Tools & Training
Resources
training
February 22nd, 2021
2018 Energy Exchange and Better Buildings Summit: Post-conference ISWG Updates – N. Baker, September 2018
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) summarizes the August 2018 Energy Exchange and Better Buildings Summit that took place in Cleveland.
February 22nd, 2021
2018 Energy Exchange: ISWG Updates – N. Baker, July 2018
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) gives the final ISWG pre-conference update on the 2018 Energy Exchange and Better Buildings Summit in Cleveland, Ohio. Nic reviews the conference plenary and keynote speakers; the DOE Expert Lounge; how to obtain continuing education units (CEU) or Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (FBPTA) credits for attending sessions; and how the interactive website recommends follow-on sessions based on your training selections.
July 15th, 2019
Energy Exchange 2017 Feedback & Discussion – N. Baker, Oct. 2017
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) runs through highlights and attendee feedback from the 2017 Energy Exchange held in Tampa, FL.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2019 Final Updates – N. Baker, July 2019
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) provides final 2019 Energy Exchange updates before the event, August 20–22 in Denver, CO, including plenary speakers, free pre-conference workshops and sessions that will be especially relevant to the ISWG community. For more information, visit the 2019 Energy Exchange website
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February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2019 Recap & Energy Exchange 2020 Updates – N. Baker, December 2019
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) analyzes registration and training results from the 2019 Energy Exchange held August 20–22 in Denver, CO. Previewing the 2020 Energy Exchange that will be hosted in Atlanta, GA, from August 11–13, Nic asks federal sustainability practitioners for input on how FEMP can facilitate more civilian agency participation in this annual event.
For more information, visit the Energy Exchange website.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2019 Update – N. Baker, March 2019
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) previews the 2019 Energy Exchange, to be held August 20–22 in Denver, CO. The 2019 conference and expo theme will be, “Be Efficient and Resilient.” For more information, visit the 2019 Energy Exchange website.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2019 Update – N. Baker, May 2019
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) updates ISWG on the 2019 Energy Exchange, to be held August 20–22 in Denver, CO. He describes the overall plans and schedule of events, with more information at the 2019 Energy Exchange website
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2020 Key Updates – N. Baker, June 2020
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) details how the Energy Exchange (EEx) will go all-virtual in 2020, from August 10-14. He provides a look at new registration rates, plus an overview of the schedule and technical training focus. The theme for EEx 2020 is “Empowering Solutions.” For more information, see the Energy Exchange Event Updates page; see updates on the technical training sessions and register here.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2020 Updates – N. Baker, April 2020
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) previews the training areas and tracks for the 2020 Energy Exchange (EEx) scheduled for August 11–13 in Atlanta, GA. The theme for EEx 2020 is “Empowering Solutions.” FEMP continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will make decisions accordingly about the event.
For more information, see the Energy Exchange website pages for registration and hotels.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2020 Updates – N. Baker, February 2020
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) previews the 2020 Energy Exchange (EEx) that will be hosted in Atlanta, GA, from August 11–13. The theme for EEx 2020 is “Empowering Solutions.” Along with a look at the draft technical training focus and schedule, the presentation directs attendees to key details about registration and hotel information.For more information, see the Energy Exchange website pages for registration and hotels.
February 27th, 2024
Energy Exchange 2020 Updates – N. Baker, October 2020
Nicolas Baker of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) reviews federal attendance at the all-virtual Energy Exchange (EEx) in August 2020. He also previews new content available through October 30, 2020, in the EEx 2020 virtual auditorium, including a White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) discussion with federal agencies’ chief sustainability officers. For more information, see the Energy Exchange website.
April 21st, 2021
Energy Exchange 2021 - J. Lowry, April 2021
Joanne Lowry, Strategic Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program, previews the 2021 Energy Exchange.
To learn more and to register, visit the Energy Exchange homepage at https://www.energy-exchange.com/.
September 29th, 2022
Energy Exchange 2022 Update – E. Epstein, September 2022
Ethan Epstein of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program presents an update on the 2022 Energy Exchange conference. Energy Exchange 2022 will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 25-27. Ethan describes the plenary speakers, FEMP’s pre-conference workshops, full conference schedule, and how sessions align with Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act competencies.For more information, including registration and lodging details, visit the Energy Exchange website (https://www.energy-exchange.com/). To review the planned FEMP pre-conference workshops, visit the FEMP website (https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/energy-exchange-2022-pre-event-workshops).
