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

September 29, 2022 – Clean Energy Workforce Development Grant

The Smart Energy Initiative of Southeastern PA will be engaging local companies.

Read the announcement from the Pennsylvania Government website https://www.media.pa.gov/pages/Labor-and-Industry-details.aspx?newsid=680

Chester Workforce Development Board
This grant is for a program in Chester, Berks and Montgomery counties through the Chester County Economic Development Council’s (CCEDC) Smart Energy Initiative (SEI). The proposed clean energy workforce development program would build on SEI’s core mission and capacities: outreach, education, and recruitment of businesses, workforce development partners and individuals. The project’s commitment to support clean-energy businesses is equally a commitment to individuals with untapped and unidentified talent across Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.

Learn more at the link below.

https://www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Workforce-Development/grants/Documents/Clean-Energy-NGA.pdf

For questions or additional information, email jlauckner@ccedcpa.com 

September 27, 2022 – Apply for the PA DEP Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

Apply for the PA DEP Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate program can help defray the costs of LED lighting, ventilation equipment, or dairy equipment upgrades for your farm. Applicants must meet the definition of a normal farming operation under Pennsylvania’s Right to Farm Law to be eligible for a rebate.

 Contact your regional PennTAP advisor to start determining eligibility.

Please call Jim Lauckner, SEI Project Consultant 610-321-8231 with questions.

October 4, 2022 – The Path to Net Zero Facilities – Part II – 8:45-10:30 a.m.

REGISTER

High sustainability and resiliency goals have good merit and are the right thing to do for our environment, but they do not come easy and require sound planning, detailed studies, and a commitment to changing the way we produce, procure, and use energy in our facilities.

This second installment of the Path to Net Zero Facilities will focus on design consideration and site impacts, financing and grant opportunities and review of both constructability and return on investment (ROI).

Join us for breakfast and networking beginning at 8:15 a.m.

Solar and Energy Storage

Jim Kurtz, President – Founder – RER Energy Group

Geothermal Design Concepts, Site Hurdles and Constructability and Build Electrification

Scott White, Principal – Holstein White Inc.

CPACE, financing and Grants

Shelah Wallace, Director, Originations – Nuveen, LLC

Agenda:

  • 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. – Check-in (coffee and breakfast pastries will be served)
  • 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. – Program
  • 10:15-10:30 a.m. – Q&A Moderated by Michael Cromer, PG, DBIA, ENV SP, Vice President – Energy & Sustainability – Pennoni