Which PV design approach is best: centralized or decentralized? It depends!

When determining the technology to use for any given PV system, many considerations are taken into account. Installation capabilities, upfront and long-term costs, energy production, maintenance, component availability, supplier stability and many more ultimately factor into the final decision. This webinar will explore case studies and reveal that there is not a one-size-fits-all inverter approach for the industry.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

9:00am PT

Duration: Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes

Cost: FREE

The new Guidance Notes for Collision Analysis assist owners, operators, and designers of offshore units with identifying potential collision scenarios, assessing the relative risks and conducting numerical analysis, establishing representative collision loads, and measuring the impact of these loads on the structural integrity of offshore units. This latest publication provides in-depth technical guidance for collision mechanics, and class-leading developments in risk assessment methodologies.

A primary goal for the launch of these new Guidance Notes is to provide the direction and criteria to help industry increase the level of protection against collisions at sea. (A collision may occur as a result of a vessel losing its positioning or navigational abilities due to structural, mechanical, or electrical failure, human error, and environmental conditions.) The Guidance Notes cover everything from vessel groundings to collisions with merchant, naval, and support vessels.

Financial Analysis Fundamentals:

Are you new to financial analysis, or need a refresher on basic financial terminology? Or do you (or your customers) evaluate energy efficiency projects only by its “simple payback period”? This training provides a better understanding of financial terminology and formulas, as well as an introduction to using these formulas in EEFG’s financial analysis templates. You’ll also understand why calculating a project’s simple payback period may not be the best metric by which to evaluate its financial return.

Financial Analysis Intermediate: 

This session delves more deeply into the financial concepts learned in the beginning session. Students will learn how to model expected cash outflows and inflows over time, how to calculate a project’s present value and other financial metrics, and how to generate compelling capital budgeting requests.

Financial Analysis Advanced: 

This training applies the financial analysis concepts learned in the Beginner and Intermediate sessions to real life projects. In addition to understanding how to calculate a project’s various financial returns, attendees will also understand how to interpret and critique a project’s results. 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Anyone attempting to evaluate and/or lobby for expense-reducing capital projects; project development roles (e.g., engineers, vendors, manufacturers’ reps); program managers; utility and/or regulator staffs attempting to set metrics for encouraging/approving energy projects; etc.

LEARN TO:

OUTLINE:

Most decisions are emotional decisions, and making energy-efficiency purchases and changes are no exception. Whether you’re selling efficiency solutions or seeking project approvals, understanding what factors play a role in the decision-making process and knowing how to build rapport with key stakeholders vastly increase your odds of success. Learning to S.E.E. is a “pasta sampler” version of the more comprehensive Efficiency Sales Professional™ (ESP™) Program.  It provides the insights, focus, and skills you need to grow your market share, revenues, and profitability.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Efficiency products dealers and distributors, mechanical and electrical contractors, energy-efficiency specialists, architects, engineers, HVAC and lighting designers, building owners and managers, utility representatives, commissioning authorities, and anyone else whose success depends on the successful advocacy of efficiency projects.

The Ultimate Guide to Benchmarking takes a “create your own adventure” approach to teaching both building owners and the professionals who serve them how to use ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Are you a building owner interested in benchmarking your property’s energy performance?  A manager or solutions provider focused on identifying buildings most in need of efficiency improvements? A broker who needs to know how new benchmarking mandates affect whole-building sales, leases, financing, and refinancing?  This online/on-demand training system will provide you with the level of detail you need in a convenient and time-efficient manner.  You can experience one or two modules to gain awareness.  You can focus on the module(s) that relate to your particular property type(s).  Or you can view every module and become the benchmarking maven in your own organization or even begin offering benchmarking services for a fee.The Ultimate Guide to Benchmarking is comprised of a series of short training modules, each of which addresses a specific topic related to benchmarking. 

• Why should you benchmark?
• And if you do, why should you use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager online tool? 
• Which territories and types of transactions now require energy performance disclosures? 
• Which data points do you need to benchmark a building? 
• How do you establish your Portfolio Manager account? 
• How do you enter a property into the tool? 
• How about the energy data?  
• How do you authorize your utility or other service provider to upload your meter data to Portfolio Manager on your behalf?  
• How do you set baselines and targets to help with goal-setting and progress-tracking?
• How do you generate reports…or share building data with others? 