June 28th, 2022
Energy Exchange 2022 Update – J. Rotondo, June 2022
Julia Rotondo, Project Manager at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, presents an update on the 2022 Energy Exchange conference. After being held virtually in 2020 and 2021, Energy Exchange is scheduled to be an in-person event, held October 25-27, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, including registration and lodging details, visit the Energy Exchange website (https://www.energy-exchange.com/)
March 27th, 2017
Energy Exchange Call for Input – L. Nicholls, January 2017
After a brief summary of feedback from Energy Exchange 2016 in Providence, RI, FEMP requests input on the 2017 Energy Exchange (Tampa, FL) technical program by January 27, 2017. Instructions are given for submitting input by email.
August 27th, 2019
Energy Exchange Overview – N. Baker, May 2017
DOE-FEMP’s Nic Baker gives a detailed run-down of the offerings at Energy Exchange 2017 in Tampa, Florida. Beyond the tracks and sessions, opportunities include FEMP’s free pre-conference workshops, “FEDS Spotlight” awards for agencies to recognize outstanding colleagues, and a “FEMP Connect Lounge” linked to the EEx Mobile App.
February 27th, 2024
Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (FBPTA) and Facilities Management Institute - BGilligan, updated Apr2015
An overview of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. For pathways to professional development, click here for early or transitional employees and here for more advanced employees. More information may be found at the Facilities Management Institute.
February 29th, 2016
FEMP Online Training: Practical Problem-Solving in the Field - B.Dyer, updated Apr. 2015
An introduction to FEMP's online, open-access courses for federal energy and facilities managers, state and local officials, and utility and private sector employees. Courses qualify for CEUs, AIA and USGBC credit. Learn more by searching FEMP's training programs or watch a video about IACET/FEMP CEUs.
June 30th, 2023
FEMP Spring Announcements – C. Armwood, May 2023
Creshona Armwood, Federal Engagement Lead with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (DOE FEMP), provides a look at coming attractions from FEMP. These include the 2023 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards process, a three-day 50th anniversary celebration for FEMP in September 2023, and the March 2024 Energy Exchange in Pittsburgh, PA. To learn more, visit FEMP’s Federal Recognition and Success web page (https://www.energy.gov/femp/federal-recognition-and-success); the FEMP 50 announcement (https://www.energy.gov/femp/femp-celebrates-50-years-federal-energy-management); and the Energy Exchange website (https://www.energy-exchange.com).
November 6th, 2023
FEMP Updates – C. Armwood, October 2023
Creshona Armwood from DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (DOE FEMP) welcomes new FEMP team members and provides a look at coming attractions from FEMP. These include the new On-Demand FEMP training course, Energy Management Best Practices: Project Planning, Team Building, and Tracking, and the March 2024 Energy Exchange event to be held in Pittsburgh, PA. To learn more, visit the WBDG course webpage (https://www.wbdg.org/continuing-education/femp-courses/fempodw148) and the Energy Exchange website (https://www.energy-exchange.com/)
June 19th, 2018
FEMP Water Efficiency Tools and Training – K. McMordie Stoughton, S. Bunch, Mar. 2016
DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is creating a number of new U.S. water maps. In this presentation, Kate McMordie Stoughton of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Saralyn Bunch of FEMP first describe an existing map showing rainwater harvesting regulations by state. They then take a look at several in-development maps, including “Rainwater Harvesting Potential for Irrigation” and “Air Handling Condensate Capture Potential.” Finally, they explain FEMP’s Water Project Screening Tool and FEMP’s water management training offerings, from the beginner (“101”) to more advanced (“301”) levels. For the full catalog of training opportunities, visit the FEMP Training website.
March 27th, 2017
Interior Lighting Campaign – M. Myer, March 2017
Michael Myer of Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) describes this national program, with a goal to document high-efficiency retrofits of 1 million troffers by April 2017. The campaign met its goal three months early. Also covered in this presentation are case studies of some of the impressive lighting projects that counted toward that 1-million-troffer goal, as well as the new PNNL certificate series on Advanced Lighting Systems available to federal agencies.
