November 15-18, 2009

Washington, D.C.

BEHAVIOR, ENERGY &
CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

A conference focused on understanding the behavior and decision making of
individuals and organizations and using that knowledge to accelerate
our transition to an energy-efficient and low-carbon future.

About BECC 2009

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC), and the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) are pleased to announce the 3rd annual Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC). This year’s conference will be held in Washington, D.C., November 15–18th (Sunday evening–Wednesday afternoon) at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel near the National Zoo and accessible via Metro’s red line.

This year’s conference will bring together people from across the nation and around the world to share the latest insights, research, and experiences pertaining to behavior, energy and climate change.

The 2009 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference is the 3rd annual conference focused on accelerating our transition to an energy-efficient and low carbon economy through an improved understanding and application of social and behavioral mechanisms of change.  This year’s conference will build on the overwhelming success of the 2008 BECC Conference in which nearly 700 participants discussed successful program strategies, shared innovative research findings, and built dynamic new networks and means of collaboration.  This pre-eminent conference will bring together a diverse group of energy experts, social scientists, and policymakers to discuss the social and behavioral basis for, and practical implementation of, reducing energy use through the adoption and application of more energy-efficient technologies, energy conservation activities, and lifestyle changes.

The conference is intended to catalyze collaboration across government, utility, business, and research sectors and to share recent research and program information with the goal of achieving viable solutions for meeting long-term energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets.

The 2009 BECC Conference is convened by the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE),University of California Office of the President; the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC),Stanford University; and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Call for Abstracts - CLOSED

Online abstract submission is now CLOSED.

Applicants will be informed of decisions regarding the status of their abstract on Monday, June 1st. Please check your junk mail folder for this message.  Authors that applied to or were recommended for a Roundtable Presentation have not yet been notified of their abstract’s status.  Conference Chairs expect to finalize a schedule for Roundtable presentations soon.

A preliminary conference program will be posted in the coming weeks. Please check back later for more conference details.

Areas of Interest

The 2009 BECC conference is focused on leveraging knowledge about human behavior — drawn from social science research, experiments and other experiences — to improve and accelerate efforts to address our energy and climate challenges.  We are interested in tested applications as well as innovative approaches and research-based theoretical proposals with practical uses. Insights from other fields and perspectives are encouraged.  The following are examples of panels/topic areas that may be included in the conference.

A preliminary conference program will be posted in the coming weeks. Please check back later for more conference details.

Conference presentations will be limited by time and space constraints. The following criteria will be used in selection:

• Relevance to the conference themes (see panels/topic areas above)
• Likelihood of stimulating discussion, innovation
• Clarity of thought & presentation (assume intelligent generalists) implementation or collaboration
• Presentation of new material
• Fit in overall conference program

Hotel Arrangements

The Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference will be held November 15-18, 2009 at The Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C., 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, D.C.

Lodging at Marriott Wardman Park is $259 per night, single occupancy. (We have also reserved a limited number of government rate rooms.) Call the Hotel’s reservation number at 1-800-228-9290 or (202) 328-2000. Mention ACEEE BECC Conference to get the reduced group rate. The Marriott Wardman Park reservation cut-off date for the reduced rate is October 23, 2009.

Student Scholarship Information

To encourage student participation in the BECC Conference, the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center (PEEC) is pleased to offer student scholarships toward the conference registration fee.

1. Accepted students pay a reduced rate of only $95*
2. The cost of transportation, lodging and other personal expenses are not included in the Student Scholarship.

Qualifications
To qualify, you must:

1. Be a registered high school, undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application
2. Be engaged in studies or research related to the conference topics
3. Intend to use and share what you learn from the conference.

Application Process

1. Complete the Student Scholarship application form found here.
2. Have the form signed by an advisor or professor from your institution
3. Send the form, via email, to tammy.goodall@stanford.edu

Deadline and Notification

1. Scholarship applications must be received by October 2, 2009.
2. Students awarded scholarships will be notified by October 15, 2009.

*The $95 student scholarship rate applies to those who have been awarded scholarships.

2009 BECC Conference Sponsors

Interested in becoming a sponsor? We invite you to contirubute to the success of this event by becoming a conference sponsor. You can sponsor receptions, lunches, sessions, the program in general. We offer a number of different sponsorship packages and are open to other ideas. Please email info@BECCconference.org for more information.

