Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
(BLOOMINGTON) - The City of Bloomington has announced that it will partner with Indiana University, Duke Energy and Hoosier Energy to host a building efficiency forum on June 27 for local facility managers.
The joint effort is intended to build skills in the local workforce and improve efficiency in local buildings and ultimately reduce the community's environmental footprint while improving the bottom line for business.
According to the US Green Building Council, buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in the US. Many factors, including building design, contribute to the efficiency of a building. Facilities staff - the people who maintain and operate buildings and other facilities - are a critical component of any effort to monitor and manage buildings more efficiently.
"Skilled facility management staff are absolutely key in making local buildings as efficient as possible," said City Sustainability Coordinator Jacqui Bauer. "The more knowledge exchange and training we can facilitate, the more energy we save, and the more we can help cut fat from the bottom line for local businesses and other organizations."
Indiana University Engineer Jeff Kaden and other university staff will lead the program with a discussion of IU's efforts to monitor usage and optimize performance through upgrades and process improvements.
"We've made great strides in reducing energy usage at our many buildings," said Kaden. "We see it as part of IU's service mission to share what we've learned with others in the community."
The goal of the forum is to provide local facility managers with an opportunity to share resources and ideas, seek additional training and to improve their skillset and the performance of their facilities. Participants will discuss both existing efforts and future opportunities to increase collaboration. Duke Energy and Hoosier Energy will share information on locally available energy incentives for local businesses and other organizations.
The event will take place on the IU-Bloomington campus on June 27, 2012 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., with lunch sponsored by Duke Energy and Hoosier Energy.
Bloomington-area facility managers, building managers and operations staff are all invited to attend the event. The event is free, but participants are asked to register by June 20. Space for the program is limited to 40 attendees.
To register, please send an email to sustain@bloomington.in.gov by 5 p.m. on June 20, 2012. For more information, contact Jacqui Bauer at 349-3837 or bauerj@bloomington.in.gov.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.