For more information, visit the Campaign’s Web site.
January 20th, 2020
New FEMP Guiding Principles Tool – N. Baker, July 2017
Nic Baker of the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) previews the Program’s new 2016 Guiding Principles tool, set for release at the 2017 Energy Exchange in Tampa, FL. The tool will feature two Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guides, one for New Construction or Modernization and one for Existing Buildings.
February 27th, 2024
Professional Development for Federal Buildings Personnel (FEDSAT) - B. Gilligan, Nov. 2015
Brian Gilligan of GSA's Office for Federal Building Health and Performance explores tools and resources that can help federal buildings professionals comply with the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. The Federal Facilities Skills Assessment Tool (FEDSAT) helps identify and fill basic knowledge and skills gaps; Accelerate FM guides long-term professional development. For more information, visit the Facilities Management Institute.
April 21st, 2021
Sustainable Infrastructure and the Role of Envision - A. Kane, April 2021
Anthony Kane, President and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), introduces ISI and its sustainable infrastructure framework and rating system, Envision.
For more information, visit the ISI “About Envision” page at https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/envision/overview-of-envision/.
February 27th, 2024
Tools and Training Resources for Professional Development – B. Gilligan, September 2018
Brian Gilligan of GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings describes low- and no-cost resources for meeting the requirements of the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (FBPTA). This presentation summarizes the tools available for determining your training and competency baseline, identifying and filling in gaps, and mapping your career path. For more information, visit the Facilities Management Institute page on GSA’s SFTool.gov site to explore Accelerate FM and FEDSAT; the Career Mapping Tool from Facility Engineering Associates; and the Whole Building Design Guide’s Workforce Development page.
October 3rd, 2018
Training Update: Sustainable Acquisition for Federal Agencies – S. Fardanesh, September 2016
In this presentation, Shab Fardanesh of DOE’s Office of Sustainable Environmental Stewardship (OSES) describes the Sustainable Acquisition e-Training available from OSES and DOE-FEMP, via the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG). This training offers students guidance on executive order and FAR requirements for sustainable acquisition. It reviews best practices, including sample language for federal contracts.
For more information, visit the OSES website, https://www.energy.gov/ehss/services/environment/sustainable-environmental-stewardship. Viewers can register at the FEMP Training website.
agency wide
June 30th, 2023
Advancing Place-based Clean Energy Transitions – C. Castro, May 2023
Chris Castro, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of State & Community Energy Programs (SCEP), provides an overview of SCEP’s mission, priorities, and current initiatives. He discusses SCEP’s responsibility for administering billions of dollars in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well as the tools SCEP provides to support planning at the state and local government levels. Finally, he emphasizes the need for federal facilities and personnel to be trusted partners with the local communities of which they are a part and to which their missions are tied. For more information, visit the DOE SCEP homepage (https://www.energy.gov/scep/office-state-and-community-energy-programs) and the office’s All State and Local Solutions Center Resources page (https://www.energy.gov/scep/slsc/all-state-local-solution-center-resources).
innovation programs
August 21st, 2023
Better Buildings: Cross-Sector Energy-Efficiency Opportunities - K.Taddonio Jul. 2014
An overview of DOE's Better Buildings Program with agency resources such as procurement specifications, rooftop unit retrofits, and green leases. Learn more about the Advanced RTU Campaign or at the Green Lease Leader Program.
March 28th, 2016
Commercial Buildings Integration Group Update – H. Carr, Mar. 2016
Holly Carr of DOE’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) previews the Better Buildings Summit (May 9 – 11 in Washington, DC) and BTO’s Smart Energy Analytics (SEA) Campaign. She also notes technology demonstration opportunities available through BTO and the GSA Green Proving Ground program.
March 29th, 2017
GSA’s Proving Ground Program: Testing Innovative Building Technologies - KPowell updated, May 2015
Describes the GSA Proving Ground program, which leverages GSA’s real estate portfolio to evaluate innovative sustainable building technologies. Learn more at the GPG website.
