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Developing Washington’s Workforce for Energy Efficiency Industry
December 2009 -- The WSU Extension Energy Program recently released the first of a two-part study indentifying trends and workforce issues in the energy efficiency industry in Washington. The research can assist employers as well as educators and trainers to support continued growth in the energy efficiency industry. The report, Energy Efficiency Trends and Workforce Development in Washington State, is available at: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/workforce/Energy_Efficiency_Workforce_Study.pdf
WSU Extension Energy Program Facilitating $14 Million in ARRA Grants
November 2009 -- Governor Christine Gregoire recently announced more than $14 million in grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for programs providing energy efficiency upgrades to middle-income homes and small businesses in Washington. The Washington State Legislature directed the WSU Extension Energy Program to identify, select and administer these community grants across the state.
Eight private and public projects – Pioneer Human Services, the Opportunity Council, the City of Ellensburg, Snohomish County PUD, Sustainable Living Center, Sustainable Works, the Thurston Economic Development Council, and Clark Public Utilities – were selected by an independent review committee based on their ability to:
- Increase energy efficiency in residential and small commercial buildings – reducing energy use and utility expenses for middle-income residents of our state.
- Create or retain jobs in Washington.
- Leverage other funds.
Work will take place in these counties: Clark, King, Kittitas, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, and Whatcom. "These projects demonstrate bold steps our state is making to increase energy efficiency in our neighborhoods and help create jobs and economic growth throughout Washington," said Jake Fey, Director of the WSU Extension Energy Program.
Plant Operations Staff Joins WSU Extension Energy Program
October 2009 -- On September 1, 2009, staff members of the Plant Operations Support Consortium--Bob MacKenzie, Larry Covey, Sue Brown and Phil Partington--were welcomed as WSU Extension Energy Program employees. Since 1995, the Plant Operations Support (POS) Consortium acted as a clearinghouse for facility managers at state agencies, colleges, school districts, ports and municipalities. With its credo of "Don't Re-invent the Wheel," the Consortium now includes hundreds of members with varied experience and expertise who regularly share solutions and lessons-learned. Staff members are housed at the WSU Extension Energy Program office in Olympia. For more information about the POS Consortium, visit http://www.energy.wsu.edu/apps/PlantOperations.aspx
Fuel Cell Expertise Showcased in New Textbook
September 2009 -- Erin Kanoa, Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, and Geothermal Specialist at the Washington State University Extension Energy Program, authored a guest article published in the textbook, Introduction to Environmental Engineering. The textbook by P. Aarne Vesilind, Susan M. Morgan, and Lauren G. Heine was published in May 2009. The topic of Kanoa's article is "Biogas to Energy Using a Fuel Cell." For more information on the WSU Extension Energy Program's work in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells, visit http://www.energy.wsu.edu/projects/renewables/H2FuelCells.cfm
Leadership Award from ENERGY STAR
August 2009 -- The Washington State University Extension Energy Program was recently recognized with a "2009 ENERGY STAR for Homes Leadership in Housing Award" from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The award was presented to the Extension Energy Program for its work in "verifying more than 1,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes in the past year."
New Venture - DOE Recovery Act Clearinghouse
July 2009 -- On April 23, 2009, the Washington State University Extension Energy Program began operating the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Recovery Act Clearinghouse. The new clearinghouse helps increase the availability of information about DOE's "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" activities, and informs DOE about what is learned from interactions with the public.
The Recovery Act Clearinghouse provides initial consultations and, when appropriate, makes referrals to other information sources (e.g., websites, documents, DOE staff). For further information about the clearinghouse or the Recovery Act, visit:
https://recoveryclearinghouse.energy.gov
Building Performance Rating Project Now Complete
June 2009 -- Rich Prill and Rick Kunkle of the Washington State University Extension Energy Program recently completed a market transformation pilot project that created a rating system for scoring the performance of commercial buildings. The rating system addresses factors such as building energy performance, operation and maintenance of roof-top HVAC units, and building occupant satisfaction. Six buildings in Washington State were recruited and used to obtain input from the building owner/manager, occupants, and O&M service providers and to field test the proposed rating system tools. The project’s final report, which includes score cards developed and tested by the project, is available at: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/building/project/Commercial_Bldg_O&M_Rating_System_Prill.pdf
Services Available to Industrial Facilities
May 2009 -- The Washington State University Extension Energy Program is part of a regional team that offers technical support, plant assessments and best-practices trainings at industrial facilities in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. These services, which are aimed at improving energy efficiency, are provided at little or no cost to Northwest facilities. For additional information, visit: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/projects/industrialservices/. For a brochure about these services: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/industrialservices/IndustrialServices.pdf
IAQ News – Indoor Air Quality Information for Schools
April 2009 -- The Washington State University Extension Energy Program publishes a quarterly electronic newsletter for Northwest schools on the topic of indoor air quality (IAQ). IAQ News features articles and tips on improving the indoor air quality of school facilities, along with announcements of resources and events geared toward educators and facility managers. For recent issues, visit: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/pubs/default.cfm#iaq_schools.
New Factsheet -- "Externally Applied Building Insulation"
March 2009 -- The Washington State University Extension Energy Program recently published the factsheet, "Externally Applied Building Insulation." This method of insulating a residential or commercial building consists of applying rigid foam insulation and a weatherproof outer coating or cladding to the building’s exterior. This insulation system saves on energy costs and may reduce the cost of framing by adding enough insulation to a 2x4 frame wall to let it match the insulation level of a modern 2x6 wall. For a copy of the factsheet, visit: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/PTR/WSUEEF-Ext_Applied_Bldg_Insulation-Dec08.pdf.
Tool Tracks Energy Legislation
February 2009 -- Monitoring the status of energy bills during the 2009 Washington State legislative session is easy.
A tool that tracks energy bills is available on the Washington State University Extension Energy Program website, courtesy of the WSU Energy Library. In addition to monitoring the status of a bill, the tool provides links to the full text, amendments, fiscal notes, and more.
To use the tracking tool, visit: http://www.energy.wsu.edu/library/bills/energybilltracking.cfm
Green Jobs in Washington State -- A New Report
February 2009 -- A recent survey of private employers in Washington developed a baseline measure of the number and type of "green economy" sectors as well as current employment in these sectors. This baseline will be used to track industry and job growth in the state’s emerging green economy. The survey was administered by the Washington State Employment Security Department and the report was prepared by the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. The report, 2008 Washington State Green Economy Jobs, is available at: http://energy.wsu.edu/documents/Green_Jobs_Report_2008.pdf.
For a one-page handout "Green Jobs in Washington State," visit: http://energy.wsu.edu/documents/Green-Jobs-WA-Jan09.pdf
Handout Highlights Energy Program Activities
January 2009 -- An updated two-page handout about the Washington State University (WSU) Energy Program features just a few of the wide range of activities in which we're involved and the audiences we reach. Activities highlighted in the handout include bioenergy and rural development, as well as support for public sector Resource Conservation Managers. For a copy of the handout, visit http://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/WSUEEP-handout-Dec08.pdf.
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