Lead Performer: Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance – Chicago, IL
July 9, 2020
minute read time
Lead Performer: Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance – Chicago, IL
Partners:
-- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy – Lincoln, NE
-- Nebraska Energy Codes Compliance Collaborative – Lincoln, NE
-- Verdatek Solutions – Wildwood, MO
-- Slipstream Group – Madison, WI
-- American Institute of Architects Nebraska – Lincoln, NE
DOE Total Funding: $500,000
Cost Share: $125,000
Project Term: June 2020 – June 2023
Funding Type: Advanced Building Construction FOA Award
Project Objective
This project will design and develop a statewide training and education program to support workforce development and the adoption of energy-efficiency technologies in residential and commercial buildings. As Nebraska prepares to implement their recently passed statewide energy code update, which received much national attention, there is a unique opportunity to simultaneously educate the industry workforce and other stakeholders on the new code requirements, the building science behind those requirements, prominent energy-efficiency technologies and opportunities, and advancements in building-grid integration.
In order to effectively capitalize on this unique opportunity, MEEA and their partners will develop a series of core and advanced training programs that integrate the requirements of the newly adopted 2018 IECC with future trends in building energy efficiency, including grid-integrated efficient building practices and other new building technologies. By presenting these two critical components as part of the same continuum, attendees will learn how advanced building practices and emerging technologies fit into the framework of the new energy code.
Project Impact
Nebraska’s update to the 2018 IECC spans three code cycles and will result in residential and commercial buildings that are over 30% more efficient. For the industry to successfully achieve this improvement in efficiency, several new concepts and measures will need to be addressed, many of which will be difficult without adequate workforce training opportunities, particularly given a state building industry accustomed to the older and less efficient 2009 IECC. Leveraging this transitional period to engage and educate stakeholders on building science and emerging technologies creates a solid foundation from which to develop a highly skilled and appropriately educated workforce of the future.
As a result of this effort, students, public officials, and industry professionals will all have the necessary resources, training, and improved understanding required to effectively implement the new statewide energy code and prepare for the buildings of the future.
Contacts
DOE Technology Manager: Jeremy Williams, Jeremy.Williams@ee.doe.gov
Lead Performer: Chris Burgess, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance