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's (DOE)
Federal Energy Management Program (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 (DHS), the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (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 problems ...
, 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,
energy security
Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption (as opposed to household energy insecurity). Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern ...
,
project financing,
greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. T ...
es, legislation,
energy management controls systems (EMCS),
renewable energy
Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
, specialty buildings, sustainability, technology, and
water efficiency. 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