The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) will be hosting a series of Webinars that will support projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act under the State Energy Program (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG). The Webinar series will address key issues and challenges that state, local, and tribal energy practitioners may face when implementing their projects.

Some of the more common challenges include developing low-to-no-cost strategies for energy efficiency in public buildings, encouraging residents to invest in energy efficiency upgrades in their own homes and the use of energy service performance contracts to finance energy conservation measures without upfront capital.

The Technical Assistance Program provides states, cities, and tribes with the tools and resources needed to implement successful, sustainable renewable energy projects and deploy cost-effective, clean, and reliable energy-saving technologies in buildings and infrastructure nationwide.

Announced in July, TAP—which is jointly-funded with EECBG and SEP Recovery Act funds—accelerates project execution, improves program performance, and increases the return on Recovery Act investments. This effort is another way that the Department is creating green jobs, making homes and businesses more energy efficient, and installing renewable energy systems across America.

For Webinar schedule see below:

Low-to-No Cost Strategy for Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings
Carolyn Sarno, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
September 14, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Stretch/Reach Building Codes Isaac Elnecave, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
September 15, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Loan Loss Reserves: Lessons from the Field
Merrian Fuller, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory
September 20, 2010
2:00 – 3:15 EDT

Taking Advantage of Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECBs)
Mark Zimring, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory
September 22, 2010
3:00 – 4:30 EDT

Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Basics
Meg Giuliano, ICF International
September 23, 2010
1:30 – 2:30 EDT

“Green” Building Codes and Programs
J.C. Martel, Southwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
September 24, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Designing Effective Renewables Programs
Cheryl Jenkins, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
September 28, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 EDT

Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements: Lessons from the Field
Sarah Busche, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
September 29, 2010
3:00 – 4:15 EDT

Webinar session details are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information and presentation material, please visit the Solution Center Webcasts page. If you don’t see a Webinar for a topic you’re interested in please send your suggestions and any questions to solutioncenter@ee.doe.gov.

EERE News: DOE Announces Fall 2010 Technical Assistance Program Webinars.

Learn how to ensure that your next building project meets the most recent code changes by following the time tested methods of the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes Program. We will review the Top 10 changes to the Energy Code and explain just what this means for builders and trade partners. By working with Code officials at the State Energy Office we can show you just how ENERGY STAR can help. Changes in requirements as well as new opportunities will be covered. This will include discussions on the Building Envelope and High Efficiency Equipment.

Join us and learn how Northwest ENERGY STAR can help you meet code NOW and address upcoming changes to the ENERGY STAR Program.

Dates and Locations:

Bellevue – September 8, 2010
Bellingham – September 14, 2010
Vancouver – September 16, 2010
Boise – September 21, 2010
Tacoma – September 23, 2010
Tri-Cities – September 28, 2010
Coeur D’Alene – September 30, 2010
Billings – October 5, 2010
Missoula – October 7, 2010
Tacoma – October 19, 2010
Spokane – October 21, 2010

Northwest ENERGY STAR 2010 Fall Training Series.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program is offering a Webinar on Tuesday, August 24, 2010, from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET titled “ENERGY STAR Pilot Verification Testing Program.”

In support of the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP), DOE is testing appliances for compliance with the applicable ENERGY STAR Program Requirements to verify that off-the-floor products indeed perform to qualifying levels. This Webinar will discuss the pilot verification program, results to date, and plans for future testing in 2011.

Target audience:
This Webinar is geared toward energy efficiency program sponsors, state rebate program administrators, retailers, utilities, and other energy efficiency advocates.

Presenter:
Richard Karney, Program Lead in Testing and Verification for the Buildings Technology Program at DOE.

This Webinar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain the URL and password for logging on via the Internet, and the phone number to connect to the audio. Learn more about the Webinar.

Visit the Building Technologies Program Web site for information about research and development of technologies and practices to achieve energy-efficient commercial and residential buildings.

EERE News: DOE Webinar August 24, 2010: ENERGY STAR Pilot Verification Testing Program.

The Association of Energy Engineers, AEE, has jumped on the bandwagon, too. Now, being offered is a Fundamentals of Energy Auditing course, and they developed a test with some books. www.aeecenter.org

A Ben Meadows catalog appeared in my mail box. It has items some of the members might like. I do not recall seeing this item previously, www.BenMeadows.com . I have not checked the Ben Meadows web site out myself as of yet. You have to be an engineer to join AEE, but I do not know if that is true for their courses.

