Holiday Happy Hour, 2023

About this event

AEE CRC Holiday Party and Annual Meeting

This event is free and open to everyone. It’s a great chance to relax and connect with a group of professionals doing great work across a wide range of energy industry roles!

Register here to get your FREE ticket!
Please join us on Wednesday December 6, 2023 from 5-8pm at Coopers Hall Northeast (2218 NE Broadway, Portland, OR) for our annual holiday celebration. We’ll hold a brief business meeting to conduct our office elections, announce the recipients of the annual Wrench of the Year Award, and then it’s on to celebrating a great year in energy engineering!

This in-person event is free and open to everyone. It’s a great chance to relax and connect with a group of professionals doing great work across a wide range of energy industry roles.

This free event will include:

  • Delicious appetizers and hosted bar with tasty drinks
  • Wrench of the Year Awards
  • Excellent networking with your peers
  • Opportunities to provide input on topics you’d like addressed during the coming year
  • Membership and information

We hope to see you there. Cheers!

-The AEE CRC Board

November EEF

November 2023 Energy Engineering Forum

Maximizing HVAC Efficiency, Flexibility, and Resiliency with Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems

AEE – Columbia River Chapter is eager to present this energy efficiency forum both LIVE and virtually. This free event consists of a one hour technical presentation followed by thirty minutes of Q&A. A complimentary lunch will be provided to those who attend. AEECRC members who attend in person will also receive certificates for Professional Development Hours. If you’re not already a member but would like to join, click hereIf you can’t make it this time, presentation materials will be posted after on AEECRC.org.

Description:

With the ever-increasing environmental impacts of local pollution, extreme weather events and wildfires, there is a necessity for resilient, flexible, and extremely efficient HVAC systems. Unfortunately, while HVAC systems are critical to our comfort and well-being, conventional systems are costly to operate and contribute to over 50% of total energy usage in commercial buildings. Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) are a proven solution for reducing energy consumption since they optimize the control and functionality of ventilation and thermal comfort separately. A very high efficiency approach to DOAS maximizes energy efficiency by decoupling ventilation air from comfort conditioning, including air-to-air heat recovery, right-sizing of a high efficiency heating and cooling system and minimizing fan power. This allows for many benefits, including:

• Demonstrated reduction of building HVAC energy use by an average of 69% over conventional systems,

• Excellent indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort,

• Proven flexibility and resiliency to adapt to changing occupant densities, increased IAQ requirements, and extreme weather events,

• Significant carbon emission reduction with minimal peak electric demand increases in sites that convert from gas to electric heat.

In partnership with local utilities and HVAC experts, this system approach has been installed and monitored in 12 small-to-medium commercial buildings, including in cold climates, that resulted in an average 69% reduction in HVAC energy use and a 48% reduction in whole-building energy use when compared to a code minimum system (often a packaged RTU).

Speaker:

Gertrude Villaverde, CEM, CMVP – Energy Engineer, Energy 350

Gertrude is an Energy Engineer at Energy 350. She supports multiple contracts with technical analysis in production efficiency for industrial sites, efficiency upgrades for existing buildings, and market transformation for regional energy efficiency. Prior to Energy 350, Gertrude interned at a manufacturing facility through the Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program (MECOP) where she completed multiple energy/production efficiency and profit-improvement projects. She also worked in the Energy Systems Laboratory at Oregon State University-Cascades and graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Energy Systems Engineering. Gertrude is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) through the Association of Energy Engineers.

Registration

Register here!

CEM Training and Certification

Certified Energy Manager (CEM) In-Person In-Person Training and Exam

Register Here!

The local AEE Columbia River Chapter will be hosting a live CEM training and certification event at the Cascade Energy Office in Portland October 16-20, 2023. Certified Energy Manager (CEM) is one of the most globally respected certifications in the field of energy efficiency and energy management. Anyone in these or related industries should consider adding this credential to a resume.

