Welcome to the March 2024 newsletter from SEMHub—a community of Northwest practitioners dedicated to saving energy through strategic energy management. If you have questions about SEMHub, or have content you’d like to see featured,contact us.
NEW COLLECTIONS!
SEM Best Practices, Assemble!
SEMHub features resource Collections covering some of the hottest SEM topics. This ever expanding section of the website includes the two new Collections featured below:
SEM Strategy by Design
Including guides, program websites and other customer-facing recruitment materials, our new Program Design and Strategy collection pulls together a wealth of material from SEMHub.com and the broader community conveying the purpose, structure and approach of real-world SEM programs. Reflecting a variety of SEM program designs and go-to-market strategies, this new collection also includes cross-cutting resources focused on specific SEM design elements and emerging program implementation strategies.
Our new Collaborative Work Products collection compiles the fruits of more than a decade of teamwork in Northwest SEM Collaborative Working Groups. For years, these volunteer groups of SEM professionals have produced white papers, one-page guides and presentations, culminating in this treasure trove of best practices and tangible solutions to our shared SEM challenges.
In Seattle for the First Time: 2024 NW SEM Collaborative Fall Workshop
Join us on October 17 at The Panoramic Center in Seattle for eye-opening SEM conversation and breathtaking Emerald City views. You won’t want to miss this gathering of our region’s SEM practitioners as we discuss our successes, challenges and industry-leading solutions. Whether you are a seasoned leader in the field or brand new to the SEM community, this is the event to meet, mingle and share. Save the date and stay tuned for more details in the coming months!
Regional Working Groups Have Gone National
Officially expanding to include North American SEM Collaborative (NASEMC) members for the first time, the 2024 SEM Collaborative Working Groups have kicked off with topics including SEM in Schools, Evolution of SEM in the Northwest, Emission Reduction and Measurement & Verification. To join our newly expanded Working Groups, which now feature more diverse perspectives than ever, email info@SEMHub.com.
Following conversations at the NW SEM Collaborative Fall Workshop in October 2023, Energy Trust of Oregon’s Kathleen Belkhayat and Stillwater Energy’s Wendy Gibson decided to lead a new work group titled SEM in Schools.
Inspired by Energy Trust’s dedication to STEM and energy efficiency education for underrepresented K-12 students, SEM in Schools is committed to finding new ways to support K-12 students, faculty, and staff.
“By developing innovative ways to support K-12 schools, we’re not only helping schools fine-tune their energy usage and energy curricula," said Gibson, "but we’re also inspiring the next generation of energy consumers and professionals that we’ll all rely on to achieve ambitious decarbonization efforts across the country.”
Bringing together volunteer members from across North America to learn from each other’s programs and experiences, the Working Group’s areas of focus may include:
Helping budget-strapped schools better manage energy use and invest in energy efficiency.
Developing educational curricula for schools to educate and motivate students, potentially including materials to help teachers guide student Green Teams and offer afterschool programs that introduce building systems.
Inspiring K-12 students to pursue careers in energy and energy efficiency.
Helping students understand the importance of energy conservation and how to be more informed energy consumers.
By applying the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and Lean Management to energy management assessment plans, SEM coaches can help facilities incorporate broader team perspectives and motivate full-team participation for more synergistic, comprehensive and successful SEM programs. Developed in 2023 by the NW SEM Collaborative “Beyond the E” working group, this redesigned document explains these principles and describes ways you can integrate them to improve your SEM efforts.