July 15th, 2019
Introduction to ESPC ENABLE - I. Birnbaum, updated Jan. 2016
An introduction to FEMP's new funding program: Energy Savings Performance Contract ENABLE. Ira Birnbaum, the ENABLE Program Manager, explains the streamlined process, timeline, energy conservation measures covered, and latest updates on project awards and the project pipeline. Explore the ESPC ENABLE website for more information.
May 24th, 2016
Large Campus & Innovative Change – D. Gore and N. Baker, May 2016
Dan Gore and Nic Baker describe FEMP’s efforts, through the LCIC, to find solutions to an apparent “flat-line” in federal energy intensity (EI) reductions and renewable energy use as a share of total electricity. The LCIC Initiative seeks cost-effective ways to address these challenges, including process changes for both new enterprises and new campuses. In addition to discussing current activities, this presentation lays out a timeline for future initiative engagement, development, and deployment.
June 20th, 2016
Net Zero Partnerships - A. Morgan, July 2015
"Net Zero Partnerships: Promoting Sustainability and Resiliency Through Net Zero Technology and Approaches." How the EPA works with other agencies, such as the Army, to advance Net Zero Energy, Water, and Waste initiatives. For more information, visit the EPA Web page, Promoting Sustainability through Net Zero Strategies.
February 1st, 2023
Smarter DC Challenge - R. Snyder, July 2015
How federal tenants and federal building owners can implement sustainability measures in a friendly competition that encourages creativity. Competitors earn points by launching volunteer environmental projects, creating agency "green teams," organizing e-waste collection events, etc. To learn more, visit the Smarter DC Challenge Web site.
tools
December 21st, 2015
Bird-Friendly Buildings - EKershner, LKordella Mar. 2015
Offers behavioral, immediate low-cost and long-term solutions to prevent bird deaths caused by reflective building windows.
February 11th, 2022
DOE Sustainability Dashboard – E. Stoddart, S. Motamedi, and S. Burr, Dec. 2017
Emily Stoddart, Soudeh Motamedi, and Stephen Burr of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sustainability Performance Office (SPO) briefed ISWG on the DOE Sustainability Dashboard. This cost-effective tool consolidates datasets from multiple sources for facilities at DOE locations around the country, producing analytics and standard reports about progress on sustainability goals.
For more information, visit the Dashboard home page at DOE.
August 11th, 2015
Energy Star Portfolio Manager - CHatcher, Mar. 2015
An overview of Portfolio Manager, which assists building managers and owners with evaluating compliance with the Federal High Performance Sustainable Building Guiding Principles. Learn more about additional trainings or read FAQs.
October 9th, 2018
eProject Builder Update – E. Stuart, September 2018
Elizabeth Stuart of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) gives an overview of eProject Builder (ePB), a secure, web-based energy project data tracking and reporting system developed and maintained by LBNL. She also previews ePB developments planned for FY 19-20, including dynamic benchmarking and achieving scoping compliance with the cybersecurity protocols of the Department of Defense. For more information, visit the eProject Builder website.
July 28th, 2020
Federal Climate Resiliency Actions & Tools – E. Hotchkiss, November 2016
Eliza Hotchkiss of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) details the results of a climate resiliency pilot project launched by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in which NREL partnered with the State of Colorado. Initiated in 2014, this pilot was meant to combine state and federal expertise to determine and plan for climate-related vulnerabilities in that region, and to produce models and lessons learned that could be applied to other localities and agencies. As the main output of this effort, NREL infused its stakeholder-driven, participatory process into an interactive tool, the Climate Change Resilience Roadmap, which guides users through a “collaborative approach to multi-jurisdictional planning.”
Test out the Climate Change Resilience Roadmap here: http://www.nrel.gov/resilience-planning-roadmap/
December 15th, 2022
Federal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Overview and Trends – C. Tremper, November 2022
Chris Tremper of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (DOE FEMP) breaks down the final FY 2021 data for federal greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and shows how GHG emissions will need to decline to meet the provisions of Executive Order 14057, “Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability.” To learn more, visit the FEMP Federal Comprehensive Annual Energy Performance Data website.
