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Nov 5

PACE in Texas 101

Join us for a Webinar on November 18 (Space is limited)

Register now

Tuesday, November 18, 2014
10:00am – 11:00am CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

This 60-minute “PACE in Texas 101″ Webinar will provide an introduction to Texas PACE, provide an update on the status of PACE around the state, and highlight the local benefits of starting a PACE program in your community. Energy Efficiency, water efficiency, and renewables / distributed generation upgrades for buildings provide vast economic savings and environmental benefits, but many businesses face barriers to pursuing these investments in commercial properties because of capital costs. In 2013, Texas passed legislation enabling cities and counties to create Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) districts to help commercial building owners access a new financing mechanism for these energy improvements. Join this webinar with SECO, SPEER, Keeping PACE in Texas, and experience PACE program administrators to hear about how PACE financing works in Texas, the local impacts of the program, and how to get one started in your region.

Nov 4

SPEER Member Discount: Texas Energy Storage Summit

SPEER wants you to know the Washington, DC-based Energy Storage Association is hosting the first Texas Energy Storage Summit, in Austin on December 5th.  

This will be a one-day workshop in Austin, aimed at bringing together the larger international storage industry (manufacturers, developers, system owner-operators, researchers) with activities and market participants engaged in or interested in energy storage in Texas.  There will also be a welcoming reception the evening before at the Hilton, the conference venue.  This will be a great opportunity for Texans to learn more about what is planned or underway already.  There will be four panels aimed at not only addressing, but stimulating a dialogue with the audience on:

  • Distribution Level, Microgrid, and Customer Applications
  • Transmission Level/Utility-Scale Applications and Opportunities
  • Industry-University Research and Development Collaboration
  • Policy and Energy Storage Futures

Did you know Oncor has launched an effort to explore the value of distribution level storage applications, as has Austin Energy and a Panhandle Cooperative?  Did you know that there are already 45 MW of electric storage on the transmission system in ERCOT?  Or that there are over 800 MW in the interconnection queue?  Thermal storage is making a come-back, but in some states, customers are also installing electric storage on site—with or without solar panels—to shift their loads in response to electric rates.  Did you know ERCOT is completely remaking their Ancillary Services in order to take advantage of emerging technologies like storage to maintain power quality and reliability at ever greater efficiency?

This will be a relatively small conference, in which the audience participation will be encouraged.  Speakers will include: Brad Jones, VP of ERCOT, who is leading the new market design efforts; Calvin Crowder, President of Electric Transmission Texas (a partnership of MidAmerican and AEP which owns a 4.5 MW storage facility); Carl Mansfield, VP of Sharp’s new SmartStorage Group; Jack Farley, President of Apex, a new compressed air energy storage firm in the interconnection queue at ERCOT, and more.

Members of the South-Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER) may receive a $50 discount of the Regular fee by using code: SPEERTESS14.

Oct 29

Last Chance to Register for the Energy 2030 On the Road: Fort Worth

REGISTER TODAY for the Energy 2030 On the Road: Fort Worth Event
Monday, November 3, 2014 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Worthington Renaissance Hotel
200 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

The Alliance to Save Energy and SPEER are hosting Energy 2030 On the Road: Fort Worth. This will be the Alliance’s seventh event in a series that has traversed the country, hosting conversations about regional successes and opportunities for achieving the Energy 2030 goals of doubling U.S. energy productivity by 2030.

The event, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, has an impressive roster of confirmed speakers, including:Congressman Michael Burgess (R-TX); Bridget Lauderdale, VP and GM of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Operations; Rusty Hodapp, VP of Energy & Asset Management at DFW Airport; Sam Steele, Administrator of Sustainability Programs for the City of Ft. Worth; and Don Clevenger, Sr. Vice President of Strategic Planning for Oncor Energy.

SPEER is certain this will be a great opportunity to discuss the policies and practices that are critical to increasing energy productivity and hope you will consider making time to attend. If you are unable to attend but have colleagues in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area, please feel free to forward them the invitation.