2009 BECC Conference Leadership

Convening Directors
Carl Blumstein, CIEE, University of California
Jim Sweeney, PEEC, Stanford University
Steve Nadel, ACEEE

Conference Chair
Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, ACEEE

Co-Chairs
Linda Schuck, CIEE, University of California
Carrie Armel, PEEC, Stanford University

The National Science Foundation now has an RFP out to provide $29

million in grants to academic institutions through two new engineering
research programs under its Emerging Frontiers In Research and
Innovation 2010 (EFRI-2010) program:

1. Renewable Energy Storage (RESTOR)
2. Science in Energy and Environmental Design (SEED): Engineering
Sustainable Buildings

Much more information and contacts are available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09606/nsf09606.htm Please share this
info with your academic partners.

Establishing areas of contribution from NCSU. Click Here for the form.

Names of those who have contributed

Teleconference will be provided for registered attendees who wish to participate remotely.

Background

While the current electric grid in the United States has an impressive 99.97% reliability, it is somewhat limited in its ability to handle renewable energy sources, to effectively manage demand response, to self-repair, or to sense/monitor its own problems. Convergence of communications, sensors and information technology has resulted in phenomenal advances such as the iPhone, but such convergence has been slow to reach the utility industry. With rise in the US population and increase in demand for electricity, there is tremendous opportunity for the United States to lead on the path of a new genre of convergence between the existing electric grid and the next generation of Wireless, Information Technology, RFID and Integrated Sensors (WITRIS) technologies. President Obama’s stimulus package (called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA) that contains approximately $4.4 billion for Smart Grid represents perhaps a starting point for investment to modernize th! e grid.

Coupled to the stimulus package from Washington is the significant change in the national agenda on carbon emissions. The Carbon Cap-and-trade legislation in the form the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (also known as Waxman - Markley comprehensive energy bill) designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020, would have a profound impact on energy production and consumption - it is a game-changer. This in turn would further impact the electric transmission grid - for example if a greater proportion of energy comes from solar, then the grid would have to be modified appropriately to handle solar input in a scalable fashion. This bill would directly and indirectly stimulate private industry and universities into creating new technologies and innovations, resulting in opportunities and growth of new areas. Universities, technology providers, utilities, and governments would need to collaborate to come up with the next generation of Smart Grid an! d Smart Energy Technology. This would also affect training of new students in universities as well as the research agendas at universities. It would have the potential to radically alter how the United States of America thinks about energy. Bringing public policy, economics, business management and technology into the discussion as an inter-disciplinary thought leadership process would be become critical for a meaningful discussion. Our forum will plan to plan to start this discussion as part of the Round Table Thought Leadership activity.

While every major media source today is talking about the Smart Grid due to its importance to the national energy policy agenda, it is still unclear to many as to what this grid of the future will look like. In-fact, it is like trying to predict what an iPhone would have looked like in the year 1984 (25 years ago), when a cell phone was simply a mobile telephone. There is tremendous opportunity for creativity, experimentation and research in the defining of the Future Smart Grid. Throwing open this opportunity to students in universities or entrepreneurs in industry could result in new and currently unimaginable possibilities for the grid of the future. Therefore, while the utility community is trying to determine this singular vision of the grid of the future, the eventual outcome is impossible to predict, but the community at large needs to ensure that those who want to experiment with meritorious ideas get the appropriate resources, opportunities and incentives to do so. ! The innovative ideas of today would get impetus with funds from ARRA coupled with the incentives provided from Cap-and-Trade bill to become the creative Smart Grid ideas of tomorrow.

While the long term vision for the Smart Grid may be elusive, the community needs to come together to define short and medium term goals that are achievable in the next one to five years. Early successes would require some consensus in the short-term vision of the Smart Grid so as to take some actions and have measurable deliverables which would create early proof of success made by the ARRA investment made by the nation.

The UCLA thought Leadership Round Table would include participation from government, utilities, technology and infrastructure providers, energy exploration companies, universities, policy experts, startups and venture capitalists.

Some of the key topics will include:

Which technologies are “shovel-ready” to deploy in the short term, versus which will require some adaptation, versus which are potential for the long-term.

Presentation and discussion of various visions of the Smart Grid from DOE, National Labs, and how it relates to communications technologies available today

Technologies adopted by successful implementations of Smart Grid across the United States and other countries

Open-systems wireless and communications interface software and standards based approach for the Smart Grid of the Future

Presentation of advanced wireless, RFID and RF-sensors technologies and their convergence with the grid

Developing non-renewable energy sources that are grid friendly - i.e. scalable, flexible and secure

Security of information technology that is being applied to the grid (including wireless, wire-line, broadband over power lines).

Infrastructure issues pertaining to the communications technology such as wireless networks that would go into the Grid.

Fundamental research problems that should be tackled by universities

Standards - at what stage should a given technology be standardized, what should be standardized, and who should be allowed to standardize?