February 27th, 2024
FEMP Facility Related Control System (FRCS) Cybersecurity Overview and Centipede Training Game – S. Gourisetti and J. Rotondo, October 2020
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) cybersecurity experts Julia Rotondo and Sri Nikhil Gupta Gourisetti discuss the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) facility related control systems (FRCS) cybersecurity program. As part of this program, they have developed interactive training games, including the new accredited game Centipede, to help students recognize, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity events. For more information, visit the PNNL Cybersecurity website, and the DOE Energy and Cybersecurity Integration website.
February 27th, 2024
FEMP Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program – N. Nmair, December 2018
Nael Nmair of the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) provides updates from FEMP’s O&M Program, and introduces FEMP’s Re-tuning challenge. For more information, visit the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) Re-tuning website and see FEMP's Operations and Maintenance Guide.
April 13th, 2018
FEMP Tech Deployment Tools Update - N. Baker, Jan. 2016
DOE Federal Energy Management Program's Nic Baker describes two FEMP online tools: the Technologies and Products Database and the Technology Deployment Case Studies map.
June 19th, 2018
FEMP Water Efficiency Tools and Training – K. McMordie Stoughton, S. Bunch, Mar. 2016
DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is creating a number of new U.S. water maps. In this presentation, Kate McMordie Stoughton of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Saralyn Bunch of FEMP first describe an existing map showing rainwater harvesting regulations by state. They then take a look at several in-development maps, including “Rainwater Harvesting Potential for Irrigation” and “Air Handling Condensate Capture Potential.” Finally, they explain FEMP’s Water Project Screening Tool and FEMP’s water management training offerings, from the beginner (“101”) to more advanced (“301”) levels. For the full catalog of training opportunities, visit the FEMP Training website.
January 29th, 2019
FEMP’s Federal Customer Services Portal - B.Gustafson, P.Shipp Nov. 2014
FEMP's Technical Assistance Request Portal is a resource providing agencies with renewable energy project technical assistance such as sample timelines, SOW development, fleet management, financing services and a catalog of renewable energy technologies. Learn more at FEMP's Technical Assistance Portal.
February 27th, 2024
GBI’s Green Globes and Guiding Principles Compliance – J. Hamilton, July 2019
Jenna Morgan Hamilton of the Green Building Initiative (GBI) provides an update on GBI’s Green Globes building certification system and Guiding Principles Compliance Verification System, with data on completed and ongoing certified projects. She also highlighted the resources available on the GBI website and previewed GBI’s upcoming trainings. For more information, visit GBI’s Green Globes and Guiding Principles Compliance webpages.
June 21st, 2016
Green Building Initiative (GBI): Compliance for New Construction/Major Renovation - E.Shaffer, updated Apr. 2015
An overview of GBI's 3rd party assessment program for federal agencies to comply with E.O.s, ISWG building guidance and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Visit Green Building Initiative to learn more.
April 7th, 2024
GSA Carbon Footprint Tool - J. Hazelman, Sept. 2015
Jennifer Hazelman of GSA Federal Acquisition Service walks through what the GSA Carbon Footprint Tool (CFT) is, how to register for and use it, and how it can help agencies with E.O. 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.
August 21st, 2015
Guiding Principles Assessment by GBCI - MGallagher-Rogers, LStanley, Sep. 2013
Describes a building assessment program by Green Business Certification Incorporated (formerly known as the Green Building Certification Institute). More information may be found at Green Business Certification Inc.
September 22nd, 2015
Inventory of Federal Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reductions to Date, and Potential Reductions - C. Tremper, Sept. 2015
Chris Tremper of the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) details progress and prospects for reducing federal GHG emissions. Points out the FEMP website where agencies can find their GHG emissions data. For more information visit Federal Comprehensive Annual Energy Performance Data.
December 14th, 2017
ISWG REopt Tool: Overseas Buildings Operations – T. Evans and D. Shaffer, Dec. 2017
Todd Evans and David Shaffer of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) share how they utilize NREL’s Renewable Energy Integration & Optimization (REopt) model to evaluate and prioritize solar photovoltaics projects at State locations around the world.
For more information on REopt, visit the REopt and REopt Lite Web Tool webpages at NREL. You can also download an overview of REopt and REopt Lite here.
