J. Clamage, James Gaspard, Graybar Financial Services (GFS)
Moderator: TBD

Graybar Financial Services, Speaker TBD, is the equipment-financing subsidiary of Graybar, specializing in providing competitive, value-added financing solutions for end-users and facilitating electrical contractors’ ability to offer innovative financing options to their customers. Graybar Financial Services has facilitated financing for more than $350 million in projects related to energy efficiency and communications systems upgrades.

David J. Clamage is the Founder & Managing Director of Saulsbury Hill Financial, LLC. Saulsbury Hill is committed to finding innovative finance tools for clients of NECA member contractors.  Founded in 1976, Saulsbury Hill are finance specialists in the varied disciplines of renewable energy, energy savings, and performance contracting, including comprehensive lighting and controls systems, distributed generation, distributed heating cooling and power, co-gen and related mechanical/HVAC asset types. Saulsbury Hill serves both the commercial market and all levels of the government sector. The company is a member of the Energy Services Coalition and a partner with the Environmental Protection Agency in combined heat and power and the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, as well as a listed financier with the Bonneville Power Administration.

James Gaspard is the Senior Vice President of Sales, Government Leasing Company. Government Leasing Company has been providing leasing services to all levels of local, state and federal governmental agencies for three decades. Gaspard graduated with a JD/MBA with Honors from the University of Texas in Austin and then began his career in the leasing industry.

5. Utility Grade Wind Power

New technologies have increased the efficiency of wind based electricity generation and of systems installations both onshore and off shore. Utility scale wind turbine markets at $35.6 billion in 2009 are anticipated to reach $130 billion by 2016. The enormous size of the existing market gives a significant market thrust going forward, because the major vendors and their customers have access to capital markets.

Panelists: TBD
Moderator: TBD

6. Energy Storage Opportunities and Options

Energy storage has been called the “Holy Grail of Energy Solutions” because its effective application increases the efficacy of renewable energy sources, which are intermittent generators. However, energy storage can be an energy solution in its own right.

Presenter: Dan Cohee
Moderator: TBD

Dan Cohee, Vice President, Pacific Data Electric (PDE) Total Energy Solutions, has been designing, implementing, and constructing energy storage, control systems, and energy efficiency projects for Fortune 500 companies over the last 15 years. With the emergence of the smart grid and energy storage, Cohee has taken a leadership role in developing PDE’s emerging technologies division. His 20 years of experience in data center power structure development enables PDE to implement solutions for: transmission support and congestion relief, T&D upgrade deferral, substation on-site power, renewable firming and multi-power integration. PDE grid-tied projects have been in house engineered, permitted, and successfully passed all city and utility inspections. Currently, Cohee is managing PDE’s design and engineering of a Community Energy Storage Systems (CESS) for a Southern California Utility and a CESS coupled with EV charging, fuel cell, PV, and utility grade SCADA controls to demonstrate the multiple revenues and benefits of energy storage.

1. Wind Applications: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Distributed wind systems, typically using smaller turbines than utility-scale wind farms, create local jobs, reduce on-site operating expenses, protect against electric rate hikes, save fuel, and reduce pollution and energy imports. The U.S. distributed wind industry reached 100 megawatts of installed capacity in 2009, more than $80 million in sales, and more than $250 million in private equity investment. By the year 2030, the Department of Energy would like to see 20-percent of U.S. energy come from wind. Distributed wind has a big role to play in that growth.

Presenter: Larry Flowers,
Moderator: TBD

Larry Flowers is Deputy Director of Distributed and Community Wind for the American Wind Energy Association’s distributed and community wind efforts. Flowers spent the last 10 years of his 30-year career at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), serving as the National Technical Director for the highly regarded Wind Powering America program. In 1999, then-U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson announced Wind Powering America. Flowers was tasked with launching the program and has been at the helm ever since. Through Wind Powering America, he formed a network of 35 state wind working groups, and four regional training and outreach institutes. Through advocacy and other efforts, Flowers will work to grow the market for small wind systems used to power homes, farms and small businesses.

2. How to Present a Solar Solution & Get It Financed

This session will pinpoint all the steps of a solar project. Learn how to identify the appropriate market segment, and how to drive factors that optimize a solar solution.
Solar system ownership vs. leasing solutions will be covered. Most importantly, you will learn how to get financing for your project, and available incentive programs.

Presenters: Jerry Heminger, Matt Kyriakos, Evan Christenson
Moderator: TBD

Jerry Heminger, Vice President of Special Projects/Energy Solutions at Chapel-Romanoff Electric, has been an active member in the electrical industry since 1999. He is a NABCEP Certified PV Installer and LEED AP BD+C certified since 2010. He has developed, designed and constructed several PV installations ranging from large free field to rooftop to urban and commercial integration. Heminger is currently a member of NECA’s Energy Solutions Task Force. He also serves on the Renewable Energy Committee for the Ohio-Michigan NECA Chapter and on the NECA Ohio Green Energy Committee.

Matt Kyriakos, Director of Sales and Customer Service, Western States, Phoenix Solar Inc., brings over 20 years of sales management and account experience in industries ranging from solar to software. Most recently, Kyriakos was Director of Key Accounts for Conergy U.S., a large supplier of photovoltaic solutions in North America, where he also oversaw the company’s Small Commercial Projects group and created its Commercial Finance program. Prior to Conergy, he was Senior Account Manager at publicly held software company, Wyldfyre Technologies/ Homestore Inc. At Wyldfyre, he developed large system accounts throughout North America and created and sold large Multiple Listing Service (MLS) databases across North America. Kyriakos received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Northwestern University and his MBA from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson Schools of Management.

Evan Christenson, Managing Director, RC Energy Group & Rockwell Financial Group, has direct responsibility for the renewable energy financing program at RC Energy Group. In the last four years, the renewable energy team at RC Energy has developed a suite of funding solutions for solar photovoltaic equipment. RC Energy is primarily engaged in the development of solar systems, and the subsequent sale of electricity to credit qualified off-takers. In addition to developing the renewable energy program, he remains a Managing Director at Rockwell Financial Group. Prior to joining Rockwell, he was the Chief Credit Officer for the leasing division of Southern Pacific BanCapital. Christenson started his career at PNC Bank in the Philadelphia commercial banking group where he had individual responsibility for a portfolio of more than $3 billion.

3. Defining the Smart Grid

The generally accepting definition of “smart grid” in the U.S. is an upgrade of existing electricity networks to intelligently produce and distribute power in better ways that respond to a varying demand. For electrical contractors, the smart grid represents opportunities on both sides of the point of service.

Panelists: TBD
Moderator: Michael Johnston

Michael Johnston is NECA’s Executive Director of Standards & Safety. Prior to working with NECA, Mike worked for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) as the director of education, codes and standards. Mike is a certified master electrical inspector through IAEI and ICC and has worked as an electrical inspector and electrical inspection field supervisor for the City of Phoenix, AZ. Mike achieved a BS in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He served on NEC CMP-5 in the 2002, 2005, and is the CMP-5 chair representing NECA for the 2011 NEC cycle. Mike is the Chairman of the NEC Technical Correlating Committee and also currently serves on the NFPA NEC Smart Grid Task Force. Among his responsibilities for managing the codes, standards, and safety functions for NECA, Mike is secretary of the NECA Codes and Standards Committee and oversees the production of the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS), the only ANSI-approved performance and workmanship industry standards for electrical construction. Mike is a member of the IBEW and has experience as an electrical journeyman wireman, foreman and project super-intendant. Johnston is an active member of IAEI, NFPA, ASSE, the NFPA Electrical Section, Education Section, the UL Electrical Council, and National Safety Council.