National Building Commissioning Conference to hear from California Energy Commission's Mary Ann Piette

PORTLAND, Ore. – May 14, 2009 – As corporations and governments turn their focus to cutting carbon footprints, building commissioning plays a growing role in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings – the United States’ largest contributor of these pollutants. The 17th National Conference on Building Commissioning (NCBC), held June 3-5, 2009 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, announces two energy efficiency experts for the opening plenary and keynote addresses: PECI Executive Director Phil Welker and Mary Ann Piette of California Energy Commission PIER Demand Response Research Center and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. NCBC unites energy efficiency and green building design experts with construction and operations professionals to talk about the latest trends and technologies that make commercial buildings work properly and efficiently. 

A 30-year energy industry veteran, Phil Welker will kick off NCBC with an address about the past, present and future of the role commissioning plays in the building industry. He will touch on the effects of adjacent industries and discuss changes in utilities. Welker will also review the progression of engineering and the commissioning labor force, technical evolutions in building systems and automated platforms, in addition to the smart grid and how this ties into energy use in buildings. The current state of the green market will be reviewed as well, all within the context of building commissioning yesterday, today and tomorrow.

“NCBC brings key leaders together, offering unbeatable educational and networking opportunities,” said Building Commissioning Association President Ed Faircloth. “Requests for commissioning of both new high-performance sustainable buildings and existing buildings are increasing at such a rate that commissioning providers are having a hard time meeting demand. NCBC sets the stage for how building commissioning can reach the next level.”

Mary Ann Piette will discuss how energy efficiency and demand response are linked, and the role of commissioning in demand response. Piette will review national efforts on the smart grid, and results from automated demand response activities in both California and the Seattle area.

NCBC, which ultimately focuses on improving building performance and promoting energy efficiency, works with the host hotel and other vendors to ensure the conference is using resources responsibly. EMC Engineers, Inc. is the Global Green Sponsor of NCBC, and with their support the conference is able to offer carbon offsets to conference attendees. Efforts are also made to limit waste produced by the event and conserve resources.

Registration is now open for the conference. Further information on NCBC is available at www.peci.org/ncbc.

About EMC Engineers, Inc.
EMC is dedicated to creating sustainable facilities by optimizing performance through energy modeling and analysis, building automation systems application, advanced mechanical and electrical design, construction management, and building commissioning to achieve lower energy costs, improved comfort and increased productivity.

About PECI

Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI) designs and implements energy efficiency programs for utility companies and governmental agencies in the western United States. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the organization has a longstanding tradition of pairing innovation with practicality to deliver customized solutions in building commissioning and retrofits; refrigeration and HVAC; lighting, appliances and new construction. As an industry leader, it serves the large commercial, commercial retail and residential markets with services including technical consultation, research, analysis, program management and implementation. PECI is committed to gaining widespread efficiency practices that embrace careful resource and energy management. To learn more, visit www.peci.org.