February 27th, 2024
Laboratory Benchmarking Tool Overview – A. Farmer and P. Mathew, March 2019
Alison Farmer, Ph.D., of kW Engineering; and Paul Mathew, Ph.D., of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) gave a live demonstration of the Laboratory Benchmarking Tool (LBT), which is hosted by LBNL and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), and described current and upcoming improvements. The tool may be accessed at the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories.
February 27th, 2024
LEED v4.1 – C. Enck, July 2019
Corey Enck of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) reviews major changes in USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4.1 building rating system, compared to LEED v4.0. Key differences include the integration of a greenhouse gas emissions metric and more flexibility for projects to earn credit toward certification.Visit USGBC’s LEED v4.1 website for more information.
June 20th, 2016
Living Building Challenge and Examples - A.Sturgeon, Nov. 2013
Shows progress on the Living Buildings Challenge, which rates buildings on their actual performance, and looks closely at buildings in Hawaii, New York, Washington, Wyoming and Canada. Visit the Living Building Challenge to learn more.
May 1st, 2017
Overview of WaterSense Resources – V. Blette, Mar. 2016
Veronica Blette of EPA WaterSense describes the many resources available to federal facility water managers, from WaterSense and beyond. Among the topics covered are flushometer-valve toilets, commercial and institutional water best management practices, and drought maps. Veronica also lists upcoming joint WaterSense and ENERGY STAR webinars in 2016.
March 28th, 2016
Overview: Materials Management and Waste Tracking in Portfolio Manager – K. Hatcher, Mar. 2016
A Materials Management and Waste Tracking component for commercial buildings is being added to Portfolio Manager. Katy Hatcher of EPA ENERGY STAR explains the need for this addition, what it will entail, and its timeline for completion.
July 15th, 2019
Renewable Energy Catalog of Services - B. Kovacic May 2013
An overview of FEMP's Renewable Energy Technical Assistance Program to help agencies with many steps of an on-site renewable energy project. Learn more about DOE technical assistance.
December 14th, 2017
REopt Model Overview and REopt Lite Web Tool – E. Elgqvist and R. Shepherd, Dec. 2017
Emma Elgqvist of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Rachel Shepherd of DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) introduce REopt, NREL’s techno-economic model that recommends the optimal energy mix for facilities, from the individual building level to the campus level. This includes potential solutions for site energy resiliency, such as microgrids with renewables. Over the last decade, FEMP has used REopt screenings to help many agencies make economically and technically sound decisions about their renewable energy opportunities. The REopt Lite Web Tool is a free part of the REopt model that can be used by anyone to assess the economic viability of grid-connected solar photovoltaics plus battery storage at a site.
For more information on REopt, visit the REopt and REopt Lite webpages at NREL.
Click here to see a case study of how the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations has used REopt for energy project decision-making at State facilities abroad.
May 31st, 2017
SFTool Cost-Effective Upgrades Tool – M. Bloom and D. Horn, May 2017
Michael Bloom and Don Horn of GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings introduce viewers to the Cost-Effective Upgrades Tool available on SFTool.gov. Developed in conjunction with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and using data from the (Advanced Energy Retrofit Guide), this tool allows the user to see region-specific estimates for simple payback, capital cost, annual energy savings, and other metrics for a prospective upgrade measure at their facility.
For more information:
Cost-Effective Upgrades Tool home page
The Tool itself
Tool FAQ
March 14th, 2017
SFTool Product Search: Creating an "Easy" button for Sustainable Procurement – M. Bloom and P. Shahriari, November 2016
Michael Bloom of GSA’s Office for Federal Building Health and Performance and Paul Shahriari, founder and CEO of ecomedes, walk viewers through the SFTool Product Search. This platform allows users to browse more than 300,000 products meeting high performance standards. Over 130 product categories are presented on the search tool. In addition, the tool produces both project and product compliance documentation, and allows users to come back later to modify the information as project changes warrant.
To visit the tool: https://sftool.ecomedes.com/
March 14th, 2017
SFTool.gov Update - MBloom, May 2015
Learn how different management actions affect a building's sustainability and its occupants through SFTool's Green the Building.
