Webinars
New building code cycles bring more efficient and clean buildings to communities but represent a small fraction of the building stock. After adopting reach codes for new construction, the City of Chula Vista wanted to look at how to promote more energy efficiency in their existing building stock while working with a limited budget and diverse stakeholders. Speakers will talk about the development of the City’s residential and commercial ordinances, including how stakeholder feedback was incorporated before adoption. The panel will also highlight some new tools available statewide, inspired in part by Chula Vista’s experience, that are streamlining development of ordinances like Chula Vista’s for other CA cities and counties.
Webinar Speakers
Paul Mathew
Moderator, Energy/Environmental Policy Staff Scientist/Engineer – Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Paul is a Staff Scientist and Department Head of Whole Building Systems at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where he conducts applied research and market transformation activities on energy use in buildings. Prior to joining LBNL, he worked at Enron Energy Services and the Center for Building Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Building Performance and Diagnostics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Cory Downs
Sustainability Specialist, City of Chula Vista
Cory is a Sustainability Specialist with the City of Chula Vista and manages their residential energy & water efficiency outreach and Climate Action Planning. His responsibilities include compiling the GHG inventories, CAP updates and climate equity efforts. Before working with the City full time he was an Environmental Scientist with AECOM and Climate Fellow with ICLEI.
Barbara Locci
Conservation Specialist, City of Chula Vista
Barbara is a green building professional, has worked on sustainability programs for 12 years in various roles. Barbara has worked for the City of Chula Vista for 7 years on energy efficiency and sustainability programs for commercial buildings and businesses.
Eric Engelman
Climate Policy Consultant, Energy Policy Consultants (EPC)
Eric has a master’s degree in public policy from UC San Diego. After working as a development economist internationally, he returned to San Diego to specialize in local energy policy. Over the last decade, Eric served as Senior Energy Policy Adviser for the City of San Diego and founded Energy Policy Consultants (EPC), to help other local governments accelerate the adoption of building decarbonization policies. He and the EPC team are now focused on streamlining data-driven energy policy making for all California cities and counties through software, namely the Cost-Effectiveness Explorer (explorer.localenergycodes.com) which was launched in fall 2020.
Interested in planning a webinar with LGSEC?
The Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition welcomes the opportunity to feature timely topics and useful resources through a webinar to our members and the public. If you would like to partner with LGSEC on a webinar, please reach out to Sarina Soor at ssoor@lgc.org.
Past Webinars
City of Gonzales: Local Governments Empowering Energy Solutions | May 20, 2021 | 1:30 – 2:30 PM
LGSEC organized a webinar with the City of Gonzales on their recently announced microgrid. Our guest speakers presented on the process and experience of advancing clean energy solutions by installing a microgrid powered by 80% renewable energy.
Guest speakers from the City of Gonzales, OurEnergy and Concentric Power discussed the local government role in public utilities and essential services, infrastructure modernization, and California’s energy landscape. The webinar will present a case study on the City of Gonzales’ planned $70 million microgrid and wastewater treatment plant, then conclude with audience Q&A.
SEEC Virtual Forum: Not Your Grandma’s Regulatory Update | September 9, 2020 | 11 – 12:15 PM
Many public agencies have climate action plans (CAP) with ambitious climate and energy goals, targets and actions. These laudable strategies will only be realized if local government action is adequately funding, supporting local capacity to implement energy projects and programs. Some CAP actions are best pursued as part of Californiaʼs energy policy goals, and as a result necessitate effective collaboration with investor owned utilities (IOUs); Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Edison. A CAPʼs feasibility and effectiveness can be significantly impacted by the Stateʼs regulatory agencies, which can have an outsized influence in implementing legislative policies.
In 2020, the CPUC will engage on issues that are core to local governmentsʼ ability to deliver on their climate action and adaptation plans, including:
- Wildfire mitigation
- Public Safety Power Shutoffs
- Microgrids
- Distributed Energy Resource Planning
- Transportation Electrification
- Energy Efficiency and Electrification
- Utility Customer Rates
The Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition (LGSEC) provides a robust expert voice for its 40 member organizations on crucial energy policy matters. No other group that represents local governments has a regular presence at the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board.
This webinar will provide an overview of the regulatory process and current issues that directly impact local governments. The speakers will highlight the challenges associated and opportunities local governments have to influence important policies that could have wide ranging impacts on their ability to make good on their climate action plans.
Community Energy Resiliency with CHP | June 22, 2020 | 10 – 11 AM
Community Energy Resiliency with CHP: How to Maximize GHG Reductions, Resiliency And Energy Efficiency By Including CHP In Your Microgrid
In this webinar, engineering and policy experts will provide an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Western Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) program and discuss CHP successes with local and regional agencies, including sites that have weathered Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events and others that have successfully used CHP-favorable policies to build CHP installations in their jurisdictions.