Registration ends tomorrow!

Oct 24

Congratulations to our Member Steve Saunders

Steve Saunders, Contracting Business.com 2014 Hall of Fame inductee:

“It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows our Chairman, Steve Saunders, to find out that he has racked up another honor, bestowed upon him by a national industry publication.  The article announcing his new recognition insightfully notes that Steve has “uncanny ability to make people feel like they’ve known him their entire lives and are proud of that fact.”  His repeated recognition comes from his tireless dedication to energy efficiency, and green building practices, like some of us with less personality and charisma.” – Robert King

Sep 24

Register Now for These Great Events

SPEER is excited to support several great events in Texas coming up over the next several months. The Defense Energy Summit, the Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency (CATEE) Conference, and SPEER’s 3rd Annual Summit.

The Defense Energy Summit will be November 11-13, 2014 in Austin. The Conference Agenda is posted here and Registration is open

CATEE 2014 will be on November 18-20 in Dallas, Texas. The Conference Agenda is now posted and Registration is open.

Finally, please save the date for the SPEER’s own Third Annual Summit April 13-14, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. Early Bird Registration is now open. Sponsorship information also available.

We look forward to seeing you all at these events!

Aug 28

Best Practices in Action

Today, SPEER, in partnership with the Houston Advanced Research Center and the State Energy Conservation Office, released another case study highlighting city initiatives to accelerate energy efficiency. This demonstrates a best practice in improving city facilities through energy savings performance contracts. Many building owners and operators struggle to manage necessary capital improvement and operations and maintenance (O&M) expenses. Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) are one of the mechanisms by which municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals address this challenge. read more

Aug 20

Texas Energy Code Compliance Collaborative Releases 2014 Energy Code Adoption Report

The Texas Energy Code Compliance Collaborative (TECCC) is an industry stakeholder group that was established in 2011 with the purpose of supporting improved compliance with the state energy code, and to measure improvement on an annual basis, per the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. SPEER is committed to provide coordination and support for the ongoing efforts of the TECCC, and to raise awareness and compliance by providing education and resources for the building community.

In this report, SPEER identifies state law, current practices and barriers to compliance, and lists the 217 Largest Cities in Texas with their current residential energy code.

TECCC 2014 Energy Code Adoption Report

Aug 15

Education Opportunity: Existing Building Commissioning: Tune Up a Building

Register Now for a great education opportunity. The BCA Texas Chapter and Dallas 2030 District Existing Building Commissioning Summit will be held in Dallas, Texas on September 19, 2014 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Location: Centre for Building Performance, 1801 Royal Lane #400, Dallas, Texas 75229

Topics include: Financing, Electrical and Mechanical equipment, Dallas 2030 District Programs, Existing Building Enclosure Commissioning and many more. Click here to register today to reserve your seat or view the agenda.

Aug 13

Texas yet to implement smart meter program for low-income customers

Utility Dive, August 11, 2014.

Dive Brief:

  • Texas has spent more than $2.5 billion installing smart meters across the state since 2007, but has struggled to help low-income customers take full advantage of the new technology, according to the Texas Tribune.
  • In 2009, state regulators ordered utilities Oncor, CenterPoint and AEP Texas to assist low-income Texans by budgeting $18.5 million to provide them with Home and Business Area Networks (HAN) to help utilize the smart meters. The funds, however, have not been used.
  • The result, consumer advocates argue, is that low-income families are paying for smart meters they cannot fully use.

Read the entire article.

Aug 12

SAVE THE DATE: SPEER’s 3rd Annual Summit 2015

SPEER’s 3rd Annual Summit has been scheduled! The Summit will be held at the Dallas / Addison Marriot Quorum by the Galleria on April 13-14, 2015. Early bird registration is now open. The Dallas / Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria is offering SPEER Summit attendees a special group rate of $123 / nt. You should reserve your room soon, because at this rate, our block of rooms will go fast.  Click here to Book your room now for SPEER’s 3rd Annual Summit.

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