February 1st, 2023
Smarter DC Challenge - R. Snyder, July 2015
How federal tenants and federal building owners can implement sustainability measures in a friendly competition that encourages creativity. Competitors earn points by launching volunteer environmental projects, creating agency "green teams," organizing e-waste collection events, etc. To learn more, visit the Smarter DC Challenge Web site.
February 1st, 2023
The Smart Location Calculator – R. Kroeger, May 2016
Developed by the GSA Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program, in partnership with the EPA Office of Sustainable Communities, the Smart Location Calculator (SLC) allows users to explore the “location efficiency” of particular addresses and areas for commercial buildings. Among other features, the SLC can estimate vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and the associated greenhouse gas emissions for workers at a given location. Ruth Kroeger of the Urban Development/Good Neighbor Program describes some of the background and modeling behind the tool, demonstrates it, and gives a sense of how GSA is applying the tool to its work.
To try out the tool, visit https://www.slc.gsa.gov/slc/. The user guide can be downloaded here: User Guide.
June 21st, 2022
The Technology Performance Exchange (TPEX) - E.Hotchkiss, D.Studer Jan. 2015
An overview of TPEX - a database that allows manufacturers, evaluators and basic users to search for technologies and evaluate energy and cost savings based on energy performance. Learn more at the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange.
August 1st, 2018
Updates to ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager Metrics – K. Hatcher, July 2018
Katy Hatcher of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR program explains the Portfolio Manager updates scheduled for August 26, 2018. The ENERGY STAR score models for U.S. buildings will be updated based on data from the 2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). Other changes include modified “use details” for some building categories. For more information, see the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager website, the ENERGY STAR frequently asked questions page for the 2018 “use detail” updates, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2012 CBECS website.
industry wide
February 27th, 2024
Economic Analysis and Optimal Sizing for Behind-the-meter Battery Storage – D. Wu, Mar. 2018
Di Wu of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) discusses evaluation and sizing for behind the meter battery storage, and PNNL's new tool to help users conduct these analyses. He also describes a proposed project at Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) Los Alamitos, California, for the U.S. Army would develop a microgrid project with energy storage in order to enhance energy security. For more information, see PNNL's Energy Storage and Optimization Tools website.
February 27th, 2024
How the Federal Government Can Benefit from Investor Ready Energy Efficiency – M. Golden, Jan. 2018
Matt Golden of the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) discusses how agencies can help contain costs in federal energy efficiency contracting by using ICP’s Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification for building retrofit projects. IREE certification emphasizes transparency, competition, and standardized protocols for each step of the project.
February 27th, 2024
Overview of Environmental Product Declarations – D. Macri, April 2022
As part of a team presentation on embodied carbon with speakers from GSA and the Federal Highway Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Danny Macri provides an overview of what environmental product declarations (EPDs) are and the steps by which they are created. To learn more, visit SFTool's EPD page.
government wide
February 27th, 2024
Retuning/Treasure Hunt Challenge & Clean Energy Rule – N. Nmair, R. Mears, V. Sood & C. Jackson, February 2024
Nael Nmair of the Department of Energy introduced Chris Jackson, Varun Sood, and Rick Mears to discuss FEMP's Treasure Hunt & Re-Tuning Challenges, as well as the Clean Energy Rule. Chris Jackson explained the definition of the Treasure Hunt, the value gained by using these low-to no-cost energy/water conversation measures, and the several stages of the Treasure Hunt Challenge. Varun Sood reviewed and introduced the audience to the concept of "re-tuning" and how to participate in the Re-tuning Challenge. Finally, Rick Mears discussed the proposed Clean Energy Rule and the types of Federal buildings that these standards apply to.
For more information regarding the Retuning/Treasure Hunt Challenge, please attend the Free Energy Exchange Treasure Hunt & Re-tuning Pre-event Workshop Training – (3/25/24 – 1:00-3:00 PM) or contact us at fempre-tuning@hq.doe.gov / th_challenge@hq.doe.gov.
For more information regarding the Clean Energy Rule, please visit Clean Energy for Federal Buildings Rule, or contact Rick Mears (rick.mears@hq.doe.gov).