Author Archives: Kevin Campbell

May EEF – Energy Efficiency Trends in the Cannabis Industry

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Big thanks to Kevin Campbell from Energy 350 and the 100 attendees (webinar plus in-person) for making this another great Energy Engineering Forum. Below is a link to a copy of the presentation.

PDF Copy of Presentation – Energy Efficiency Trends in the Cannabis Industry by Kevin Campbell from Energy 350

http://www.aeecrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/May-2018-EEF-Energy-Efficiency-Trends-in-the-Cannabis-Industry.pdfWe are working with Energy Trust of Oregon’s Production Efficiency Program for this May 2018 event. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certificates of attendance will be provided.

Energy Efficiency Trends in the Cannabis Industry

Kevin Campbell

Account Manager

Energy 350

The rapidly expanding cannabis industry is a significant source of load growth in several states that have legalized recreational use. This load growth coupled with inefficient incumbent technology make the cannabis industry ripe with efficiency potential. However, there are a host of technological and social barriers to unlocking this potential. This presentation will provide an overview of the energy using systems, energy analysis techniques, energy efficiency technologies related to cannabis grow operations.

Presenter:

As an Account Manager for Energy 350, Kevin has worked with numerous cannabis growers throughout Oregon to evaluate energy efficiency potential and help them reduce their operating costs. However, his work is not limited to cannabis projects. He has experience working on energy projects throughout the industrial and commercial sectors. Kevin has a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Portland State University.

November 2017 Energy Engineering Forum – Oregon Energy Code – What’s in it, where is there room for improvement, and how is it applied

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Big thanks to Jim Edelson from NBI for his presentation on energy codes. Below is a copy of his presentation.

Oregon Energy Code – What’s in it, where is there room for improvement, and how is it applied

Jim Edelson

Director-Codes and Policy

New Buildings Institute

Since buildings account for over 30% of Oregon’s GHG emissions, its building energy codes are one of the most important policy levers to meet its climate goals. But Oregon’s energy code has gone from national leader to laggard in the past 8 years. This presentation will explain what is in Oregon’s energy code, how it is developed and applied to projects, and its opportunity for improvement. The talk will conclude with the most recent policy developments in Salem and Portland

Presenter:
As Director of Codes and Policy at New Buildings Institute, Jim has served on multiple state code boards and energy policy Advisory Committees. Jim has publishes and speaks on stretch codes, on net zero policies, and on utility programs that achieve market transformation through energy code implementation. He currently serves on ASHRAE 189.1, and is leading the development team for Stretch Codes in the state of New York. He has a Bachelor of Science and a M.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

September 2017 Energy Engineering Forum – Does This Make Sense Anymore? – Energy Efficiency in a Market Awash With Low-Cost Power

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We are working with Energy Trust of Oregon to present a series of Energy Engineering Forums in 2017. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certificates of attendance will be provided.

 

Does this make sense anymore? – Energy Efficiency in a Market Awash with Low-cost Power

Charlie Grist

Conservation Resource Manager

Northwest Power and Conservation Council

 

The market price of energy is so low that sometimes it’s negative, wind and solar plants are springing up like mushrooms after a rain, natural gas generation is so cheap it’s displacing coal, and in many places electric loads are not growing – even though population is.  These circumstances challenge the notion of energy efficiency as a resource.  Yet the Northwest Power Council’s Seventh Power Plan (2016) calls for developing ever more energy efficiency. Come hear Council staffer Charlie Grist  describe the current state of the power system, the near-term outlook and how energy efficiency fits into the picture.

 

We will also be hosting this event as a webinar. Please use the link below to register.

REGISTER HERE

 

Presenter:
Charlie joined the Council staff in 2002 as a senior analyst. He works primarily on energy efficiency issues as part of the development and implementation of the Council’s regional power plan. Charlie’s energy efficiency work covers regional conservation potential assessments, planning, implementation and evaluation. He is vice chair of the Council’s Regional Technical Forum. Before joining the Council staff, Charlie was a senior analyst at Oregon Office of Energy for 18 years working on state energy policy development, energy facility siting, energy forecasting, utility regulation, energy conservation, renewable resource development, and Columbia River issues. Charlie has a B.S. in resource analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He likes to windsurf in the Columbia River Gorge.

