First Energy Forum Makes Green Energy Market Accessible for Electrical Contractors

District 9 Vice President Stan Lazarian is a true believer when it comes to energy solutions, as witnessed by everyone who attended NECA’s first Energy Forum yesterday.

Over 250 electrical contractors and their employees participated in the event, which focused on numerous opportunities available for electrical contractors and their customers in renewable power technology and integrated, energy-efficient building systems. Lazarian, who chairs NECA’s Energy Solutions Task Force, has been a tireless cheerleader for both the Forum and these opportunities.

Alternative power and energy efficiency upgrades are the next boom market for contractors, Lazarian constantly preaches. But it’s hard for electrical contractors to know when it’s the right time for them to add new services to their traditional business model. Hence, the Energy Forum was born.

“While other companies are only interested in selling you the largest solar array that’ll fit on your roof, only a NECA contractor can give their customer honest data and a complete energy solution that’s going to lower their utility costs,” Lazarian said. “I think that’s wonderful. I think it’s something we should be proud of. But it means we have to make a transition at our companies to accommodate these new demands from our customers. But this is the way things will get better for our industry.”

The Forum dealt with three major factors that can get in the way of electrical contractors taking charge of the energy solutions market:

1. Understanding what the opportunities are.

Right now, there is tremendous momentum and incentives for sustainable construction. With those new energy markets come services like installing and maintaining electric vehicle supply equipment, designing “net-zero energy” buildings with integrated systems, and energy storage.

Energy work is “counter-cyclical” – meaning, that in tough economic times, customers want and need to save money on operating costs. Energy work is a revenue opportunity independent of the construction market. For building owners and operators, the savings and tax credits energy solutions deliver are very desirable. When an electrical contractor can help them save money, it doesn’t matter how healthy the rest of the construction market may be.

From utility-grade wind power, solar PV installations or helping a customer save on his electric bill by swapping out old ballasts for energy-efficient LED drivers, NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum covered all the options and opportunities in the new energy economy.

2. Real-world info from contracting colleagues about the different ways they’ve entered the market.

The good news is that many electrical contractors already have the technical knowledge to engage with these markets – but most don’t know how to integrate energy services into their existing businesses or market their capabilities to existing and potential customers.

There isn’t one right way to incorporate energy efficiency, conservation and renewable power into an electrical contracting company. Moderators and presenters at the Energy Forum all came from the front lines of the industry to help contractors answer when and how they can add new energy services to their traditional business models.

3. Resources and information

The Energy Forum was proposed by NECA’s Energy Solution Task Force. The Energy Forum covered concrete examples of how to become an energy solutions contractor by addressing some fundamental questions, like:

• Is there a tool I can use to show realistic projections for energy and cost savings to customers?
• What types of financing are available for renewable energy projects, and how could financing be impacted by future regulations?
• How do we integrate renewable energy and energy efficiency to ensure reliable power?

“There isn’t  a single path of entry for all NECA member companies to pursue this work,” Lazarian said. “The one thing we know for certain is if we don’t begin immediately offering our expertise and services, customers will go elsewhere to get their renewable and energy-efficiency needs met.”

>>PDF files of session presentations and handouts are now posted online at www.necanet.org/EF2011. 

FERC Commissioner Mark Spitzer Confirmed as Second Keynote Speaker at NECA Energy Forum

Marc Spitzer, Commission to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will speak at the upcoming 2011 Energy Forum in San Diego, Oct. 22. Spitzer replaces FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who was unable to attend due to an overseas meeting. He joins Allen Breeze, Senior Vice President for Schneider Electric – Power Business USA, as a keynote speaker for the event.

The NECA Energy Forum is the only event that specifically addresses the numerous opportunities available for electrical contractors and their customers in renewable power technology and integrated, energy-efficient building systems.

“Electrical contractors are the vital link between energy-efficient technology and cost-efficient construction,” said Stan Lazarian, President, Electric Service & Supply Co., Pasadena, Ca., and chair of NECA’s Energy Solution Task Force. “Our goal at the Energy Forum is to provide contractors and their customers with an opportunity to share what they’ve learned about working on renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency projects.”

“How and where we get our energy has become a serious question for building owners, government leaders and developers. Rising energy prices and energy inefficiencies have everyone thinking about what the smart alternatives could be, but those alternatives have to make financial sense, both for the customer and the electrical contractor,” said Rob Colgan, NECA executive director, market development. “We’re very excited that Commissioner Spitzer will be able share his perspective in these areas with Energy Forum participants.”

Commissioner Spitzer will focus on how FERC is working to ensure America’s ratepayers have safe, economic, and reliable supplies of electricity and natural gas; and transparent, robust and competitive wholesale energy markets.

