The Energy Department’s Energy Exchange is just around the corner!
August 10, 2017
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The Energy Department’s Energy Exchange is just around the corner! Now in its third year, it serves as the flagship event for the Department’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Launched as a collaborative training and networking forum, it’s quickly evolved into a popular gathering for both the public and private sector. It offers numerous opportunities to learn about the latest trends in energy and water management in the federal sector.
This year’s event will be held in Tampa, Florida, from August 15-17. This year, members of the Building Technologies Office (BTO) participated in the planning committee, planned tracks, and chaired sessions. Members of BTO will also be speaking in four sessions that are all eligible for continuing education units (CEUs) all administered through the International Association for Continuing Education and Training; Federal Test Bed Programs, Advanced Building Materials, Wireless Sensors, and Maturity and Value of Energy Efficiency. Additionally, many of our partners at the national laboratories and industry, with whom we work closely, will also be presenting in multiple sessions throughout this event; the majority of their sessions also qualify for CEUs, as well!
BTO’s presentation in the Federal Test Bed Programs session will cover research and development areas of interest to BTO and some current projects and technologies that are pushing the envelope in scientific research. The presentation will focus on Scout, a building efficiency impact analysis tool that BTO has been developing. A functional beta release of Scout is already publicly available, so stop by this session to learn more about where the future of this tool is headed and how you might be able to use it!
The Advanced Building Materials session will discuss energy savings opportunities through building envelope improvements. BTO’s portion of the session will cover advanced building materials available for current deployment at a federal facility, discussing advantages and economics of the most common materials. Some of the innovative technologies to be covered in this session include highly insulated and dynamic windows, cool roofs, high-performance insulation, and system level considerations.
The third session, Wireless Sensors, will focus on the quickly advancing field of wireless technologies and their cyber security requirements. In this session, BTO’s Wireless Metering Challenge is a prime example of multiple federal agencies and industry partners working together to solve an industry challenge. The session will also discuss the development of BTO’s Wireless Submeter Challenge results and opportunities and successes of DOE’s High Impact Technologies (HIT) Catalyst Program.
BTO’s presentation in the Maturity and Value of Energy Efficiency session will focus on DOE’s Building Energy Asset Score, a national standardized tool for assessing the physical and structural energy efficiency of commercial and multifamily residential buildings. Participants in this session will receive a demonstration of Asset Score, to better understand the many benefits of the tool and how it can be used in their program or organization.
The Energy Exchange is all about sharing best practices and insights; engaging with leaders in both the government and industry; discovering new products, systems, and services to implement in new ways; and exploring new opportunities through more than 130 solution-focused training sessions that zero in on five core areas: 1) Technologies and Equipment, 2) Facilities and Fleets, 3) Campuses, Installations, and Regions; 4) Performance Contracting and Partnerships; and 5) Federal Agency Leadership.
Besides these great educational sessions, the Energy Exchange also includes an impressive trade show where visitors can interact with a broad range of technologies, systems and services that are currently in the market. We hope you can join us at the Energy Exchange as we continue to share innovative ideas with folks throughout the energy sector! (Onsite registration will be occurring daily.)
P. Marc LaFrance
P. Marc LaFrance serves as the Windows technology manager on the Emerging Technologies team in addition to promoting advanced technologies and energy policy on the Residential Buildings Integration team. Prior to his current role, Mr. LaFrance managed the energy analysis for the buildings sector at the International Energy Agency’s Sustainable Policy and Technology Directorate in Paris from 2012 to 2015. He published a buildings sector blueprint to achieve a low carbon future by 2050 along with a Building Envelope Technology Roadmap, MEF Building Performance Metrics and a detail plan for China. He also was responsible for coordinating related international technology research agreements. Prior international experience included an assignment at the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre in Tokyo working on macro energy policy and economic analyses for the APEC region from 2000 until 2002.
His initial positions at the Department of Energy began in 1993, when he worked on the Codes and Standards program, the ENERGY STAR® program, and an Emerging Technologies lighting, appliance and equipment program. He managed the window and envelope R&D program from 2002 to 2012. During his tenure at DOE, his programs received four 100 R&D Awards. His program, in partnership with the private sector, also commercialized many new products in pursuit of zero energy buildings, and was able to make other high-performance products affordable. Mr. LaFrance received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1985 from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and a master's degree in urban systems engineering in 1998 from George Mason University. He also is recognized as a certified energy manager and a certified sustainable development professional by the Association of Energy Engineers.