Technologies to support the entire energy enterprise including generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure including the workers.

Where is stimulus funding being spent in Smart Grid and where should it be spent.

Stimulus package from the federal government and opportunities for partnering with UCLA-WINMEC member organizations

Objectives of UCLA WINSmartGrid Connection

The objective of the WINSmartGrid Connection is to advance novel Wireless Internet Smart Grid technologies in university labs, perform testing in the labs, transition technologies into the field for scaled testing, and work with partners in industry and government for demonstrations and eventual rollout and deployment.

What is UCLA WINSmartGrid Connection

UCLA WINSmartGrid Connection is a collaborative research program between Universities, Industry and Government whose objective is to advance novel Wireless / Communications Internet Smart Grid technologies in university labs, perform testing in the labs, transition technologies into the field for scaled testing, and work with partners in industry and government for demonstrations and eventual rollout and deployment. Examples of projects undertaken would include:

Real time support of energy worker in field with intelligent communications and computing technology

Monitoring of infrastructure to report to control center for rapid decision making

Minimal delay wireless networks connecting to monitoring infrastructure

Remote / wireless reporting of distance between cables and trees in the field

Bring smartness to condition of equipment by wireless monitoring

Remote monitoring of electric sparks and other potentially harming conditions, and, and getting this information back to the Central station for quick action

Wireless monitoring condition of remote underground power lines where oil line is in close proximity of the power line to prevent explosions

Remote monitoring of conductor temperature

Integration and decision making in the field

Developing architectures and models for remote in-field communications and control

Real-time intelligent response systems for in-field repair, operations and maintenance

Registration

To register to attend - http://winmec.ucla.edu/smartgrid/2009-11/registration.asp

Current Speaker

Andres Carvallo Chief Information Officer Austin Energy

Kevin Garrity Manager LADWP

Mark McGranaghan VP EPRI

Ted Reguly Director - Smart Meter Program Office San Diego Gas and Electric

Summary: U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $85
million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be
awarded in early 2010 to support at least 50 early career researchers for
five years at U.S. academic institutions and DOE national laboratories.

“This funding highlights the Administrations continued commitment to
building the nation’s scientific workforce by attracting top emerging
researchers to careers in vital areas of basic research,” said Secretary
Chu.  “By investing in scientific researchers in their formative years, we
can provide scientists with the resources to do some of their most exciting
and productive work.”

To be eligible for the competition, a researcher must be an untenured,
tenure-track assistant professor at a U.S. academic institution or a
full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory. The applicant must also
have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years.

Each university award will be at least $150,000 per year for five years to
support summer salary and other research expenses. For DOE national
laboratories, awards will be at least $500,000 per year for five years to
support year-round salary and expenses.

Early career researchers may apply to one of six Office of Science program
offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Biological and
Environmental Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Fusion Energy Sciences; High
Energy Physics; or Nuclear Physics. Proposed research topics must fall
within the programmatic priorities of DOE’s Office of Science, which are
provided in the program announcements. Funding will be competitively awarded
on the basis of peer review.

http://www.energy.gov/news2009/7665.htm

DOE Grant - Development of Algal / Advanced Biofuels Consortia

Summary: The Department of Energy announced a notice of availability of
funding for establishing Consortia for two primary topic areas: development
of Algae Based Biofuels, and development of Advanced Cellulosic Biofuels.
The intended purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to
serve three primary goals of EERE: 1) increase the viability and deployment
of renewable energy technologies, 2) spur the creation of a domestic
bio-industry, and 3) dramatically reduce dependence on imported oil.

Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0000123

Estimated Total Funding Available: $85,000,000

CFDA Number: 81.087

Applications Due By: September 14, 2009
Energy Secretary Chu, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announce $6.3 million for Biofuels Research

Summary: U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Department
of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the joint selection of
awards of up to $6.3 million towards fundamental genomics-enabled research
leading to the improved use of plant feedstocks for biofuel production.

These grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program begun in 2006
that is committed to fundamental research in biomass genomics, providing the
scientific foundation to facilitate use of lignocellulosic materials for
bioenergy and biofuels. Since lignocellulosic crop plants are less intensive
to produce and can grow on poorer quality land, competition with crops grown
for food production is avoided.

DOE will provide $4 million in funding for four projects, while USDA will
award $2.3 million to fund three projects. Initial funding will support
research projects for up to three years.

Source: July 22, 2009 DOE Press Release

Web site: The full press release is at
http://www.energy.gov/news2009/7683.htm

USDA Announces Funding Available For Bioenergy Development and Production

Summary: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is
accepting applications for up to $50 million in projects to promote the
continued production and use of biofuels.

