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Central Texas: Luncheon - A New Era for Residential and Commercial Wind Energy
Wed., June 29, 2022
11:30 am - 1 pm Program starts at 12:00 pm
Hideaway Kitchen 4323 S. I-35 Austin, TX 78744
About the Topic:
Renewable energy has grown exponentially in Texas, and today Texas is the #1 U.S. state for wind energy at utility scale. But did you know that “small wind” can also play a role as a high-performance, sustainable solution for homes and businesses? In our first in-person luncheon since the pandemic, USGBC Texas Central Region presents a discussion of an innovative, simple way to generate sustainable wind energy and capture more LEED credits for your projects.
Speaker:
Ignacio Juarez is CEO of Semtive, an Austin-based cleantech company that has developed a breakthrough wind turbine system and energy technology platform for home and commercial use. Previously an engineer at Johnson Controls, he designed industrial cooling systems for the refrigeration industry.
Prior to that, Juarez developed automotive designs and worked in operations for Argentina’s state-owned railroad, the Belgrano Cargas. He has been recognized by MIT as an Innovator under 35, and Semtive has twice been named as a Most Innovative Company by Fast Company magazine.
Event Sponsor:
WEBINAR: Residential Energy Dashboard June 29th, 2022
Free Webinar
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Event Flyer
Energy dashboards are beginning to become mainstream in commercial buildings, with residential lagging. This dashboard is off to a great start as it ties to actual usage data from SmartMeterTexas.
The idea is that homeowners will choose to manage their energy use more wisely if they have real data presented to them in a coherent fashion. The dashboard indicates comparison graphing from past usage to current along with the change in temperature between the usages. Other screens have other educational energy purposes.
Speaker Patricia Vega will outline her process from conception to current day, and explain how the dashboard works in real time.
Speakers:
Patricia Vega, CEO, Quantum New Energy
Patricia Vega is CEO of Quantum New Energy, a Climate-Tech company based in Houston that integrates climate innovation and sustainability inclusion using a data-to-knowledge platform, EnerWisely, to harness unused data to transform carbon into value & streamline ESG reporting. EnerWisely empowers individual climate action providing personalized, actionable insights to optimize efficiency, reduce costs and cut emissions. Her passion for understanding customers` challenges and developing solutions to make their lives easier and better has fueled her success in starting, growing, and turning around businesses through out her career. Before founding Quantum New Energy, Vega worked for GE serving as Global President of the Evaluation & Optimization business, prior to that; she was the president of GE Oil & Gas Latin America and member of GE’s Regional Board of Directors. Before GE, Vega worked for Halliburton and Baker Hughes having a progressive multidisciplinary global career which started as a field engineer with BP and Schlumberger.
To RSVP, register on www.USGBCTexas.org or email steve.stelzer@houstontx.gov or call 832-394-9050
Webinar: Environmental Justice Tool Thursday, June 30, 2022 12:00 - 1:00 PM Register Now
About This Event:
Join the USGBC Texas, the Texas Sustainable Business Network, and Impact Hub Houston for the launch of the Environmental Justice Tool and learn how to use this FREE resource to improve the health and well-being of your community!
You will get an overview of what the Environmental Justice Tool is and how to use it, and see how other leaders in the sustainable business ecosystem are using this new resource to support their Environmental Justice goals.
The Building EJ Tool’s interactive questionnaire follows the USGBC’s Social Equity Planning and Assessment Tool and encourages you and your stakeholders to focus on what is possible, providing decision-ready data that has previously been unavailable, expensive to aggregate, or identified too late in the process to have meaningful impact.
When included in the planning of building and community projects, this free Environmental Justice Toolkit creates a framework and repeatable pathway for development that result in more inclusive and equitable outcomes that better reflect the needs and desires of all building and community stakeholders.
Powered by Autocase data and economic analytics, the Environmental Justice Tool was made possible through generous support of HOK, Stantec, Jacobs, Quinn Evans, and the vision and guidance of steering committee members NAACP’s Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector, National Organization for Minority Architect, and the AIA Large Firm Roundtable.
Join us to learn more!
Register Now
GREEN COFFEE HOUR
Easy Tiger North
6406 N I-35 Frontage, Suite1100, Austin, TX 78752
8:30 AM-9:30 AM
About the Event
Central Texas, USGBC Texas will be hosting Green Coffee Hours each month, open to the public. This FREE event offers the opportunity to meet and network with people in green careers: architecture, engineering, sustainability, environmental governance professions, and more. For updates and additional information, please be sure to RSVP.
WEBINAR: ULI Net Zero Imperative - Accelerating Decarbonization
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Virtual Session 12:00 - 1:00 PM
About the Presentation:
About the Speakers:
Ashley Besic, Urban Land Institute
Ashley Besic is a Senior Manager for the Greenprint Center for Building Performance at the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a nonprofit education and research institute that focuses on issues of land use, real estate, and urban development. Greenprint, part of ULI’s research centers & initiatives, is focused on climate mitigation and net zero, making the business case for green buildings by tying reducing carbon to increases in asset value.
At Greenprint, Ashley manages implementation of the ULI Net Zero Imperative, a multi-year initiative to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment with public sector and private real estate leaders at the local level.