Spitzer was nominated as a FERC Commissioner by President George W. Bush.  Prior to joining FERC, Spitzer was elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in 2000 and in 2002 was elected Chairman by his colleagues. He received recognition for his leadership of the Arizona Commission from 2003-2005. At ACC, Spitzer worked on policies encouraging expansion of natural gas infrastructure, specifically distribution and storage; creating a demand side management policy; enhancing the ACC’s renewable energy standard; and advancing consumer privacy concerns in telecommunications.

At the FERC, Commissioner Spitzer is building on his record in Arizona on environmental issues. Demand response, energy efficiency, and access to the grid by alternative resources were major focuses of Spitzer in retail rate cases and policy decisions before the Arizona Commission.

In 1992, Spitzer was elected to the Arizona State Senate for District 18. There, he served in the Legislature as Chair of the Judiciary and Finance Committees and was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Majority Leader in 1996.

An attorney since 1982, Spitzer represented taxpayers in proceedings involving the Internal Revenue Service. After graduation from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he attended the University of Michigan, School of Law.

Online registration is still open for the NECA 2011 Energy Forum; learn more and register here.

San Diego Mayor Recognizes NECA Member: Installation of Energy-Efficient Fixtures to Save $2.2 Million Annually

Tim McBride, President of San Marcos, Ca –based Southern Contracting Co.and Board President of the San Diego Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), was recognized by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders this week at a citywide press conference as installation began on the new lighting upgrade project which will retrofit 80 percent of the city’s street lights to energy-efficient fixtures. San Diego will save $2.2 million annually from reduced energy and maintenance costs.

The $16 million retrofit is funded by a financing package that includes a $13 million bond, $2 million in federal grant stimulus funding, and a $3 million low- interest state loan. The $13 million bond is a federally-backed Qualified Energy Conservation Bond, a program that came out of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the original recession stimulus legislation. In addition, San Diego Gas & Electric will provide a one-time $1.2 million rebate for the lighting change.

More than 35,000 induction technology street light fixtures, using broadband light technology, will replace the old sodium vapor lamps. The new light fixtures will be brighter and make colors easier to see at night because they produce a broader light spectrum than sodium vapors. McBride has also pledged to make the job “zero-waste” by recycling all the old building materials rather than hauling them to a landfill.

Read full story on NECA’s website >>

Allen Breeze Is New Keynote Speaker for NECA 2011 Energy Forum

Allen Breeze, Senior Vice President for Schneider Electric – Power Business USA, will be a keynote speaker at the first NECA Energy Forumin San Diego, Oct. 22. Breeze replaces Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), who was unable to attend due to an overseas meeting.

Breeze brings a passion for the energy solutions market to the Energy Forum. At Schneider, he has championed new initiatives, such as providing customers with solutions to help solve the energy dilemma and solutions for the changing market opportunities such as electric vehicles. He is also a strong proponent of energy audits as a way into the energy solutions market.

“An energy audit allows us to identify energy efficiency opportunities in a building and make recommendations to optimize energy use through monitoring and control. There is a tremendous opportunity for companies to save up to 30 percent off their energy bill by putting in place both passive and active energy efficiency measures,” Breeze wrote in TED magazine.

Breeze joined Schneider Electric in 1984, as a marketing engineer in the commercial product group while finishing his undergraduate degree. Upon graduation from the University of Kentucky in 1986 with his bachelor’s degree in from electrical engineering, Breeze joined the company full time as a product application engineer for low voltage circuit breakers. Since then, he has worked held several sales and marketing positions within the company.

In 2010, Breeze was named Senior Vice President for the Power Business USA. He is responsibilities include sales and marketing for the Power product and solutions, along with market and customer segments such as residential, electrical contractors, and consulting engineers.

Breeze believes that the energy solutions market is best viewed as a collaboration between industry stakeholders – manufacturers, distributors, electrical contractors, and most importantly, the customers they all serve. “For example, there is a role for distributors and contractors to work with an energy management provider throughout an energy audit process in the private and public sectors, but who they work for – either the end-user or the energy service company – is really determined on a case-by-case basis. That’s why it’s important for everyone to be aware of these new market opportunities,” he said.

Allen is a member of the NEMA Power Equipment Board, a Professional Manager Development Program Alumni, a Trophy Award Winner – Be More Customer Center (TRE Campaign) and Six Sigma Green Belt. 

Come to NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum to hear directly from industry leaders like Allen Breeze about how electrical contractors can make the energy solutions market their own!

Help! I’ve already registered, but now I want to add a pre-convention event to my registration!

First of all, congratulations to you for taking advantage of NECA’s 2011 San Diego pre-convention workshops and all new Energy Forum. Pre-convention workshops run Friday, Oct. 21-Saturday, Oct. 22.

Second, you can add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Visit the 2011 San Diego registration page: https://www2.cmrreg.com/neca_c2/  (Click on Attendee Registration button at the top right of the NECA Convention website, then click again on the Register Now button.)

