The GovEnergy Workshop and Trade Show is an annual training event in the United States for federal facility energy professionals. The event is also attended by private industry professionals who help to monitor and control energy use in federal facilities. GovEnergy is sponsored by seven federal agencies; the

U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...

's (DOE)

Federal Energy Management Program The United States Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources at federal sites, helping agencies save energy, save taxpayer dollars, and demonstrate leadership with responsible, clea ...

(FEMP), the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-ter ...

(DHS), the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it b ...

(EPA), and the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

(USDA). The federal government is the largest consumer of energy nationwide. As a result, the federal government has an obligation to "lead by example" by maintaining energy efficient facilities. Federal legislation such as the

Energy Policy Act of 2005 The Energy Policy Act of 2005 () is a federal law signed by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005, at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy proble ...

, Executive Order 13423, and EISA 2007. detail the requirements for reducing building energy costs, increasing energy efficiency, using renewable energy, and water conservation.

History

The event originated in 1997, under the name 'Energy'. The name was changed to GovEnergy in 2007. GovEnergy is held in a different city every year. Previous locations have included Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Rochester, New York, Long Beach, California, Chicago, Illinois, New Orleans, Louisiana, Phoenix, Arizona, Providence, Rhode Island, and Dallas, Texas.

Activities

The training sessions are organized by a series of themed categories, commonly known as ''tracks''. Previous tracks have included building operations & maintenance (O&M),

contracting A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...

energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to (relatively) cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven ...

project financing Project finance is the long-term financing of infrastructure and industrial projects based upon the projected cash flows of the project rather than the balance sheets of its sponsors. Usually, a project financing structure involves a number of equ ...

greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (), carbon dioxide (), methane ...

es, legislation, energy management controls systems (EMCS),

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable ener ...

, specialty buildings, sustainbility, technology, and

water efficiency Water efficiency is the practice of reducing water consumption by measuring the amount of water required for a particular purpose and is proportionate to the amount of essential water used.Vickers, Amy. “Water use and conservation." Amherst, M ...

. The majority of the tracks feature nine sessions, and are held over the course of two and a half days. The tracks and individual sessions have been designed to meet the needs of "federal facility managers, federal energy coordinators, and federal procurement officials.”. The sessions are taught by professionals representing both the public and private sectors. GovEnergy also features a mid-size trade show and a series of educational tours.

References

External links

Official website for GovEnergy 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Govenergy Energy in the United States