Prior to her time at ULI, Ashley was a Sustainability Project Manager at LivCor, a Blackstone Portfolio Company where she was instrumental in laying the foundation for the multifamily firm’s Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) department and driving their sustainability programming forward.
Phoebe Romero, Office of Sustainability at City of Austin
Phoebe Romero is passionate about the intersection of climate policy and racial equity. She works at the City of Austin Office of Sustainability focusing on air quality and climate action that reduces environmental impact and improves quality of life outcomes for historically impacted communities. Formerly she was a Program Manager at CLEAResult implementing utility energy efficiency programs for large commercial and institutional organizations across Texas.
Prior to CLEAResult, she was an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellow tasked with evaluating energy and water conservation initiatives at Huston-Tillotson University.
Icon House Zero Tour
July 14, 2022
3:00 - 6:00 pm 1700 Riverview St.
Austin, TX 78702
RESCHEDULED!
ICON is changing the homebuilding industry in service to a greater mission using advanced robotics, software and materials to create a more sustainable and beautiful world. House Zero is ICON’s most innovative home yet. It’s the first home in ICON's Exploration Series and was designed by architects Lake|Flato and 3D printed by ICON’s 9500 lb robot “Vulcan.” The house aims to emphasize what’s possible with automated construction and 3D printing. This technology is not just a replacement for conventional construction but an entirely new and better way of homebuilding and architectural advancement. Come tour the home of the future: House Zero!
Conner Jenkins is ICON's Senior Project Manager in the Build Ops department, managing many of our construction projects to this point from start to finish. He's been with the company for almost 2 years, watching the company grow from less than 40 to now almost 400 incredible individuals. Conner hales from Louisiana graduating with a degree in Construction Management from LSU.
Parking: Street parking is available.
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM PREP COURSE
Saturday, August 13th, 2022 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Free Class Class Flyer Coming Soon
About this Event
For more than 15 years, Gensler has welcomed in thousands of clients, college students, community leaders, building owners and designers to take its free LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Course.
Conveniently scheduled on a Saturday morning, the four hour class is administered by Gensler employees who are passionate about sustainability in practice and have previously achieved their LEED GA credentials. The course is open to anyone in the community who is planning to take the LEED Green Associate Version 4 exam and is interested in attaining basic knowledge of green design, construction and operations.
From this course, you will learn how to address fundamental principles of green building, attain a basic knowledge of LEED rating systems and will receive recommended study material to aid in passing the exam. Feel free to also bring any general or specific questions regarding the exam you may have.
Gensler’s LEED GA prep course is offered five times annually, with an additional BD+C and ID+C course option offered during the year also. There is no class attendance limit and anyone 18 or older is able to register for the course. Four AIA Continuing Education Credits are available for session attendees.
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATEVIRTUAL PREP COURSEKirksey ArchitectureVirtual ClassThursday, September 21, 2022 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Free Class
In order to achieve truly green projects, everyone on a project team – contractor, engineer, developer, owner, and others – need to understand green building principles. Kirksey Sustainability has developed a rigorous preparatory class focused on the LEED Green Associate exam and has graduated over 2,200 industry partners. Classes are typically taught twice per year.
With the growing influence of environmentally responsible design and construction practices, a knowledge of green building strategies is a valuable asset for anyone associated with the building industry. Kirksey's LEED Green Associate Prep Class is a resource for those who are interested in gaining the LEED Green Associate credential. Kirksey does not offer a LEED AP prep class.
Location: Virtual Class - please register for details At this point, all 2022 classes are assumed to be virtual. Additional info will be distributed upon registration.
There is a limit of two class attendances per person. Attendees must be 21 years or older. Kirksey reserves the right to cancel classes up to 48 hours in advance in the event of low registration. Attendees who require special accommodations must notify Kirksey at least two weeks prior to the class. Class participants are responsible for scheduling their exam date. For more information, visit www.gbci.org.
Link to registration: https://www.kirksey.com/sustainability/leed-classes-signup
2022 NORTH TEXAS FACILITIES EXPO
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5-6 Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, Texas 76011
10:00 AM-2:00 PM
North Texas Facilities Expo features two full days of exhibits and conferences all in one place and all for FREE. North Texas Facilities Expo meets the facilities engineering, maintenance and energy management needs of attendees from a wide variety of industries. North Texas Facilities Expo combines facilities engineering, MRO and green building focuses (including managing green buildings), and caters to a diverse audience.
Education
Exhibit Hall
North Texas Facilities Expo provides a unique selling opportunity – it is the only combined facilities, maintenance, and green building event in the region! The exhibit hall will be open on Wednesday starting at 1:00 AM until 3:00 PM, and on Thursday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. A full list of exhibitors available soon, or register for an exhibitor space here.
Register now for free admittance to the exhibit hall and educational conferences. You can register by visiting the North Texas Facilities Expo Website here.
Can you Help?
The USGBC Texas Chapter will have a booth at the North Texas Facilities Expo, and we need volunteers to help with our booth. Sign up today and have fun with our members & community partners. Sign up to volunteer by contacting the North Region Council here.
Saturday, October 29th, 2022 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Free Class Class Flyer Coming Soon
Saturday, December 10th, 2022 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Free Class Class Flyer Coming Soon
USGBC Texas Chapter is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 1801 Royal Lane, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75229
Contact us at chapter@usgbctexas.org or at 214-571-9244