This webinar is for city, county and local agency leaders and staff as well as community choice aggregators (CCAs) interested in learning more about the benefits of combined heat & power (CHP), successful CHP policies and microgrid development anchored by CHP systems, and CHP for Resiliency screenings.
New Department of Energy Tools to Plan for Stimulus Projects | May 28, 2020 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Get ready for federal stimulus by joining LGSEC for a webinar to hear directly from the DOE and NREL about their latest tools that can help you plan your next energy projects!
Harry Bergman, who manages the suite of building energy data tools at the DOE, will give an overview of the free and open source tools that help you understand energy at any geographic scale. Megan Day from NREL will present the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) platform and other tools to illustrate clean energy options and opportunities and inform energy planning. Lastly, LGSEC board members will facilitate a discussion on how these insights can be used to help develop your next round of shovel ready projects for anticipated stimulus funds.
Explore a New Funding/Partner-Finding Platform from the California Energy Commission | May 5, 2020 | 11AM
The Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition (LGSEC) hosted a live demonstration of Empower Innovation, a new platform created by the California Energy Commission. Discover how your community can use this free tool to connect with cleantech companies, browse millions of dollars in public and private funding opportunities, and explore hundreds of curated resources.
Empower Innovation is a professional networking platform to help local governments and businesses identify funding and partnering opportunities to advance a clean energy future for all.
Empower Innovation is a good place to learn about solutions that can meet your needs if your community is interested in piloting new technology, reducing energy costs, or improving air and water quality.
The Empower Innovation Network currently has:
- $323 million in public and private funding opportunities
- Nearly 300 organizations that have already joined the platform.
- Nearly 900 members
Additionally, Empower Innovation includes valuable resources at your fingertips, including an events calendar, resource library, and online tools related to cleantech, sustainability, and resilience.
It is free, easy to use, and you can sign up using your LinkedIn account.
Speakers:
Katrina Leni Konig, Market Transformation & Outreach Unit Supervisor & Energy Deployment and Market Facilitation Office, California Energy Commission
Hannah Schanzer, Civic Spark Fellow, California Energy Commission
Laura Vogel, Associate Director, Guidehouse Consulting (Formerly Navigant)
Tools and Tactics to Justify ZNE Municipal Retrofits: The City of San Diego “ZN3” Project | November 14, 2019 | 2 PM
California’s aggressive policy goals aim to retrofit 50% of existing commercial buildings to ZNE by 2030. Three San Diego libraries will receive energy efficiency upgrades drastically reducing their energy usage, bringing them close to ZNE.
These retrofits are part of “San Diego “ZN3”; demonstrating, testing, verifying and publicizing integrated on-site solar and energy efficiency measures. ZN3 uses LED lighting, whole-building automation systems, and smart plugs to optimize computers, printers, and other building components.
The project lead, Center for Sustainable Energy, and project partners, San Diego Gas & Electric and San Diego Green Building Council, will share their experience, tools and tactics on how to justify ZNE municipal retrofit projects.
Specifically this webinar will discuss how to:
- Approach baseline and post-retrofit energy savings estimates through modeling and design,
- Leverage utility incentives and programs to reduce retrofit costs, and
- Utilize energy dashboards/visitor engagement activities to extend energy savings beyond a retrofit through public education.
Community Energy Program Design: How to maximize GHG emissions reductions, energy efficiency & workforce development opportunities | August 28, 2019 | 10 AM
The Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition (LGSEC) and one of their Members – Center for Sustainable Energy, hosted an interactive, information-rich webinar- Community Energy Program Design: How to maximize GHG emissions reductions, energy efficiency & workforce development opportunities- presented by two leaders in the field of Demand Response. We explored concepts such as Demand Side Management (DSM) and Auto Demand Response (AutoDR) and how they can shape a wide range of strategies to help improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. Through these strategic tools, managers and leaders can better align energy efficiency and demand response goals. Attendees also received an overview of emerging technologies, program design and administration, and available resources.
Preparing for the Storm: Minimizing Risk through Resilience | October 4 | 11 AM
As the frequency of extreme weather events is on the rise, existing buildings are vulnerable to power disruption, equipment failures, displacement of residents, and other costly damages. This webinar will feature tools and strategies to improve the resilience of existing buildings and community assets through building upgrades and microgrids. The webinar will include an overview of DNV GL’s B-READY building resilience tool, which helps building owners and managers translate climate-related, site-specific risks into actionable resilience strategies. DNV GL will share findings from real-world projects to demonstrate resilience in action, including Seattle City Light’s development of a microgrid at the urban Miller Community Center, designed to serve as a community hub during a grid outage.