 

May 2017 Energy Engineering Forum – Improving Energy Performance by Testing Adjusting and Balance (TAB)

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We are working with Energy Trust of Oregon to present a series of Energy Engineering Forums in 2017. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certificates of attendance will be provided.

Improving Energy Performance by Testing Adjusting and Balancing (TAB)
John M Herboth, P.E. CxA, EMP, BET CP
Northwest Engineering Services Inc. (NWESI)

The presentation on TAB and Energy Use will discuss how a building’s heating and cooling systems balancing can lead to energy use changes. The presentation will use specific project details in a discussion on the challenges regularly experienced by TAB providers from design, through construction, and after a building is occupied plus how those issues have impacted the end product’s energy use.

We will also be hosting this event as a webinar. Please use the link below to register for the event

REGISTER HERE

Presenter:
John Herboth is a Commissioning Project Manager at Northwest Engineering Service Inc. but also leads & performs TAB on projects up and down the I-5 corridor. Over the last 9.5 years with NWESI, he has commissioned over 50 projects and has been involved in over 18 TAB projects. Over the last 3 years he has led the firm’s building envelope testing services and in 2015 started their building envelope commissioning services.

 

 

 

 

March 2017 Energy Engineering Forum – Energy Efficiency & Refrigeration Systems

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We are working with Energy Trust of Oregon to present a series of Energy Engineering Forums in 2017. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certifications for Professional Development Hours will be provided.

Energy Efficiency & Refrigeration Systems
Dave Moser, PE
Cascade Energy

Large ammonia refrigeration systems use gobs of energy. This Energy Engineering Forum will discuss common strategies for improving the energy performance of the systems, from low cost adjustments to capital upgrades and considerations for new systems.

Register for the event here.

Note that we will have a webinar setup for remote attendees.

Presenter:

Dave Moser – Dave is a senior project engineer at Cascade Energy here in Portland. For the last 18 years he’s been working with commercial and industrial mechanical systems, including design, energy audits, and commissioning.

Working With Energy Trust of Oregon

2016 Wrench of the Year Award Winners

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Congratulations to Andy Hart from Owens Corning and Vlad Davidovich from Blount International.

The Wrench of the Year Award honors two true “wrenches” – folks diligently working in the ducts, rafters, floors and trenches to make machines run right and tight. The awards are given to personnel working in facility management where their work contributed significantly to energy efficiency improvement during the award year. Winners are involved in day-to-day management of facility operations, efficiency measures or procedures, and their work has demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in energy efficiency.

“They are all deserving and it is difficult to pick just two from such a strong field,” said past Wrench winner, Don Eaton of Darigold. Jason Jepsen, member of AEE CRC, adds, “The Wrench of the Year Award seeks to recognize the grit and gristle of successful energy system improvements. It’s where the rubber meets the road, the details that matter and need to happen. Who is going the extra mile to keep machines and operations on tack?”

Andy Hart looked to ambient conditions for 20% electricity savings. Tracking and tuning, he optimized heat-activated ink drying and shrink wrap processes. He also proposed and evaluated evaporative cooling for process water avoiding a mechanical chiller purchase and operation. Vlad Davidovich likewise found energy savings in setpoints adjustments, variable speed drives and attentive plant operation. Recent projects include Strategic Energy Management, custom programming of air handlers and a heat recovery chiller, combined saving over 4 million kilowatt-hours.

The Wrench of the Year Award includes an attractive trophy, a $500 check, the Commercial Energy Auditing Reference Handbook (donated by Fairmont Press), and the responsibility of helping to select next year’s winners. The trophy is beautiful enough to mount in the living room, yet useful enough for the shop. The 12″ Blue-Pointe crescent wrench is fastened with powerful magnets, allowing quick removal for energy efficiency improvements. The winners were nominated and selected by peers working in the energy field, and honored at the AEE CRC Annual Holiday party at Lompoc Brewery’s Sidebar.

andy-hart-woy16 vlad-davidovich-woy16-1

Energy Engineering Forum – Optimizing Chiller Plants

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We are working with Energy Trust of Oregon to present a series of Energy Engineering Forums in 2016. You are invited to the 4th Energy Engineering Forum for 2016. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certifications for Professional Development Hours will be provided.

