What's New

FOR EDUCATORS
  • Please save the date for Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center’s upcoming 2021 Annual Institute on January 6 & 7! Our partner Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) will be co-hosting this completely virtual event. The online institute will be a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technologies and education at the intersection of sustainability, energy conservation, clean energy, and healthy building operations. Learn more at bestctr.org.
  • The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)  invites faculty to participate in its 2021 Workforce Development for Teachers & Scientists (WDTS) Champions program to learn more about the lab, experience what it's like to conduct research at a world-class research facility, and explore ways to collaborate. Learn more.​
FOR EMPLOYERS
FOR STUDENTS
  • College of San Mateo is launching a new Facilities Maintenance and Job Readiness program. Two information sessions are being held (RSVP): October 27, 12-1pm and October 29, 5-6pm.
  • The Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research  just released the results of an employer survey on Building Facility Maintenance careers. Bottom line: The outlook is bright.  Read the report.
  • Controlling plug loads such as task lighting, coffee makers, and vending machines can generate 15-50% energy savings and is a natural extension for lighting control, using the same strategies as used for general lighting. Learn more at LCA - click Education Express.​

ECU Webinar Series

  • Multi-Sector Webinar, September 18: ECU joined with the Advanced Transportation & Logistics, Advanced Manufacturing, and Information & Communications Technology/Digital Media Sectors to host the Department of Energy's Office of Technology Transfer in a webinar entitled "National Laboratories: More Than Meets the Eye!" National Labs provide careers, mentorship, internship, and other opportunities for Community College faculty and students.
Webinar Q&A, Transcript, & Audio (ZIP archive)
Webinar Q&A, Transcript, & Audio (ZIP archive)
Toolkit Resources
Toolkit Resources
  • ECU Webinar Series, July 24: Building California's Facility Management Talent Pipeline - Industry Insight, Strategies, and Best Practices. Download Transcripts, Q&A, Presentation Materials, video, and audio from the webinar. 
Webinar Q&A, Transcript, & Audio (ZIP archive)
Webinar Q&A, Transcript, & Audio (ZIP archive)
IFMA Foundation Presentation Materials
IFMA Foundation Presentation Materials
  • ECU Webinar Series: The National Lighting Contractors Association of America (NLCAA.org) presented Title 24 and Lighting: Curriculum & Resource Opportunities for Instructors, Career Enhancement Opportunities for Students. June 19.
NLCAA Presentation Materials
NLCAA Presentation Materials
NLCAA Q&A
NLCAA Q&A
NLCAA Curriculum Offerings
NLCAA Curriculum Offerings
  • ECU Webinar Series: Essential Resources for Remote Instruction, Testing, and Proctoring for HVACR, presented by the ESCO Group and HVAC Excellence, May 29, 2020.
ESCO Presentation Materials
ESCO Presentation Materials
  • Dr. Robert Eyler of Economic Forensics and Analysis, Inc. and Professor of Economics at Sonoma State University discussed the shape of the post-COVID economic recovery on April 24, 2020.
Eyler Webinar Presentation Materials
Eyler Webinar Presentation Materials
  • On April 3, Interplay Learning hosted a webinar on Helping Students Complete Energy Labs Through Online & VR Learning. InterPlay is making its latest online resources, including its 2D and 3D VR platform, Skill Mill, available to California Community Colleges at no cost through the end of the school year. This includes access to HVAC, Electrical and Solar online content. Faculty who have experience with the platform were to answer questions.
Interplay Learning Introductory Presentation
Interplay Learning California.pptx

Notable Events

NOTE: Due to Corona Virus, many events are being postponed or canceled. We'll try to keep up, but please contact organizers for official information.
  • Please save the date for Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center’s upcoming 2021 Annual Institute on January 6 & 7! Our partner Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) will be co-hosting this completely virtual event. The online institute will be a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technologies and education at the intersection of sustainability, energy conservation, clean energy, and healthy building operations. Learn more at bestctr.org.
  • CalMatters.org hosted a virtual event on October 21: Rebuilding and Resiliency - How We Need to Handle Wildfires from Now On. The event examines the wildfires of the last few years through the lens of Rebuilding Paradise, a new documentary by Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard. Inspired by his mother-in-law who used to live in Paradise. Learn more.
  • Building Operator Certification (BOC) Level II, begins October 14. Limited number of complimentary (Free) seats available to PG&E customers, but you must register by October 2. Click here to request more information.
  • E3 - Energy+Environmental Economics - held a public workshop on Achieving Carbon Neutrality in California. Key findings for "least regrets strategies" to achieve carbon goals include:
    • ​Energy efficiency in buildings, industry, and agriculture
    • Widespread transportation and building electrification
    • Zero-carbon electricity
    • Investment in zero-carbon fuel options for hard-to-decarbonize sectors where electrification is not practical
    • Pursuing reductions in non-combustion emissions
    • Investment and research into carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies
E3 Draft Report
E3 Draft Report - Achieving Carbon Neutrality

ECU In The News

  • Demolish or refurbish? What's better for the climate and carbon reduction? That's a debate going on in Britain as architects are urging changes in tax incentives that currently tip toward demolish and rebuild rather than renovate, when rehabilitation can be shown to generate much less carbon. Read more here.
  • California has many decarbonization policies in place including Executive Order (EO B-48-18) to greatly increase the market penetration of electric vehicles to 5m vehicles by 2030.  This is part of a broader set of policy directives to decarbonize three important economy sectors;  transportation, building, and power sectors.  There are significant synergies and impacts between these market segments including;
    • ​How will these new loads impact power supply?
    • Can these new loads and associated charging infrastructure be operated in a way to increase building and/or power system efficacy?
    • What price signals could be operationalized to accelerate market growth?
    • Many others are addressed in a newly released publication by a CPUC Joint Agency group addressing Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI).
VGI Working Group Paper
VGI Working Group Paper