Category Archives: News

11/4 – Wolf announces plan to boost PA solar energy development

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By Jennifer Wentz, Central Penn Business Journal

Gov. Tom Wolf hopes a soon-to-launch initiative will help Pennsylvania boost sales and production of solar-generated electricity. View the entire press release here.

The initiative is set to kick off in January 2017 with a meeting of government, business and environmental experts, according to a news release from the governor’s office. Groups will continue to meet throughout the year, with the project culminating by January 2018 in a draft plan for Pennsylvania’s solar future.

The plan would be made available for public comment and, six months later, would be available for use by policy makers, regulators, businesses, investors and consumers.

“This is an important step forward for us to better understand how we can increase Pennsylvania’s solar footprint long-term, which will provide more options for consumers and decrease emissions,” Wolf said in the release. “Alternative energy and lower-emission fuels like natural gas will help to decrease the impacts of climate change, which we know will have negative impacts on our air, our health and important industries, including agriculture and tourism.”

The plan will address strategies for meeting state energy goals, how to cost-effectively integrate solar energy into the current grid and measures to help low-income consumers, among other issues.

The goal is to speed up solar’s role in the state’s energy economy and increase solar-generated in-state electricity sales to at least 10 percent by 2030.

A $550,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will help fund the project.

11/1 – PECO Smart Ideas- Act 129 Phase III

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On Tuesday, October 25th, PECO presented on Act 129, Phase III, at the Chester County Economic Development Council. Thirty- five people attended this Breakfast Briefing hosted by the Smart Energy Initiative.

PECO representatives shared new information about the Smart Ideas program measures and incentives, as well as new resources and tools to help you close more projects.

Presenters included Mary Hall, Program Manager (Commercial & Industrial) at PECO and Ed Piscopo, Senior Economic Development Specialist, Economic & Business Development, PECO.

To view a short video of the key takeaway messages, visit the link here.

You can view the entire presentation here~Peco Smart Ideas For Your Business

10/20 – Energy Related Training Funds for 2016-2017

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The Smart Energy Initiative can help your organization maintain a competitive workforce with a grant to offset partial costs of energy-related training (eligible employers/trainees can receive a reimbursement of up to 50% of course costs for each trainee). Funding is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the Chester County Workforce Development Board.

Eligibility & Conditions

  • Trainees must be employed residents of Pennsylvania
  • Training must occur between July 1, 2016 and June 30th 2017
  • The following 29 courses are currently eligible for reimbursement for the 2016-2017 program year:
    1. Passive House Institute of US, Verifier Certification
    2. Passive House Institute of US, Certified Consultant
    3. LEED Green Associate
    4. LEED Accredited Professional
    5. Energy Modeling for LEED Projects
    6. WELL Accredited Professional
    7. Well Being Standard
    8. NORA Gold Tank
    9. NORA Gold Hydronics
    10. NORA Gold Venting
    11. NORA Combustion Tune Up
    12. NORA Bronze Basic Oil Heat Technician
    13. WaterFurnace International Geothermal Residential Forced Air Equipment Training
    14. Building operator trainings: Building Science of Commercial Buildings (AM), and Building Operator Training and Re-tuning (PM)
    15. Enterprise Green Community Standard Workshop
    16. Association of Energy Engineers Certified Water Efficiency professional (CWEP)
    17. Association of Energy Engineers Certified Energy Manager
    18. Association of Energy Engineers Certified Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP)
    19. Association of Energy Engineers Certified Measurement & Verification Professional (CMVP)
    20. Association of Energy Engineers Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP)
    21. BPI Certified Building Analyst
    22. BPI Certified Envelope Professional
    23. BPI Infiltration and Duct Leakage Certification
    24. BPI Recertification
    25. BPI Healthy Home Evaluator (HHE) Certification
    26. BPI Multifamily Certification
    27. Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Verifier
    28. North American Technical Excellence (NATE) Certified Technician
    29. BREEAM USA In-Use Assessor Certification

If you or your employees have taken any of the classes listed above and you have not yet applied for grant funds, please contact us.  If you have an energy industry related class in which you are interested in taking, or have already taken, during this time frame and it is not on the list above please contact us; we may be able to revise the list.

As a condition of the funding grant, recipients are asked to report a training outcome for each employee, such as a projected wage increase, new title, or promotion. As required by the Department of Labor and Industry, trainees must provide their social security number (SSN) and complete a brief training evaluation following completion of the training.     SSNs are not retained and are used for state reporting only.

Disallowable costs include: conferences; non-certification or credential seminars, travel or other expenses; and lost wages or salary reimbursement.

Contact the Smart Energy Initiative with questions, request more information, or to receive timely notifications of SEI-approved training in the region.