FEMP Digest: FEMP Attends NIST Solar PV Ribbon-Cutting

May 29, 2019

The FEMP Digest provides a roundup of the latest offerings, news, and events available from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Click the links below to learn more.

To view previous FEMP Digests, visit the Archived Digest webpage on the FEMP website.

Act Now!

✔ The Implementing Instructions for the Executive Order Regarding Efficient Federal Operations, E.O. 13834, were issued by the Council on Environmental Quality on April 30, 2019. Find additional resources and information on https://www.sustainability.gov/.

✔ Register for Energy Exchange and view the exciting session line up in the agenda at-a-glance. 

✔ Save the date for the Energy Exchange pre-event workshops offered by FEMP on August 19, 2019 at no cost to attendees. Registration information is coming soon!

✔ Read our new fact sheet discussing tools and resources offered by FEMP to support federal agencies in developing a strategic approach to resilience planning. 

✔ Read below and visit FEMP's training catalog for more information and to register for other upcoming FEMP-sponsored training and events.

FEMP Focus

See what we are featuring from FEMP this month! Click on the links below to find out more about these FEMP updates.

FEMP Attends Ribbon-Cutting for Solar Photovoltaic ENABLE Project at National Institute of Standards and Technology

To mark Earth Day 2019, FEMP Director Rob Ivester and Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) ENABLE Program Manager Ira Birnbaum joined officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the energy service company and financier team of Legatus6 and Constellation New Energy, and Congressman Dave Trone at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the NIST solar photovoltaic (PV) project. The project, implemented using FEMP’s ESPC ENABLE program, is a 5 megawatt DC, 4 megawatt AC ground-mounted PV system using an energy sales agreement--the second under ENABLE. The $10.2 million contract makes it the largest ENABLE project to date. It is also the largest PV system installed at a civilian government agency that uses all of the produced electricity on-site, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Read the complete news story on FEMP's website. 

FEMP Seeking Federal Sites Interested in Evaluating PV Performance 

FEMP is seeking to partner with federal sites that have an on-site, government-owned photovoltaic (PV) system and who are willing and able to share their PV’s annual performance data and system information. Interested sites will receive a summary and interpretation of their PV system’s performance, including generation and availability compared to expected values. At a minimum, we will request general system information (e.g. location, size, orientation, tilt, and age) and hourly energy generation data of the PV system and/or information from an existing PV monitoring platform that tracks and stores hourly (or higher resolution) data. If you are interested in this initiative, please email rachel.shepherd@ee.doe.gov. This is an ongoing initiative, however we are currently seeking participants for this fiscal year 2019.

Agencies Using Energy Contracts Now Can Earn Tier 2 SUM Credit

After several months of collaboration between DOE and the Facilities & Construction Category team, agencies now may receive Tier 2 Spend Under Management (SUM) credit for using DOE’s energy savings performance contracts (ESPC) and utility energy service contracts (UESC), which are covered as a type of areawide utility contract. Learn more about earning Tier 2 SUM credit for using ESPC and UESC.

FEMP Offers ESPC Training in Washington, D.C.

Register now to attend the upcoming ESPC training scheduled for July 16-18, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The three-day training course will educate attendees on how to implement energy and water projects through an ESPC, including a basic introduction to DOE indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contracts and how to get started with an ESPC project at your site. Training sections will cover task order ordering procedures, contractor selection, energy saving technologies, energy and water resilience, risk and responsibility, measurement and verification, understanding task order schedules, pricing and financing aspects of the project, and post award contract administration. Participants will be able to initiate an ESPC with a Notice of Opportunity focused on individual agency needs. Registration is open to federal, DOE national laboratory, and state and local government employees. Others may be considered on a case by case basis. Click here for more information and to register.

