December 2, 2022 – Apply for the Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant through SEI

Does at least 50% of your revenue come from the energy sector?

And does your business operate in Berks, Chester, or Montgomery Counties? If so, SEI can help determine if your company is eligible for a Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant from the PA Department of Labor & Industry.

The Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant aims to ensure that businesses and job seekers remain competitive in the clean energy sector over the next decade through increased connections to local partners and training opportunities, deployment of work-based training models and upskilling methods, and expanded access to career pathway development in the industry.

To see if you qualify, fill out the application form and email it to Jim Lauckner, at jlauckner@ccedcpa.com.

Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant Application Form (PDF)

December 8, 2022 – Chester County Solar Stakeholders Roundtable – 2:00 PM – 4:45 PM

Learn more and save a spot! 

The intersection of widespread corporate ESG goals and expanded funding for renewable energy has generated significant interest in solar power. Chester County’s Environmental and Energy Advisory Board seeks to better understand the current barriers within the solar installation landscape so it can advise the County on pathways to advance the adoption of solar energy and leverage all available resources. This series of topical panel discussions with local solar stakeholders aims to identify barriers to increased adoption of on-site solar (or other distributed energy, including energy storage) in Chester County. Suggested actions made through these discussions will be compiled by the Environmental and Energy Advisory Board.

**Panelists should attend in person. Attendees may attend in person or virtually via Teams. A Teams link will be provided in your confirmation email.

December 8, 2022 – Instructor Bios – Geothermal Service and Installation Training at CCEDC

Mike Hammond – Creative Energy

Mike Hammond started in the HVAC early in life at 16 years old. He started working for a company in their sheet metal shop and delivering materials to jobsites and slowly became more involved in installation and service.  Later, Mike went on to own his own business for years – installing equipment and started to specialize in geothermal installations and service in the early 1990’s. Then in 2009 he made a decision to join ClimateMaster to be a trainer, traveling the country to train distributors and dealers on service and installation of geothermal equipment.  In 2022 I left ClimateMaster and joined Creative Energy.

Fred Umble – Creative Energy

Fred Umble has supported the geothermal industry while working in the marketing department at PPL from 1991 until 1995, when he started Creative Energy Distributors.  Creative Energy started out as a Command-Aire distributor.  Climatemaster was added as a second line in 2002, and Hydron Module was added to their line in 2010.  Fred has supported his dealers with design, tech support and training for the past 27 years.  His system designs have ranged in size from small residential up to 170 tons.

November 7, 2022 – SEI Working Groups meeting – 4:00-6:00 p.m. at CCEDC

email jlauckner@ccedcpa.com to receive an invitation via Outlook

Please join SEI for the Working Groups Meetings. Light food, beer and soda will be served. If you cannot attend, please consider sending another representative from your company.

Agenda:

4:00 p.m. Pick up your name badge and drop your business card in the fish bowl for a chance to win a Google Nest courtesy of Emergent Energy Solutions, LLC!

4:00 p.m. CCEDC Welcome (Jim Lauckner, Sr. Project Consultant – SEI)

4:05 – 4:15 p.m. Welcome and Direction for the Breakout Sessions. (Steve Krug, SEI Chair and Principal – Krug Architects)

4:15 – 4:45p.m. Breakout Sessions:

  • Energy Efficiency:  led by Paul Spiegel, Director, Energy and Sustainability Services – Practical Energy Solutions
    • What will RGGI bring?
    • How can we use C-PACE?
    • Discuss the best new features of PECO Smart Ideas.
    • IRA
  • Geothermal: led by Bill Ronayne, President – Brandywine Valley Heating and Air Conditioning
    • IGSHPA Training
    • How can we approach the PUC?
    • Geo Loop Ownership by Utilities
    • IRA
  • Solar and Energy Storage: led by Mark Connolly, Energy Engineer – RER Energy Group
    • Community Solar
    • Time of Use
    • Battery types, Configurations, and Management
    • IRA
  • Microgrids, CHP and Renewable Fuels: led by Michael Cromer, Vice President – Energy & Sustainability  – Pennoni
    • Discuss how microgrids and CHP applications fill the resiliency needs for critical infrastructure
    • Review distributed generation financing options
    • Discuss the future of hydrogen fuel
    • EV
    • IRA

4:45 – 5:30 p.m. WG Chairs Report out to All Working Groups and Action items are assigned. Select a date for your team’s action items due dates for item completion. Beers and beverages will begin with the report out session and light snacks and time for networking will exist at the end.

6:00 p.m. Please return your magnetic name badge to the board before leaving. Thank you!

Why you should attend!

Please bring your thoughts about the new energy trends, disruptions, training, and news to the SEI Working Group 2022 Planning Meeting (such as RGGI and Energy Efficiency, Battery Storage, Utility Scale Community Solar technology and finance, Hydrogen CHP, Geothermal as a community utility, Electric Vehicles, AI and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)).

By participating in the working group meeting, you get to help choose the topics that will be covered in our annual energy briefing (as well as future programs). Please bring a unique perspective to the table, and consider being a speaker for one of our future programs. Let’s learn from one another and provide content as we plan the 2023 Energy Briefing.

The Working Group topics will become the themes for the 2023 SEI Energy Briefing in February and subsequent activities throughout the year. We need to hear from you, SEI Members. Our goal is to inform, educate, and communicate the smart energy issues that affect businesses in our region.

October 17, 2022 – World Geothermal Day!

About World Geothermal Energy Day – This is the one day when people around the globe celebrate the virtues and benefits of geothermal, open their shops for tours (both virtual and physical), discuss new technologies, and work to include geothermal in legislation at the local, regional, national and international levels.

The Hashtag is #WorldGeothermalEnergyDay

Find out more about Geothermal Day and related events at https://worldgeothermalenergyday.org/2022-events