GreenHome NYC’s July 2011 Green Building Forum will explore a spectrum of renewable energy technologies and how a diverse energy portfolio can benefit our community. Discussion will include new ways to deploy solar and hydroelectric power, reducing energy consumption with highly efficient geothermal (ground source heat pump) heating and cooling, and bio-based alternatives to natural gas and oil heat.
Details after the jump!
Event Details:
Speakers:
- Welcome by GreenHomeNYC
- Alison Kling, representing New York City’s Solar America City project hosted at CUNY
- Pietro Filardo of Pliant Energy Systems, LLC
- John Rhyner of P.W. Grosser Consulting , Inc.
- Steven Levy of Sprague Energy
The Green Building Forum is held on the third Wednesday of each month (except December) at 6:30 PM and features presentations by green building practitioners followed by discussion. The events are always free and open to the general public.
Topics
Deploying Solar with the New York City Solar Map
Presented by: Alison Kling, NYC Solar Coordinator – Sustainable CUNY
The recently-released
NYC Solar Map has simplified the process of estimating the energy production potential from every rooftop throughout New York City. Ms. Kling will briefly discuss the process of developing the map and then turn to how the NYC Solar Map will increase the implementation of distributed solar energy generation throughout the City.
Cutting Edge Hydropower Solutions
Presented by: Pietro Filardo, Owner – Pliant Energy Systems LLC
Mr. Filardo’s company, Pliant Energy Systems, is currently being funded by the Office of Naval Research to develop a novel hydropower generator capable of harnessing energy from naturally flowing, un-dammed waterways. Pliant Energy’s technology is in the proof-of-concept phase and results from a multidisciplinary approach in the fields of hydrodynamics, electrical engineering, solid mechanics and advanced materials science. Mr. Filardo’s presentation will describe the challenges and opportunities of harnessing hydrokinetic as well as the progress of companies with systems already operational.
The Lowest Impact from the Least Consumption: Ground Source Heat Pumps
Presented by: John Rhyner PG, LEED AP, Senior Project Manager – P.W. Grosser Consulting, Inc.
We often focus on developing new ways to create energy, but this renewable energy forum will include another dimension: ways that we can capture the earth’s ability to store energy. While large-scale electricity storage remains elusive, Mr. Rhyner will give an overview of how the proven capacity of the earth to store and transfer heat has provided a valuable opportunity to reduce energy consumption.
Bio-Based Heating Solutions
Presented by: Steven Levy, Managing Director – Sprague Energy / Board President – NYCLHVCC
The Northeastern region (New England and Mid Atlantic) has the largest consumption of heating fuel in the United States for warming homes and businesses. Mr. Levy will discuss success stories of buildings that have switched to advanced biofuel heating systems and policies, including new heating fuel legislation going into effect 2012, that support cost-effective conversion to bioheat. Switching to biofuel heating helps insulate building owners from volatile oil prices and simultaneously improves the local and global environment by significantly reducing emissions and increasing the efficiency of heating equipment.
About the Speakers
Alison Kling
Alison Kling has served as the New York City Solar Coordinator at CUNY since 2009. She leads the day-to-day implementation of the NYC Solar America City Partnership initiatives, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and NYSERDA. Before joining CUNY she was an Assistant VP in the Energy Policy Department at the NYC Economic Development Corporation. She holds a Masters in Urban Planning from NYU and a BA from Middlebury College.
Pietro Filardo
Mr. Filardo is a New York City resident with 16 years of experience as a designer in the architecture firms of Philip Johnson and David Rockwell. Pietro has a multi-disciplinary background including architecture studies at UC Berkeley and Sheffield University in the UK, and marine biology and oceanography at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
Pliant Energy Systems was founded by Mr. Filardo to develop renewable energy concepts combining his experience in architecture and built environment design and the background he gained in oceanography and aquatic plant physiology prior to his architectural career. Mr. Filardo’s focus is on capturing sustainable energy with minimal environmental impacts. His innovations have led to ownership of multiple granted and pending patents. In 2011 Pliant Energy Systems became a member of the Pratt Incubator for Sustainable Innovation.
John Rhyner
John Rhyner is a licensed Professional Geologist and Senior Project Manager with P.W. Grosser Consulting in Bohemia, New York, with 24 years of diverse consulting experience, over the past 10 years working on geothermal projects in New York City and Long Island. John has consulted on over 100 commercial, institutional, residential and educational facility geothermal projects. John is currently consulting on some of the highest profile projects in New York City, including the anticipated LEED Gold New Education Building at Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, anticipated LEED certified historic Building 92 renovation at Brooklyn Navy Yard, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral geothermal retrofit. John is currently the lead author for update of the city’s Geothermal Heat Pump Manual for the Department of Design and Construction. John received a BA in Geology from Dartmouth College and is working towards his MS in Hydrogeology from SUNY, Stony Brook. John is a LEED accredited professional and active member of the U. S. Green Building Council/LI and NYC Chapters, National Ground Water Association’s Geothermal Interest Group, and New England Geothermal Professionals Association.
Steven Levy
Mr. Levy leads Sprague’s clean fuels product and business development activities. Having led the introduction of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel in the United States, Mr. Levy and Sprague are now pioneering the introduction of Biodiesel, BioHeat, and Ethanol (E85) as well as providing fuel management and sustainable energy solutions to end-users. Mr. Levy has pioneered the clean diesel initiative for Sprague and other industry partners. His industry expertise, which began in 1973, includes the governmental, commercial, wholesale, utility and industrial consumer. Mr. Levy’s experience includes forming partnerships with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, United States Department of Energy, and environmental organizations. At the federal, state and local level, Mr. Levy works closely with legislators, policy makers, environmentalists, equipment manufacturers, aftermarket manufacturers, and, most critically, the end-user to introduce and further the use of clean products and technologies, and plays a very active role with multiple environmental organizations, including the National Biodiesel Board and Clean Cities. As Co-President, Mr. Levy is actively engaged in the air quality agenda for the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC), an advocacy group located in the State of New York. Mr. Levy has presented at over 250 national, regional and local conferences promoting mobile clean air alternatives and technologies. Mr. Levy’s responsibilities also include managing major government and commercial customer relationships affording Sprague unique opportunities to introduce new products and technologies.
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