Dale

Presented by Winter Sun Design & The University of Washington, ASUW Experimental College

SATURDAY, October 16th, 2010
10AM – 4PM
on campus

Course covers: Basic home energy types, systems, characteristics & conservation.
The solar resource, solar gain, site assessment & feasibility.
The emphasis is on practical design issues including; system types, characteristics, sizing, heat storage, construction details, efficiencies & costs.
Green building materials and systems are discussed throughout.
Instructor: Chris Herman, CPBD, owner of Winter Sun Design, (www.wintersundesign.com) established 1987 & Co-Founder of the Northwest Eco-Building Guild (www.ecobuilding.org) & the Solar Washington Association (www.solarwashington.org) .
Cost: ($67 or $52 UW Student) + $10 Exp. Col. Regis. fee
Information: http://experimental.asuw.org
or call Chris @ 206-525-3969 after 2:00 PM
Registration: Call 68Learn (206-685-3276) http://depts.washington.edu/asuwxpcl/

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

NOTE: Depending on class size there may be time to discuss individual projects. Questions requiring elaboration may not be addressed if class size is large. But questions regarding clarification will always be answered.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is conducting a webinar describing efforts underway to develop a suite of national guidelines for the work and workforce involved in residential energy efficiency retrofits.

Webinar attendees will learn how these proposed guidelines will improve the quality of weatherization services and other residential retrofit work; assist training providers in developing industry-recognized course content and curricula; increase mobility and improve the careers of weatherization and residential energy efficiency retrofit workers; and build confidence among consumers and the energy efficiency finance community.

The webinar presentation is titled “National Residential Retrofit Guidelines: Updates & Opportunities for Weatherization and Residential Retrofit Stakeholders,” and will take place on Wednesday, August 11, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The speaker will be Benjamin Goldstein, project lead for the National Residential Retrofit Guidelines at EERE.

The online seminar is free of charge, but you must register in advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in phone number. You can register online for the August 11 webinar and read background materials about the project on EERE’s National Residential Retrofit Guidelines Web page.

EERE News: EERE Webinar August 11: National Residential Retrofit Guidelines.

“Where is the Waste? An Introduction to Auditing Community Energy Use” is a free, live webinar produced by the Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW). Part of ECW’s Community Energy Leadership series of webinars, it focuses on the community energy audit as part of a six-step strategy to meet a community’s plan to save energy. The community energy audit is, in principle, applicable anywhere. While best practices highlighted in the webinar feature Wisconsin municipalities, they have implications for communities elsewhere. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT. Registration (free) is required to view the webinar live or on-demand via an archived copy. For more information about the webinar, go to http://www.ecw.org/project.php?workid=2&resultid=429; to register, go to https://registration.ecw.org/index.php?q=civicrm/event/register&id=157&reset=1.

Via: Energy Newsbrief: Library – WSU Energy Program.

Description: This course is designed to give attendees confidence using thermal imaging as a tool for completing energy audits. The course covers basic imager operation, the fundamentals of heat transfer, moisture instruction, insulation verification, image downloading and interpretation, and the limitations of technology. Use of other test equipment such as when and how a blower door can help, anomaly verification, and other revenue increasing infrared targets will be discussed. In addition, the basics on report writing, how to start a small business and how to market to established firms will be covered.

July 21 – 22, 2010, 8:30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
EOS Alliance Headquarters
650 South Orcas Street, Suite 220
Seattle, WA 98108

via Infrared Thermography Training for Residential and Commercial Energy Auditors in Seattle, Washington.

Dates: June 14th – June 16th, 2010

8:00am-3:00pm

PTCS is a certification program for residential heat pumps and duct systems. It is sponsored by the Bonneville Power Administration based on recommendations made by the Regional Technical Forum regarding the best practices for high performing HVAC systems.

Topics covered include:

• Pressure diagnostics

• Testing equipment training

• Proper techniques for securing and sealing ductwork

• Program specific requirements to qualify for utility incentives and

tax credits

See the PTCS flyer HERE!

via Energy Conservation Training Company: Our Programs.

Lead Renovator Authorized get the EPA Lead RRP Certification (if you pass!)

Lead Renovator Authorized Through NCHH – Continuing Education – South Seattle Community College.