This $50 million in 2008 Farm Bill money will advance two USDA efforts: $20
million to provide financial incentives to biorefineries to replace fossil
fuels used to produce heat or power at their facilities with renewable
biomass; and $30 million to provide payments to eligible advanced biofuel
producers to encourage the increased production and use of biofuels.

Source: July 21, 2009 USDA Press Release

Applications Due By: Applications for the advanced biofuels program are due
August 11; applications for the biorefineries to replace fossil fuels are
due November 1.

Upcoming Conferences & Meetings

Register Now!

2009 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry

July 28–31, 2009 • The Conference Center Niagara Falls • Niagara Falls, NY

Co-Chairs: Dana Levy, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Raymond Monroe, Steel Founders’ Society of America

Register Now !

5th National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource

September 27–29, 2009 • The Drake Hotel • Chicago, IL

Save the Date!

2009 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference

November 15–18, 2009 • Marriott Wardman Park Hotel • Washington, DC

Save the Date!

2010 ACEEE Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture

February 7–10 , 2010 • Monona Terrace • Madison, WI

Save the Date!

2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

August 15–20, 2010 • Asilomar Conference Center • Pacific Grove, CA

Co-Chairs: Bob Hawsey, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Craig Wray, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Save the Date!

The 2010 National Symposium on Market Transformation

April 11–13 , 2010 • Marriott Wardmen Park Hotel • Washington, D.C.

More information can be found at :

http://aceee.org/pubsmeetings/curmtgindex.htm

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is pleased to announce the 3rd ACEEE Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture. The “Ag Forum” will be held February 8-10, 2010 at the picturesque Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin. We are organizing this conference with our partners and Co-Chairs, Amelia Gulkis (EnSave), Rich Hackner (Wisconsin Focus on Energy and GDS Associates), and Mike Morris (National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)).

As many of you know, ACEEE hosted a successful Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture in 2008. The previous Ag Forum focused on the intersection of food, fuel, and sustainable agriculture, which resulted in spirited sessions addressing issues in agricultural communities across the country. Details about the 2008 Ag Forum are on our Web site: http://aceee.org/conf/08ag/index.htm.

Since the 2008 Ag Forum, the national conversation about energy, agriculture, food, and fuel has continued at all levels. Congress passed a new Farm Bill in the Spring of 2008, which included several important energy efficiency-related provisions, notably the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).  A new president has taken office, and a new organic garden is growing on the White House lawn.

]]> http://energy.ncsu.edu/news-portal/aceee-forum-on-energy-efficiency-in-agriculture/feed/ http://energy.ncsu.edu/news-portal/energy-news/focus-roots-fellowship/ http://energy.ncsu.edu/news-portal/energy-news/focus-roots-fellowship/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:39:07 +0000 Katelyn Bishop http://energy.ncsu.edu/?p=427 To help America overcome its dependence on cheap dirty coal, and to support innovative young leaders in building communities that want tobe a part of a clean energy future, Focus the Nation is pleased to announce the second year of *The Focus Roots Fellowships: “Coal and the Road to Copenhagen.”*

*Do you have an innovative, creative idea to accelerate your community past coal?* Are you between the ages of 18 and 29? Do you live in a coal-producing or coal-consuming community? Are you ready for a once-in-a-life time opportunity to launch your idea into action?

This summer, with support from Nike, Climate Ride, Youth Noise and the Danish Embassy, Focus the Nation will select two Fellows and award one $10,000 grant in each of the following community action categories:  *Sport *and *Art.*

Two lucky Fellows will receive financial and operational support from Focus the Nation to launch and implement their idea between the months of August and December 2009.

In addition, from September 26th through 30th, recipients will participate in a bicycle ride from NYC to DC called Climate Ride to workshop their progress with 200 other riders. Then in December, with support from the Danish Embassy, the recipients will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to present their projects to the international communities participating in the COP15 climate treaty negotiations.

This will be an unprecedented opportunity for young climate leaders to bring the story of their community and their passion for climate creativity and innovation to the local, national and international stage.

*Applications are due July 15, 2009 and the winners will be announced on August 6th.*

Why Sport and Art?

The Climate Movement has mountains to learn from the efficiency of athletes and teams, the power and focus of individual sports and the timeless cultural expressions of art.

HOW TO APPLY

1. See if you qualify for the Focus Roots Fellowship by checking out the requirements page http://www.focusthenation.org/roots.

2. Create your 1,000 word essay describing your project, a 300 word description of a mentor or adviser who will help you, and a budget for your project.

3. Submit your application between July 1st and July 15th. Email roots@focusthenation.org if you have any questions before then.