For more on the B-Ready tool, check out: https://www.dnvgl.com/services/b-ready-106852
Microgrids, Resiliency, and PERCs | September 18 | 10 AM
EcoMotion’s leadership team will be “Live”, Tuesday, September 18th, giving the most comprehensive webinar yet on planning, financing, installing, and managing microgrids at campuses, cities, and multi-complex sites. EcoMotion has implemented its unique design for Powered Emergency Response Centers (PERCs) that can supply electricity indefinitely, even when the grid is down by coupling battery storage with a solar system.
Ted Flanigan, founder of EcoMotion, and Michael Ware, Senior Energy Executive, will lead this webinar and take participants through the actionable steps they used to bring six installed PERCs to campuses in California.
As an expert in utility rate structures and how they impact the return on investment, Michael has developed tools for weighing the value of different components, incentives, rebates and financing scenarios with infrastructure development.
EcoMotion’s Founder, Ted Flanigan, is a veteran of cutting-edge sustainability and resiliency projects, including planning, financing and managing the build of carbon free microgrids. Ted will discuss the benefits of PERCs, along with their potential to harden infrastructure and provide resiliency for communities.
You will leave knowing:
- Buildings, campuses and communities that are ideal candidates for PERCs and microgrids
- How to design a carbon free microgrid (PERC)
- Financing options for microgrids, program funding, and incentives
- Engaging the community and promoting resiliency leadership
- Managing, maintaining, and making the most of your microgrid environment
- Timeline from great idea to great installation
Join LGSEC and EcoMotion to power your future!
How to Assess & Execute a PPA Buyout (2/2) | August 22 | 10 AM
It’s been more than ten years since the passage of the California Solar Initiative and Federal Solar Tax Credit legislation. Since then, agencies across California have deployed solar as a part of their energy cost management strategy. For those who structured their projects under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), many are now eligible or are approaching eligibility to buyout their PPA provider and take ownership of their system. In this session we will address many of the questions that will help you establish the right plan around assessing and executing a PPA buyout.
Best Practices in Asset Management for Solar (Photovoltaic) Energy Systems (1/2) | July 24 | 10 AM
Whether you own a solar energy (photovoltaic) system or are purchasing power through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), there are important dynamics that must be well managed to ensure optimized energy performance and maximized energy cost savings. In this session we will explore some best practices in managing solar energy systems, including:
- System Monitoring
- Preventative Maintenance
- Reactive Maintenance
- Reporting
We will also address the unique differences between both system owners, and those who are purchasing power from a PPA provider.
The Next Step in The Clean Energy Transition – Decarbonizing Heating Energy in Buildings
Date: Monday, February 12 2018 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Hosted by Margaret Bruce, Local Government Commission, Rachel Golden from the Sierra Club and Pierre Delforge from NRDC., presented about the decarbonization of space and water heating in buildings, proposed legislation, and how local jurisdictions can help.
Community Choice Aggregation 101: Policy and Governance
Date: Friday, September 29 2017 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Dawn Weisz, Chief Executive Officer of MCE Clean Energy, presented about Community Choice governance, rate setting, and CPUC and Legislative policy issues.
Community Choice Aggregation 101: Implementation
Date: Thursday, August 10 2017 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Alex DiGiorgio, Deputy Director of Community Development at MCE Clean Energy, presented the foundations of Community Choice Aggregation, including what it is, why local governments may be interested in exploring it, how to evaluate the opportunity for your community, and how to lay the groundwork for successful implementation.
Energy Legislation Update
Date: July 13, 2017 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Jay Dickenson, Chief Consultant of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, provided an update on this year’s most prominent energy-related bills.
Funding Opportunity to Promote Clean Energy Financing
Date: July 6, 2017 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
This webinar discussed the various tools and products the State of California is making available to local governments to promote clean energy projects for residents, including up to $23,000 in funding for free co-branded marketing materials and other marketing ideas to promote energy project financing. The webinar also detailed updates to the California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF) Residential Energy Efficiency Loan (REEL) program.
Solar + Storage Sizing Tool Demonstration
Date: June 26, 2017 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
The City and County of San Francisco has developed a first of its kind tool that enables building and energy managers, architects, and sustainability and energy professionals to size their buildings for energy storage + solar. This webinar demonstrated the use of this tool and in solar siting for resilience planning.
Local Government Statewide Administration Business Plan
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Thursday, November 3rd, 10-11am
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LGC Statewide Business Plan Proposal
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