2. Scroll down to “Already Registered?” You will be prompted to enter the confirmation number and email address included in your registration confirmation you should have received by email.

3. Click “Review or Change Your Registration.” Your registration contact information will be displayed.

4. Click through the pages until you reach “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Select any workshops you would like to add to your registration.

5. Click through the pages to see if you need to update any other information. The cart at the top of the page will display any items you have added.

6. Click “Update Registration” once you’re finishing reviewing. You will receive an email confirmation of your additional registration items.

That’s it!

4 Reasons to Attend the 2011 NECA Energy Forum

There’s never been anything like the Energy Forum for the electrical construction industry that kicks off NECA’s 2011 Convention and Trade Show in San Diego. Making sense of the range of opportunities in green energy will be the focus of this all-new event which will be held on Saturday, October 22, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Speakers and session leaders will discuss the many ways electrical contractors can enter this market and what questions they need to ask.

In addition to hearing an exciting keynote address from Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Energy Forum participants will hear from industry experts on energy economic modeling, the electric vehicle market, and innovative energy storage technology. An informational brochure is provided through the link to “Related Documents” at the end of this article.

Here are four good reasons to attend:

1. To Understand What the Opportunities Are

According to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine, alternative power and energy efficiency upgrades are the next boom market for contractors. We don’t want to lose what could be the largest game-changing trend to hit our industry in the past two decades. Right now, there is tremendous momentum and incentives for sustainable construction. With those new energy markets come services like installing and maintaining electric vehicle supply equipment, designing “net-zero energy” buildings with integrated systems, and energy storage.

Energy work is “counter-cyclical” — meaning, that in tough economic times, your customers want and need to save money on operating costs. Energy work is a revenue opportunity independent of the construction market. For building owners and operators, the savings and tax credits energy solutions deliver are very desirable. When an electrical contractor can help them save money, it doesn’t matter how healthy the rest of the construction market may be.

Whether it’s utility-grade wind power, solar PV installations or helping a customer save on his electric bill by swapping out old ballasts for energy-efficient LED drivers, NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum will cover all the options and opportunities in the new energy economy.

2. To Hear from Colleagues about the Different Ways They’ve Reached Out For Business in These New Markets

The good news is that many electrical contractors already have the technical knowledge to engage with these markets — but most don’t know how to integrate energy services into their existing businesses or market their capabilities to existing and potential customers.

There isn’t one right way to incorporate energy efficiency, conservation and renewable power into an electrical contracting company. Moderators and presenters at the Energy Forum all come from the front lines of the industry to help contractors answer when and how they can add new energy services to their traditional business models.

3. Because NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum Is the Most Comprehensive Energy Education Forum Available, at the Lowest Cost in the Least Amount of Time

These days, everyone is doing more with less. If you want to minimize the time and money you spend away from the office, while maximizing your education and experiences in San Diego, the Energy Forum will give you the biggest potential gain for your business.

4. Because NECA’s 2011 Energy Forum Was Created Specifically for NECA Contractors by NECA Contractors

The Energy Forum was proposed by NECA’s Energy Solution Task Force members who are electrical contractors just like you. And like you, we are each trying to determine what our place in the emerging energy solutions market can and should be.

The Energy Forum was developed to help contractors answer some of those questions. We understand that there isn’t a single path of entry for all NECA member companies to pursue this work. But we also know that if we don’t begin immediately offering our expertise and services, customers will go elsewhere to get their renewable and energy-efficiency needs met.

The Energy Forum will discuss concrete examples of how to become an energy solutions contractor by addressing some fundamental questions, such as:

• —Is there a tool I can use to show realistic projections for energy and cost savings to customers?
• —What types of financing are available for renewable energy projects, and how could financing be impacted by future regulations?
• –How do we integrate renewable energy and energy efficiency to ensure reliable power?

“Electrical contractors are the vital link between energy-efficient technology and cost-efficient construction,” said Stan Lazarian, President, Electric Service & Supply Co., Pasadena, California, and chair of NECA’s Energy Solution Task Force. “Our goal at the Energy Forum is to provide contractors and their customers with an opportunity to share what they’ve learned about working on renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency projects.”

“How and where we get our energy has become a serious question for building owners, government leaders and developers. Rising energy prices and energy inefficiencies have everyone thinking about what the smart alternatives could be, but those alternatives have to make financial sense, both for the customer and the electrical contractor,” said Rob Colgan, NECA executive director, Market Development.

Alternative power and energy efficiency upgrades are the next boom market for contractors, Lazarian said. “But it’s hard for electrical contractors to know when it’s the right time for them to add new services to their traditional business model,” he said.

DOWNLOAD THE 2011 ENERGY FORUM BROCHURE TO LEARN MORE! >>