Episode 39: The Cutting Edge with Peter Kelly-Detwiler

June 10, 2021 by David Karlsgodt in Energy Efficiency, Carbon Emissions, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Community, Investing, Wicked Problems, Utilities, Systems Thinking, Water, Justice, Electrification, Design, Solar, Gas, Thermal Energy, Hydrogen

Guest:
Peter Kelly-Detwiler
Cofounder, NorthBridge Energy Partners, LLC

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode we will talk with journalist, author, and energy consultant Peter Kelly-Detwiler. Our topic: Cutting Edge Campus Climate Tech.

Our mission: help campus decision makers and stakeholders understand "cutting edge" campus decarbonization / reliability / resilience technologies. How can they take advantage of new and emerging technologies while avoid wasting time on ideas that are either empty hype or operationally irrelevant for their campus context?

Resources:

NorthBridge Energy Partners website: https://www.northbridgeep.com
The Energy Switch: How Companies and Customers Are Transforming the Electrical Grid and the Future of Power at Buttonwood Books and Toys: https://www.buttonwoodbooksandtoys.com/book/9781633886667

Production Team:

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here: Otter Transcript You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 39 Otter Transcript

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 39 Transcript

Episode 38: The Political Economy of Higher Ed with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou

February 27, 2021 by David Karlsgodt in Energy Efficiency, Carbon Emissions, Student Engagement, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Community, Investing, Renewable Energy, Wicked Problems, Utilities, Systems Thinking, Water, Justice, Electrification, Education, Design

Guest:
Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou
Energy Systems Strategist -
SMITHGROUP

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

In this episode, we talk with with Dr. Katrina Kelly-Pitou, Energy Systems Strategist at SmithGroup. The discussion focuses on what higher education can expect from federal, state and local governments in the near term, but also a broader discussion about the politics and business model of higher ed. itself. She both challenges conventional ideas and paints a compelling vision for a sustainable future for higher education and the communities in which they operate.

Resources:

SmithGroup website: https://www.smithgroup.com/

Production Team:

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here: Otter Transcript

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 38 Transcript

Episode 35: The Eco Performance Office with Ron Herbst

October 23, 2020 by David Karlsgodt in Systems Thinking, Wicked Problems, Resilience, Renewable Energy, Utilities, Energy Efficiency, Electrification, Carbon Emissions, Procurement

Guests:
Ron Herbst
Vice President, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

What can a higher education institution learn from an international bank? In this episode, we talk to Brailsford & Dunlavey’s own Ron Herbst, whose long and varied career in energy eventually led him to work with Deutsche Bank establishing and managing their Eco Performance Management Office (PMO.) An EcoPMO is a team that coordinates all of the functions needed to achieve an organization’s sustainability goals.

As the son of a blue-collar inventor, Ron felt drawn to the energy and sustainability world from a young age and wanted to be what he calls a “building energy efficiency doctor.”

Ron discusses his time at Deutsche with Dave how he applies what he learned about balancing institutional needs with sustainability goals to colleges and universities. In addition, we also discuss how to balance the needs of various institution stakeholders in order to reach those goals.

Resources:

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): https://www.aashe.org/
US Department of Energy - Better Buildings Partnership: https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/challenge
Second Nature: https://secondnature.org/
Rocky Mountain Institute: https://rmi.org/our-work/buildings/

Production Team:

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here:

https://otter.ai/s/-Tws0LiGQMuAtEwbq6YoKA

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 35 Transcript

Episode 34: GeoMicroDistrict: an alternative future for Natural Gas - HEET

July 31, 2020 by David Karlsgodt in Systems Thinking, Community, Wicked Problems, Resilience, Renewable Energy, Utilities, Energy Efficiency, Electrification, Carbon Emissions

Zeyneb Magavi, Co-Executive Director of HEET and Audrey Schulman, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of HEET — **Zeyneb Magavi,** Co-Executive Director of HEET and **Audrey Schulman**, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of HEET

Guests:
Zeyneb Magavi
Co-Executive Director, HEET

Audrey Schulman
Co-founder and Co-Executive Director, HEET

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Director of Management Advisory Services, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc.

Co-executive directors of the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), Zeyneb Magavi and Audrey Schulman both entered the climate change fight as mothers concerned for the futures of their children. In this episode, they share the history of their work on fixing super-emitting natural gas leaks in their neighborhood and across the state of Massachusetts. They tell the story of building relationships with natural gas utility executives to make a meaningful reduction in GHG emissions which led to the next major challenge: What is the future of a natural gas systemin a world that needs to eliminate the use of fossil fuels? We discuss HEET’s role in developing the GeoMicroDistrict, a neighborhood-scale renewable energy network for heating and cooling buildings. They explain the technology but also how its alternative business model offers a cost-effective path forward for our utility companies and their workers as we replace our aging natural gas infrastructure.

Resources:

The Home Energy Efficiency Team Website: https://heetma.org/
The BurroHappold GeoMicroDistrict Feasibility Study: https://heetma.org/feasibility-study/
WBUR: Mass. House Approves Major Climate Action Bill
- HEET helped with amendments 15 and 19
Episode 25: Losing Steam - Carleton College’s Energy Transition

Production Team:

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here:

https://otter.ai/s/-Tws0LiGQMuAtEwbq6YoKA

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 34 Transcript

Episode 33: Changing the Climate for Women - Abena Sackey Ojetayo

June 05, 2020 by David Karlsgodt in Systems Thinking, Behavior Change, Community, Education

Guest: Abena Sackey Ojetayo
Chief Resilience Officer and Director, City of Tallahassee

Host: Kaia Findlay
Production Assistant, Campus Energy and Sustainability Podcast

This is the fourth and final episode in our “Changing the Climate for Women” series, which focuses on women’s experiences in sustainability, energy and facilities. Short series is hosted by Kaia Findlay, podcast production assistant, and special guest hosts.

In this episode, Kaia talks with Abena Sackey Ojetayo, chief resilience officer and director for the City of Tallahassee, Florida. We talked about her childhood in Ghana and her sustainability projects in Florida. We also discussed code-switching and the ways that age, race and gender can place pressure on people in the workforce.

In her role with the City of Tallahassee, Abena brings together a number of departments including sustainability, resilience, code enforcement, and housing and human services to produce creative solutions for the people they serve. She has also worked in Ghana and at Cornell University, where she studied engineering.

Production Team:

Episode Transcript:

The following is an automated transcription of this episode which will include errors and omissions. You can listen and follow along with the text here:

https://otter.ai/s/k9FBo9gZQfe5dGmSCOPDtw

You can find a text-only version of the transcript here: Episode 33 Transcript.