You’ll find the answer to each of these questions (and many more) by selecting the appropriate module and viewing a short presentation.  Many modules also feature links for downloading supporting resources.The Ultimate Guide to Benchmarking is by far the most convenient way to learn how to benchmark your building. Log on whenever your schedule allows. Explore individual modules that pertain to your situation.  Focus on the building type(s) that are most relevant to you.  Pause, rewind, and re-watch as necessary.  You can even view this resource on an iPad, iPhone or other device to provide step-by-step guidance as you use your own computer to enter your building into Portfolio Manager. Moreover, your registration for the Ultimate Guide also includes access to our team of benchmarking experts – providing you with one-on-one technical assistance at no cost to help ensure the success of your benchmarking efforts.You cannot manage what you do not measure. Benchmarking your building’s energy performance is the first step to understanding and reducing its energy consumption and costs.  With California’s AB 1103 and the City of San Francisco’s Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance now requiring energy performance disclosures for certain buildings, there’s never been a better time to learn how to benchmark using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.  And with the new Ultimate Guide to Benchmarking, there’s never been a more comprehensive or convenient way to do so!

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Benchmarking can be a valuable way to convince prospects of the need for your services.  It can help you prove that past retrofits have produced real savings, even if utility bills increased in the wake of the project (due to changes in utility rates, occupancy patterns, weather or other factors).  Benchmarking can also be a great “cross-selling” opportunity in the context of both existing and prospective customer relationships.  Moreover, the potential to offer benchmarking services for a fee extends far beyond the borders of the state.  Communities across the US have started mandating energy-performance benchmarking.  Many buildings require the assistance of third parties to help them comply with these regulations.  Since one can benchmark a building remotely, entrepreneurs, architects, engineers, and other professions are well positioned to provide these services wherever such requirements exist.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Entrepreneurs, architects, engineers, energy consultants and others who are interested in providing benchmarking services to a wide variety of US communities where benchmarking requirements exist.

LEARN TO:

1. Provide benchmarking services for a fee, including strategies for marketing and pricing your services and developing a workflow to facilitate cost- and time-efficient benchmarking activities.

2.Troubleshoot the all-new ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager tool in the context of a wide variety of building types.

3. Produce reports that are of maximum use to your benchmarking clients.

OUTLINE:

Energy is not a fixed cost. This class will explore a variety of topics that together will plot a course to more effective energy management: the difference between “what IS” and “what COULD BE”; the range of “behavioral,” “low/no-cost,” and “capital intensive” approaches available to building owners and managers; best practices for identifying audit approaches and professionals; measuring what you hope to manage, setting targets, and documenting your progress; and, building internal support for projects.

Learn to:

1. Appreciate the difference between “what IS” and “what COULD BE” in the context of your building’s energy performance
2. Consider the range of “behavioral,” “low/no-cost,” and “capital intensive” approaches available to building owners and managers
3. Learn best practices for identifying audit approaches and professionals
4. Know how to measure what you hope to manage, how to set targets, and how to document your progress toward those targets
5. Explore ways to build internal support for projects

OUTLINE:

1. Comparing «what is» to «what could be»
2. Identifying ALL of your opportunities (in the right order!)
3. Planning your moves thoughtfully
4. Performance contracting
5. Capturing management attention and engaging support for your initiatives

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Scatec Solar ASA (and its partners have entered into financing agreements totaling USD 100 million for the development and construction of three solar power plant projects in Jordan.

The projects have been developed jointly by Scatec Solar and its Jordanian partners, Quest Energy Investment LLC, European Jordanian Renewable Energy Projects LLC and Greenland Alternative Energy LLC. Scatec Solar will construct the plants and in addition provide operation and maintenance services when the plants are finalized and in operation.

«Securing financing for the Jordanian projects is an important milestone for Scatec Solar and an important contribution to meet our ambition of continued strong growth as an independent solar power producer,” said Raymond Carlsen, Scatec Solar CEO.

Scatec Solar will own 70 per cent of the 10 MW Oryx plant and 40 per cent of the two other plants, totaling 33 MW capacity. Completion of the solar power plants is scheduled for the second half of 2015.

Annual production from the three plants is estimated at 104,000 MWh, generating revenues of some USD 17 million per year. The electricity produced will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the National Electric Power Company (Nepco). All plants are located in the area nearby Ma’an City in southern Jordan.
 

This class builds on the concepts presented in “Taking Control of Your Energy.” As the title suggests, it provides a roadmap for making efficiency happen. The process starts with formulating the justification for improving building energy performance, and rallying the support of capital budgeting and other internal stakeholders. The next steps are finding the energy services resources needed to accomplish the improvements, and identifying and capturing any available “free money” to help fund the campaign. The final steps are measuring the results, and marketing successes – both internally (to support more projects) and externally (to enhance public relations, attract/retain tenants and customers, etc.).

OUTLINE:

1. Understand where to start
2. Valuing all the benefits
3. Calculating and presenting compelling returns
4. How to fund your improvements
5. Capturing «free money» and technical assistance
6. Are you eligible for tax incentives as well?
7. Becoming an effective «internal» champion
8. Measuring and communicating success internally and externally

For more information and to register, click HERE.

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