The special five-day seminar provides an in-depth, comprehensive learning and problem-solving forum for those who want broader understanding of the latest energy cost reduction strategies. The program begins by examining the fundamentals within all key areas of energy management. Students then learn, system by system, how to diagnose and analyze energy savings opportunities

  • Dates: Oct 16-20, 2023
    • Training: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
    • Exam: Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Location: Cascade Energy, 123 NE 3rd Ave, 3rd Floor, Portland, OR 97232

To register for the CEM training, complete the following steps

  1. Visit the Registration Page
    • Additional information about the specific course topics, certification requirements, and costs can be found here
  2. Complete registration by paying the course fee
    • Early Bird registration (before September 1st): $1,950.00
    • Standard registration (after September 1st): $2,250.00
  3. Fill out the correct free certification/test application through the AEE web portal
    1. CEM Exam Application
    2. EMIT Exam Application

Summer Social. Come Join Us!

Summer Social – Come Join Us!

Join the upcoming Summer Social event, hosted by Oregon APEM and AEE Columbia River Chapter

Event Details:

  • Registration: Register here!
  • Cost: Covered by Energy350 for the first 75 attendees! Sign up soon to have your admission covered. Registration is required and room is limited.
  • Who: Oregon APEM and AEE Columbia River Chapter have joined forces for a Summer Social event!
  • When: July 20, 2023 | 4-7pm
  • Where: Energy 350, 1033 SE Main St. (Suite 1), Portland, OR 97214
  • Why: Please join us for an awesome evening of in-person networking – it’s a chance to re-connect with colleagues and friends.

AEECRC Receives National Award for Best Student Chapter Support

AEE CRC received the national award for best student chapter support in 2022!


Thank you to our board President, Gertrude Villaverde, for her work on student chapter outreach!

Gertrude has vigorously supported student chapters at the Oregon Institute of Technology and Ortegon State University – Cascades

We look forward to seeing you at the next AEE CRC event!

Holiday Happy Hour, 2022

AEE CRC Holiday Party and Annual Meeting

Click here to register!


About this event

Please join us on Wednesday December 7, 2022 from 5-8pm in the Barrel Room at Level Beer (5211 NE 148th Ave in Portland) for our annual holiday celebration. We’ll hold a brief business meeting to conduct our office elections, announce the recipients of the annual Wrench of the Year Award, and then it’s on to celebrating a great year in energy engineering!

This in-person event is free and open to everyone. It’s a great chance to relax and connect with a group of professionals doing great work across a wide range of energy industry roles.

This free event will include:

  • Delicious appetizers and hosted bar with tasty drinks
  • Wrench of the Year Awards
  • Excellent networking with your peers
  • Opportunities to provide input on topics you’d like addressed during the coming year
  • Membership and information

October 2022 Energy Engineering Forum

Water Treatment, Energy Efficiency Strategy, and Marketing

The AEE Columbia River Chapter is continuing its Energy Engineering Forum series in 2022 in a biannual format. Join us for our next EEF presentation where we will be joined by Dale Edginton.

Dale will cover the launch of a new product in a skeptical energy efficiency marketplace and how EndoTherm is shining a spotlight on water treatment as a valuable part of a wider energy efficiency strategy.

Dale Edginton – Operations Manager of North America, Endo Enterprises Ltd

Dale Edginton is the Operations Manager of North America for Endo Enterprises Ltd. Dale supported the launch of the EndoTherm product initially in the UK in 2013 and has led the products development into Canada / US since 2017. Over the past 5 years, EndoTherm has been piloted in 100s of locations around North America and is now supported by fully prescriptive rebates in British Columbia/Saskatchewan.

  • Presented: October, 2022
  • Presenter: Dale Edginton,  Endo Enterprises, Ltd

June 2022 Energy Engineering Forum

 

Findings and Summary of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council 2021 Power Plan

The AEE Columbia River Chapter is continuing its Energy Engineering Forum series in 2022 in a biannual format. Join us for our next EEF presentation where we will be joined by Tina Jayaweera.

