SPEER News: We're Hiring, Upcoming Events, New Member & News!

In this newsletter:

We're Hiring!
Registration Open: Building Operator Certification (BOC) Course
New SPEER Member
Upcoming Events
Energy Efficiency Day: October 2nd
Noteworthy Announcements
What We're Reading

SPEER's Hiring!

CELC Part-Time Position

We are looking for a part-time candidate to help with our Local Government CELC (Community Efficiency Leadership Coalition) program! This individual will provide technical support & undertake research or convene meetings and forums for educational purposes regarding local government energy efficiency and sustainability. Join our team and make an impact on our environment and community today! Learn more about the position and apply here.

Register Now:

Building Operator Certification (BOC) Training Course

The Building Operator Certification training provides building operators with skill enhancement in energy-efficient building operations. Operations & maintenance best practices can save 5-20% annually on energy bills but buildings can only be operated efficiently if the building operator is properly trained.

BOC graduates make their buildings more comfortable, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Save your spot for SPEER's winter BOC course beginning December 3rd! View the course syllabus.

Welcome New SPEER Member

SPEER is thrilled to welcome our newest member, APTIM! We are excited to have them join us as we continue our mission to advance energy efficiency in our region. Learn more about SPEER membership here.

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Taking Advantage of Incremental Savings

Join Keeping PACE in Texas for an interactive deep dive into the Texas PACE Technical Standards Manual focusing on how to measure incremental costs and savings (using code requirements as the baseline) for new construction and gut rehab projects. Attendees will learn how to calculate incremental PACE-qualifying savings to investment ratio for qualified projects and enter the data into the ITPR workbook. Register here.

Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEPP) Fall Energy Forum

The pressure to decarbonize and the associated costs are increasing. This forum will address these issues and more by examining both technical and financial strategies and solutions that can lower the cost of decarbonization as the industrial sector strives to meet increasingly aggressive goals. Learn more.

Date & Time: Thursday, October 10, 2024, 4:00-6:00 pm

Theme: Lowering the Cost of Decarbonization

Venue: Hybrid meeting. In-person at University of St. Thomas Center for Science and Health Professionals (CSHP) Atrium, 3800 Montrose Blvd. Houston, TX 77006. You can also join online.

Registration:

In-person or virtual.

GridNEXT 2024: Meeting the Demand

Join us at CleanTX DFW Chapter’s third annual one-day seminar GridNEXT - Meeting The Demand, hosted at the University of Texas at Arlington to highlight thought leadership coming from the north Texas region.

Session topics include:

Unveiling the Hottest Trends in Cleantech and Renewable Energy with Peter Kelly-Detwiler
Powering Tomorrow: An Overview of Utility-Scale Renewable Project Development
Guarding the Grid: BESS Practices in Safety
Keynote Lunch: Woody Rickerson, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, ERCOT
Meeting the Demand: How Texas Energy Developers Will Rise to the Challenge
Decentralized Power: The Rise of Microgrids and Distributed Energy in Texas
A Look Ahead: Direction of Texas Electric Regulatory and Electric Policy

When: October 25th, 9 am - 3 pm CST

North Texas Facilities Expo

When: October 29-30

The Facilities Expo provides free learning and networking opportunities, bringing together facility engineers, energy managers, maintenance managers, green building communities, and more for two days of energy and sustainability sessions and exhibits.

Join SPEER’s Energy Code Manager, Randy, as he presents on 2021 IECC Update: Key Changes in Commercial HVAC, Lighting, and Building Codes.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 9:50 AM - 10:50 AM

Speaker: Randy Plumlee - Energy Code Program Manager, SPEER

This valuable presentation will describe the significant changes introduced in the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for commercial buildings. The session will cover essential updates in HVAC systems, lighting requirements, and overall building codes to enhance energy efficiency. Gain insights on how these changes impact design, implementation, and compliance. Equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate the new standards effectively in your upcoming projects.

Texas Energy Summit

Mark your calendar: November 19-21 is the 21st Texas Energy Summit, hosted by the Energy Systems Laboratory, a division of Texas A&M University.

This important and timely event focuses on the intersection of air quality and energy systems: the grid, transportation, oil/gas, and industrial. Summit sessions are intended to lead to actionable steps to improve our air quality in Texas.

Sponsorship opportunities are available! For more info, head here.

Energy Efficiency Day is October 2!

A growing network of advocates, companies, government agencies, utilities and others are recognizing the benefits of energy efficiency and will showcase this during the annual nationwide Energy Efficiency Day, which is the first Wednesday in October. This year's EEDay will be on Wednesday, October 2nd! Let us know how you plan to celebrate #EEday2024 and learn more about energy efficiency and its positive impacts here. Be sure to tag EEday on X to let us know what you are doing honor energy efficiency and reducing energy waste.

For more on building resiliency, advancing efficiency, energy codes, and the need for demand-side policy solutions, head over to our blog page.

Noteworthy

SECO Seeks Community & Administrator Input Through October 18th

The State Energy Conservation Office is conducting feedback surveys for two different groups:

Community Members Survey - This survey is intended for individuals who plan to apply for rebates upon program launch.
Program Administrators/Partners Survey - This survey is intended for organizations and individuals who will participate in program implementation, such as program administrators, retailers, vendors, and relevant organizational leaders.

SECO staff appreciates you taking the time to fill out these surveys thoughtfully and carefully; this input is critical to the design and implementation of the program so it maximizes benefits for the public.

If you are a program administrator or community member with further questions, please email SECO for more information.

SPEER Selected for Energy Code Grants

Building energy codes makes the electric grid more resilient and helps save lives during extreme weather events and extended power outages. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $90 million in competitive awards to help states, cities, tribal nations, and their partners implement updated energy codes for residential and commercial buildings to save energy and lower utility bills.

SPEER is proud that we have been selected for several Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) competitive awards to support the implementation of efficient and resilient energy codes in our region of Texas and Oklahoma. Access to training on the latest codes is especially important in the south-central region, since in recent years more homes have been built in Texas than in any other U.S. state.

Need to Catch Up?

Missed last week’s policy newsletter or recent Local Government, Oklahoma, or Energy Code newsletters? Browse past issues of our newsletters and subscribe to other distribution lists here.