NREL to Provide Electric Vehicle Site Assessment Training for Federal Fleet Managers and Coordinators

In support of FEMP, NREL has developed new, one-day regional training sessions designed to provide fleet managers, fleet coordinators, and facility managers with the skills and knowledge to become subject matter experts in electric vehicle (EV) implementation. The next session will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at NREL in Golden, Colorado. The training, offered at no charge to attendees, will:

• Provide an introduction to EV technology and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installation, including site and utility considerations;
• Clear up confusion around EVs and EVSE, including driving range and charging equipment technology;
• Develop the technical expertise necessary to perform site feasibility assessments and select the best locations for EVs and EVSE; and
• Make the EV implementation process more approachable.

Additional regional sessions will be scheduled to satisfy demand and located to minimize agency travel expenses. For more information and to register for the June 18 session, please contact Jesse Bennett, NREL Electric Vehicle Implementation Engineer, by email or call 720-595-8965.

2019 Spring Federal Utility Partnership Working Group Gets Rave Reviews

FEMP would like to thank San Diego Gas & Electric for hosting a successful 2019 Spring Federal Utility Partnership Working Group (FUPWG) seminar on May 2-3, 2019 in San Diego, California. More than 260 federal, utility, and energy-related representatives joined together to discuss energy resilience, cyber security, interconnection agreements, utility energy service contract best practices, and more. Agency representatives shared project case studies, including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the U.S. Coast Guard Co-generation project at New London, the U.S. Navy San Nicolas Island Wind Turbine Farm, and U.S. Army Fort Carson. For the first time, International Association for Continuing Education and Training continuing education units were offered for the benefit of our professional stakeholders that hold licenses and certifications that require continuing education. The agenda and presentations can be viewed on the FUPWG website.

The 2019 Fall FUPWG Seminar is planned for November 7-8, 2019 in Washington, D.C. More details will be posted on the FUPWG website in August 2019.

Featured FEMP Tools and Training

Did you know that FEMP offers a range of free on-demand training sessions and tools to support federal agencies’ energy reduction efforts, including software, data sets, and databases? Each month, FEMP will spotlight a few of these resources that are available to all.

• Procurement Specifications Templates for On-Site Solar Photovoltaic: For Use in Developing Federal Solicitations: Provides example language for agencies to consider in the process of assembling a solicitation and ultimately a contract for privately financed on site solar PV systems.

• RESFEN: Helps consumers pick the most energy-efficient and cost-effective window by calculating heating and cooling energy use and associated costs, as well as peak heating and cooling demand, for specific window products.

• 2016 Guiding Principle III, Protect and Conserve Water: This on-demand training course offers updated requirements, strategies, and tools for meeting and documenting compliance with updated Guiding Principle III metrics in areas related water efficiency, documentation for indoor, outdoor, and process water-use reduction, and water efficient products.

Access FEMP’s Training Search and full catalog of tools.

Upcoming Events

Check out and register for upcoming online and in-person training events developed and offered by FEMP. Click on the links to find out more and register today.

WEBINAR:  eProject Builder Demonstration (Advanced) 

Thursday June 6, 2019, 2-3:30 p.m. EDT

WEBINAR: eProject Builder Demonstration (Introductory)

Thursday June 13, 2019, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT

Tuesday June 25, 2019, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT

ONSITE: Electric Vehicle Site Assessment Training (please email Jesse Bennett)

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 in Golden, CO

WEBINAR: Using Effective Water Management to Build Resilience 

Tuesday June 25, 2019, 1-2:30 p.m. EDT

ONSITE: Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Three-Day Training Workshop 

Tuesday July 16 - Thursday July 18, 2019 in Washington, D.C.

ONSITE: 2019 Energy Exchange Pre-Event Workshop Series (registration information coming soon)

Monday August 19 in Denver, CO 

ONSITE: 2019 Energy Exchange 

Tuesday August 20 - Thursday August 22, 2019 in Denver, CO 

Interested in more training events? View FEMP's Training Calendar to see all of FEMP’s scheduled webinar sessions and in-person trainings.