The presentations, news, research summaries, reports, and technology overviews are collected here by focus area and represent the body of work developed by the CBEI partners during the 5-year project period. For additional information on market challenges, approach, and impacts, see each focus area overview.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded $455,000 to the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) and several of its members to train building operators in the commercial, industrial and educational sectors so that they can more efficiently and economically operate their facilities. The award helps boost the EEB Hub’s objective to inform, train and educate people about proven energy-saving strategies and technologies towards the goal of reducing energy use in the Greater Philadelphia commercial building sector by 20 percent by 2020.
The broad goal of the GPIC Education and Workforce task is to ensure a skilled workforce at all levels in the energy efficient buildings sector in Greater Philadelphia. One of the first steps under the education task was to conduct a skills gap analysis to articulate the education and training needs of the market. It became clear, however, that the occupational classifications relating to the GPIC Hub — and the commercial EEB retrofit market — had not been clearly defined and, therefore, that the specific skill sets or competencies for jobs within a classification scheme could not be adequately articulated.
On October 20, 2011 more than 60 educators and industry representatives came together in Building 101 at the Navy Yard to forge connections, discuss the state of the energy efficient building industry is today, what role educational institutions can play to help drive the market, and how to bridge the transition. This meeting was intended to begin discussions among regional educators, GPIC, and business leaders around the goals of GPIC.