Optimizing Chilled Water Plant Design and Operation
Anthony Tomasi
Johnson Barrow Oregon

During this presentation, we will review why optimizing a chilled water plant is so important. This will include a discussion of the fundamental workings of a typical water cooled centrifugal chiller and what impacts their operating efficiency. We will detail ways to optimize chiller “lift” to save energy and review other innovations in the chiller industry such as VFDs, magnetic bearings, falling film evaporators, and high efficiency heat exchanger tubes. Additionally, Anthony will present a case study challenging “free cooling’ philosophies.

Register Here!

We will also be hosting this event as a webinar. Please use the link below for the webinar and note that remote attendees will not be able to receive PDHs.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/969149197

Presenter:
Anthony Tomasi – Anthony is a Senior Sales Engineer and Partner with Johnson Barrow Oregon, an applied HVAC equipment rep firm, serving the local Oregon market.  He has over 15 years of experience in the HVAC industry, the majority of which was spent as an Account Executive for York International / Johnson Controls Inc.  During those years, his primary role has been supporting MEP Consulting Engineering firms in designing mechanical systems for new construction as well as retrofit applications.  Formal education includes a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University (2001) and an MBA from Boston College (2011).  He re-located from Boston to the Pacific Northwest in 2012 and now lives in NE Portland.

Working With Energy Trust of Oregon

September Energy Engineering Forum

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We are working with Energy Trust of Oregon to present a series of Energy Engineering Forums in 2016. You are invited to the 3rd Energy Engineering Forum for 2016. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch and certifications for Professional Development Hours will be provided.

Efficient Compressed Air System Design and Operation
Jeff Yarnall, PE
Rogers Machinery Company, Inc

Compressed air systems are commonly found in industrial facilities and commercial buildings. The design and operation of the compressed air systems in these facilities significantly impacts their energy performance. This presentation will review compressed air system operation and design with a focus on improving energy performance.

Register Here!

Presenter:
Jeff Yarnall – Jeff has over 30 years of experience with compressed air and process vacuum systems, including; system design, applications, installation, troubleshooting, maintenance, controls, and energy audits. He has developed comprehensive deterministic simulation models for compressed air systems which allow the evaluation of “what if” scenarios for his clients.

Jeff is a Compressed Air Challenge Qualified Instructor, and over 1,500 people have attended Jeff’s classes on compressor maintenance and system optimization. In addition to classroom theory, Jeff uses the experience of over 800 audits to illustrate the practical side of compressed air systems operation and optimization.

Working With Energy Trust of Oregon

Successful Bullitt Center Tour

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Many thanks to all who could make it to AEE – Columbia River Chapter’s/Oregon ASHRAE’s tour of the Bullitt Center in Seattle. A special thanks as well to our wonderful tour guide (and mechnical design engineer for the building), Justin Stenkamp from PAE

Bullitt Center Tour

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AEE-Columbia River Chapter and Oregon ASHRAE are proud to present a building tour of the Bullitt Center in Seattle! The Bullitt Center is one of the first Living Building certified facilities in the United States. It features net zero energy and water, and was designed “to show what’s possible today, changing the way people think about high performance green buildings.”

It features many impressive energy systems, such as:

  • Ground source radiant HVAC system with heat recovery
  • Extensive solar array
  • Smart building controls and daylighting strategies
  • Extensive water management tools w/composting toilets and rainwater catchment
  • Regenerative elevator and “irresistible stairway”
  • …and that’s just the start…

More information here: http://www.bullittcenter.org/

Join AEE-CRC and OR ASHRAE for a field trip to Seattle to tour this amazing building, hear from experts about the systems, and network with your colleagues on the chartered, air-conditioned bus. Siemens has also sponsored a happy hour so beverages will be provided on the return trip.

Where: We are meeting in the parking lot of the Red Lion Jantzen Beach and we will take a tour bus to the site.

When: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 Leave Portland at 7 am; return at 5 pm

Presenters:  Justin Stenkamp, PAE

Cost: $55 (includes transportation on chartered bus and boxed lunch) + $4.02 processing fee

Register Here!

Continuing education credits are available for folks who can self‐certify. Space is limited to 40 seats. Please register ASAP.

Hope to see you there!

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