Tina will present findings from the regional power plan recently adopted by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The 2021 Power Plan provides an overview of the Northwest’s future electrical power needs, with the goal of ensuring “an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply” (from the Northwest Power Act of 1980 that created the Council). The plan develops a resource strategy to best meet the projected electricity demands over the next 20 years, based on the understanding that the future is uncertain by examining various scenarios. The presentation will provide an overview of the planning process, highlighting the dramatic changes projected across the region and the greater western interconnection, and what the Council sees as the strategy to best meet the regional needs while balancing cost and risk.

Tina Jayaweera – Power Planning Resources Manager, Northwest Power and Conservation Council

Tina Jayaweera, Power Planning Resources Manager, joined the Council in 2014 and works on energy efficiency and demand response topics as part of the development and implementation of the Council’s regional power plan. Dr. Jayaweera holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. Prior to joining the Council, she was a principal in the energy services division and head of the planning and assessment team for The Cadmus Group, a consulting firm.

  • Presented: June, 2022
  • Presenter: Tina Jayaweera, Northwest Power and Conservation Council

AEE West

Interested in connecting with energy professionals at the AEE West Energy Conference & Expo being held June 15-16, 2022, in Seattle, WA?

Our AEE Columbia River Chapter will be attending, along with the Pacific Northwest Chapter, and we will have a table this year. Come say hello!

Additionally, the AEE’s chapters will be hosting the AEE Chapter Luncheon & Keynote Presentation on Thursday, June 16 at 12:00-1:30pm.

A Letter to Members (2022)

Happy new year! I hope that this note finds you healthy and enjoying a nice start to the year.  

The Columbia River Chapter (CRC) board was pleased to wrap up a successful 2021 and we look forward to a great 2022. We kicked off January with a half-day annual retreat to map out the year and here’s some news about upcoming initiatives and events that we have in store.  

We were happy to meet in person for our October board meeting

Here’s your first look at the new board for 2022 (you can find photos and bios of each board member on our website here):  

  • President: Elin Shepard 
  • Vice-President: Gertrude Villaverde 
  • Secretary: Candice Norton
  • Treasurer: Bill Kostich
  • Membership: Bill Henry
  • Marketing and Outreach: Tom Prevish
  • Website Committee: Bryndon Light & Tanner McCue
  • Social Media: Roxanna Magallanes
  • Wrench of the Year: Kristen Ige

These dedicated board members didn’t waste any time. They are revved up and ready to keep CRC the vibrant, informative, and fun organization that it is. Please save these dates:

  • Energy Engineering Forums: we have two EEFs this year – 
    • April 27 will be virtual (registration coming very soon) and 
    • Oct 12 will be in person. 
  • Holiday party – in person on Dec 7 at Level Beer. 

Tina Schnell, Candice Norton and Eric
Braddock at the 2021 Holiday Party

In addition to the events, here are a few exciting initiatives for this year: 

CWEEL: We plan to expand our connection with the AEE Committee on Women in Energy Efficiency Leadership (CWEEL). The CRC plans to hold CWEEL events and build a network in the local community. Our chapter VP, Gertrude Villaverde, is our CWEEL Lead and she’s working hard on upcoming events and programming.  

• Publications: AEE National publishes three quarterly journals that members may submit  for consideration to be published. If a chapter member is interested in writing a paper, we would like to offer authors a chance to have peer review before the submission. These  submissions can be made to our chapter Treasurer, Bill Kostich, or through our submission portal on the website. Authors also could have the opportunity to present these papers to a live or virtual audience. I was honored to have an article published in an AEE journal last spring and it was a great experience. We look forward to seeing many more papers published from our members.  

• Wrench of the Year: we plan to continue to recognize the amazing work of the “wrench turners” out there with our annual Wrench of the Year awards. We are accepting nominations from April to September. We’ll send out more information when they go live, but please feel free to visit our website here for more information.  


Ken Kelso, the 2021 Wrench of the Year award winner, with nominators and board members

Please connect with us on our website or LinkedIn. We’d love  to hear from you.  

Sincerely,  

Elin Shepard – CRC Board President – elin.shepard@clearesult.com