2nd Annual Patty Noonan Memorial Energy Policy Forum: The Proof Is In On Retrofits

The 2nd Annual Patty Noonan Memorial Energy Policy Forum. Presented by GreenHomeNYC in Cooperation with the NYU Gallatin Division. The Proof Is In On Retrofits: Quantifying Energy Savings to Satisfy Banks 6:30 pm – 8:30pm, May 19, 2010 RSVP is now closed for this event.   Financial institutions and organizational budget officers speak a different language than energy efficiency experts.  One side is concerned with dollars, the other with kilowatt-hours and therms.  The forum will discuss new initiatives that seek to bridge these two worlds and potentially unlock the movement of capital into energy efficiency programs.  The analysis of real energy savings data in real buildings could begin to change that in the very new future.  Further, a multi-stakeholder initiative to analyze predicted vs. real savings in buildings that have completed retrofits could help to move lending institutions move closer to lending for energy retrofits.  Join our policy forum to discuss the data and the opportunities, to see how they can help the market change.   Moderator: 

• Ashok Gupta, NRDC

Speakers:  

• Sam Marks, Deutsche Bank
• Michael Bobker, CUNY
• Luke Falk, NYSERDA

  The event is generously hosted by the NYU Gallatin Division, at the  Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place New York, NY 10003. New York City lost one of its best and brightest advocates for environmental sustainability when Patty Noonan passed away. Patty had served as Senior Vice President for Policy & Economic Development at the Partnership for New York City. In addition to her responsibilities, she represented the partnership on the Mayor’s Energy Policy Task Force, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Telecommunications Policy Advisory Committee. Previously, Patty served as Director of Sustainable Development Initiatives at the New York City Housing Partnership, where she directed the High Performance “Green” Building program and provided environmental review and oversight for the partnership’s New Homes Program, which has developed over 20,000 units of housing for first-time homeowners in low- and moderate-income communities across the five boroughs. Aside from her professional accomplishments, Patty was a warm and caring member of the community who mentored many in person as well as by example. The Board of GreenHomeNYC began this annual forum as a testament to her guidance to the field and our overwhelming love and respect for her. About the panelists Sam Marks is Assistant Vice President for Deutsche Bank’s Community Development Finance Group, with a focus on lending and investing in local and national affordable housing development and other social ventures. He is also helping to coordinate the bank’s participation in the Clinton Climate Initiative. He earned a Masters in Public Policy & Urban Planning at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Sam previously served as Director of Housing & Community Development at the nonprofit community development organization WHEDCo, where he acted as lead representative on a $45 million development of 174 units of affordable housing in Bronx, NY, which were included in NYSERDA’s Multifamily Energy Star pilot program. While at WHEDCo, Sam also started the Urban Horizons Retrofit Program, an initiative to retrofit its existing building to improve energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Sam founded Breakthrough New York, an academic enrichment program in which high school and college students teach motivated middle school students from public schools. Michael Bobker is a fellow with the CUNY Institute for Urban Systems and director of the CUNY Building Performance Lab. This NYSERDA-funded project furthers market transformation for enhanced operations and maintenance for energy efficiency and other quantifiable benefits in existing buildings. He has promoted energy efficiency in NYC buildings for over 25 years, in energy analysis, engineering, construction management, project development, and educational capacities. Michael is a Certified Energy Manager and holds graduate degrees in Sociology-Anthropology (Oberlin College), Energy Management (NY Institute of Technology) and Business (NYU-Stern). He is active in the NYC Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers, in ASHRAE and co-chairs the Environmental Science section at the New York Academy of Sciences. (2007/11). Ashok Gupta is NRDC’s Air and Energy Program Director. He leads NRDC’s advocacy in the Northeast on climate change, electric utility restructuring, energy efficiency, renewables, sustainable building design and reducing petroleum dependence. Prior to joining NRDC in 1991, Ashok worked with New York City’s Department of Telecommunications and Energy. He has a bachelor’s degree in physics and math from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in economics from American University. Mr. Gupta also serves on the Boards of Directors of: Hudson River Foundation, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies, U.S. Green Building Council – New York; Clean Air-Cool Planet, Citizen’s Union Foundation, and, Earth Pledge. He received Environmental Advocates’ 2001 Advocate Award for leadership in support of clean air and energy and in 2003 the Environmental Professional of the Year from the Association of Energy Engineers. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Luke Falk is a Project Manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). In this capacity he helps to manage NYSERDA’s state-wide Multifamily Performance Program, its Green Affordable Housing Program, and much of its intergovernmental coordination. Last year he was on faculty at The Cooper Union in New York City, where he taught in the Department of Continuing Education and Public Programs. He was the Chair of BuildingEnergy09, the annual conference of the North East Sustainable Energy Association.