Event Details

CONFERENCE AGENDA
June 11, 2024

10:30 AM - Registration and networking

10:45 AM - Welcome and introductions

11:00 AM - Presentation: Utility Energy Design Assistance programs
Presenter: Vinoth Sekar, Senior Project Manager, Willdan

11:30 AM - Presentation: Field study of phase change material (PCM) use for passive thermal regulation
Presenter: Maureen Colburn, Climate Solutions Studio Leader, LHB

12:00 PM - Lunch and networking

1:00 PM - Tour of Rochester Public Utilities Westside Energy Station - 45 MW natural gas-fired peaking plant
Tour Address: 1836 60th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901
- No open-toe shoes allowed

2:30 PM – Adjourn

Presentation Details:
Utility Energy Design Assistance programs: Willdan assists with identifying energy efficiency measures while balancing real-world constraints, such as project budgets and time constraints, which pose challenges to any project team. This presentation will show how teams can leverage utility-sponsored incentive programs to evaluate current and emerging technologies using energy modeling early in design to help inform the decision-making process. Energy Design Assistance programs support teams through an interactive whole-building analysis process, informing teams how the modeled project costs, carbon emissions, energy savings, and incentives would change under different design options.

Field Study of Phase Change Material (PCM) Use for Passive Thermal Regulation: Phase change materials (PCMs) passively regulate air temperature by storing and releasing thermal energy as they transition between a solid and a liquid. When used in buildings, PCMs can improve occupant comfort while reducing operational energy consumption, peak demand, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. While PCMs have been of interest in passive solar buildings for many decades, they are not widely used for non-passive buildings. However, recent advances in building products and installation strategies provide opportunities for additional market penetration, especially in retrofit applications where tile and blanket-type PCM products can be installed above a suspended ceiling. Hear key findings from a two-phase Conservation Applied Research & Development project in which LHB and Slipstream conducted a simulation study and a field study to investigate the impact of PCM installations in office/retail settings.