November 28, 2016
Community Housing Partners (CHP) took top honors in the first-ever Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards in the Low-Income category for its Live-Stream Distance Learning Energy Efficiency Training project. The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC) honored winners in six categories — drawn from a pool of more than 50 nominations — at a reception in Richmond attended by Governor Terry McAuliffe. The winners showcase how energy efficiency champions across the Commonwealth are helping businesses, schools, government and homeowners save money on energy expenditures while reducing energy consumption — all while stimulating job growth and our economy.
CHP’s innovative energy efficiency training project involved a live broadcast from a manufactured home in Virginia to the statewide Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) conference in Minnesota. Having been a WAP provider for 40 years, CHP knows firsthand the importance of equipping WAP crew members with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to produce quality work resulting in maximum energy savings for the low-income households served by the program. CHP developed a 3.5 hour live-stream training session with relevant predefined topics and real-time Q&A, which enabled CHP to develop a new approach to energy efficiency training that will be replicated nationally, and potentially internationally.
“Congratulations to CHP. The winning entries are proof that energy efficiency has tremendous potential to drive economic growth, create jobs, shrink utility bills, conserve natural resources and reduce pollution. They reflect the preliminary numbers from our 2016 Clean Energy Census which indicate that building energy efficiency alone accounts for $1.1B in annual revenue,” said Chelsea Harnish, VAEEC Executive Director. “We are pleased to use these awards to shine a spotlight on innovative approaches, positive impacts in our communities, unique partnerships and replicable and scalable programs.”
“CHP is honored to receive the Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Award from VAEEC. We strive to deliver building science training through the most effective and efficient means possible, and we are pleased that VAEEC values our approach to training. The success of this pilot event will help us expand our live energy efficiency broadcasts to weatherization and building science professionals across the U.S. and even abroad,” said CHP Assistant Training Center Director Raj Casper.
The full list of winners and runners-up along with project descriptions can be found online at http://vaeec.org/programs/awards/.
Any person, entity, or group who works on energy efficiency in Virginia was eligible for the awards which were chosen by a selection committee, comprised of members of the VAEEC Education and Outreach Committee and additional volunteer members of VAEEC.
About the VAEEC
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council is the voice for the energy efficiency industry in the Commonwealth. Its members include Fortune 500 companies, universities, nonprofits, local governments, state agencies, and utilities. The Council’s goal is to ensure that energy efficiency is an integral part to Virginia’s economy and clean energy future. Together, it is creating, implementing, and sharing energy efficiency solutions that keep costs down for residents and businesses, while improving the quality of life in work and home environments. www.vaeec.org
