TRACK FIVE
Clean Energy Solutions for the Northeast: Buildings, Businesses and Backyards
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Track Chair: Marybeth Campbell, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
High Performance Green Schools – Sweeping the Northeast!
11-12:30 Wednesday March 14
Session Chair: Samuel J. Nutter, CEM, LEED® AP, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Session Speakers:
Donald Fudge, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership
Carolyn L. Sarno, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership
Level: Entry
High Performance Green Schools are being designed and built all over the US. What is happening here in the Northeast? Learn about the various green school design guidelines such as the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Guidelines, LEED for Schools, and the Northeast Regional High Performance School Protocol. Find out how to apply for grants, rebates, and incentives for green schools in your state. Learn more about the actual results of the green schools already built in our area.
The Future of Renewable Energy in New England: The Great Debate
2-3:30 Wednesday March 14
Session Chair: Warren Leon, PhD, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Session Speakers:
George H. Aronson, CommonWealth Resource Management Corporation
Laura Dubester, Center for Ecological Technology
Mary Beth Gentleman, JD, Foley Hoag LLP
Alan Nogee, Union of Concerned Scientists
Level: Intermediate
It has been difficult to get utility-scale renewable energy projects built in New England. Does this mean that large-scale renewable energy is doomed to failure in the region? Are the obstacles to development too many and too daunting? Individuals with extensive experience in project development or advocacy will participate in a spirited debate of these questions, followed by a wide-ranging discussion. Is significant progress possible? And, if so, which barriers must be overcome and how?
Case Studies: Economics of Onsite Renewables for Businesses
4-5:30 Wednesday March 14
Session Chair: Jon Abe, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Session Speakers:
Chad W. Cox, PE, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Tom Michelman, Boreal Renewable Energy Development
Steve Weisman, SEBANE
Paul Lyons, PE, Zapotec
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
The session will provide audience members with a sense of the economics of various types of onsite renewable energy for businesses that are able to take advantage of tax credits. Technologies featured will include:
Terrestrial Wind Projects
8:30-10:00 Thursday March 15
Session Chair: Marybeth Campbell, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Session Speakers:
Peter Gish, UPC Wind Management, LLC
Kevin M. Schulte, Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc.
Don McCauley, Minuteman Wind
Level: TBA
Description coming soon.
Small Biomass for Buildings
10:30-12:00 Thursday March 15
Session Chair: Marybeth Campbell, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Session Speakers:
Shashank S. Nadgauda, PhD, PE, Renova Engineering P.C.
Rob Rizzo, Mount Wachusett Community College
Level: Intermediate
NREL estimates that New England could supply approximately 4 million tons/year of biomass at a delivered price of 0 - 35 $/dry ton or equivalent to 0 – 2.2 $/MM Btu. If utilized fully, this resource could support distributed CHP generation of about 800 MW and 6,000 million Btu/Hr. This presentation will describe distributed CHP plant concepts for greenhouses, sawmills, industries and utilities using alternate biomass gasification technologies. Additionally, the session with feature a local CHP project at Mount Wachusett Community College, in Gardner, MA.
The Aesthetics of Energy
2-3:30 Thursday March 15
Session Chair: William L. Stillinger, Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics
Session Speakers:
Justin Good, PhD, Wesleyan University
Karen Bartone, Lyme Academy of the Arts
Amelia Amon, Alt. Technica
Jamie Wolf, Wolfworks, Inc.
Level: Entry
Photovoltaic arrays are part of our built environment. Wind turbines edge our fields and mountain ridges. These technologies are safe and clean, but public reluctance and outright objection to the visual intrusion of these new sources abounds. This forum will seek to improve awareness and consciousness to help create a more sensible, healthy, and appealing energy future. We will discuss aesthetic strategies for public acceptance and seek to articulate the universal, life-affirming appeal of clean energy.
Inverters: New Trends and Techniques
4-5:30 Thursday March 15
Session Chair: William L. Stillinger, Pioneer Valley PhotoVoltaics
Session Speaker:
James Worden, Solectria, Inc.
Mark T. Hensley, SatCon Power Systems
Level: Intermediate
The inverter lies at the vulnerable heart of most clean energy systems. With photovoltaics, wind turbines, or fuel cells, the inverter is the interface between the renewable resource and the “grid”. Inverters also serve as the customer interface. We present four manufacturers of “industry-standard” equipment, and explore the state of inverter technologies emphasizing trends in performance and other enhancements. The session is accessible to anyone interested in the practical aspects of clean energy installations.