5th Annual Clean Energy and Sustainability Extravaganza – Highlights from Our Business Showcase Exhibitors

Thank you to our exhibitors and sponsors for supporting this event!

By Molly Medlin

Our Leaders in Energy (LE) Clean Energy & Sustainability Extravaganza theme this year was “Getting to Net Zero Emissions in Energy, Carbon, Water and Waste.” The event took place on February 15, 2019, at the Grand Ballroom at the Marvin Center at The George Washington University. We partnered with the Association of Energy Engineers National Capital Chapter (AEE NCC) and its Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL).

One important feature of our Extravaganza is its University and Business Showcase. LE’s mission encompasses building a community of leaders to advance clean energy and sustainable solutions, including sustainable communities and the “green” economy and marketplace. We can vote by how we spend our money through our purchases to help drive a green marketplace as conscious consumers. This event helps bring together buyers and sellers to conduct transactions for a more livable planet.

Developing a greener marketplace also entails educating buyers so they can understand the value of many of these products and learn about new ways of doing things. That is why we like conducting these Showcases at universities – so our attendees can learn about innovations occurring at the university level and how they can also be applied to business.

Our other LE programs focus on green jobs, green finance, and multigenerational leadership to harness a great diversity of experience, talent, and ideas to build a sustainable energy system, economy, and world. We conduct what we call our “Signature events” in each of these 4 areas to bring people together to build the collective capacity to advance clean energy and sustainable solutions. The events are essentially “creation spaces” where we work to connect people and spark new opportunities for serendipity or positive change encounters to occur where people can find others working on similar endeavors in green jobs, new businesses, and research.

Here’s what our exhibitors and sponsors had to say about the Business Showcase and Extravaganza:

Sean Casey, Energy Engineer, AECOM. AECOM’s work includes energy efficiency, storage, and distributed energy generation with a focus on microgrids. They help local governments and utilities decarbonize their energy economy for accessing non-wire alternatives. They participate in the MEDSIS program, a DC public service initiative that brings together energy stakeholders. Because they have so much local work they were looking for students at the Extravaganza who are qualified interns and hiring engineers interested in this work. AECOM was getting their message out as a community player by sponsoring this Leaders In Energy and Association of Energy Engineers event. An example of a current project is helping a local utility understand the impact of EV charger deployed in their area and accessing the benefits of battery storage.

Bob DeLullo, Manager, CEDGreentech. CEDGreentech is the largest wholesale distributor of solar equipment in the United States. We work with all of the major manufacturers in the industry to bridge the gap between manufacturing and regional and local installers. CED Greentech offers procurement, warehousing, delivery, and financial solutions so that solar installers can focus just on installing. We insulate the installers from the ups and downs of the industry by procuring bulk buys of solar panels and inverters before price fluctuations or tariffs make a project untenable financially. The Leaders in Energy Extravaganza helped connect us with several businesses in the area that we could help with their procurement needs. Plus, we met several awesome candidates interested in the solar industry.

Denny Alexander, Principal, Armstrong Filtration. Armstrong Filtration designs and installs pristine cooling water systems for commercial clients – these enhanced tubes stay cleaned so no need for chemical drums.   He is attending this event to get leads for clients in our area.  His message is that there are 20-30% potential electrical and water savings in a cooling tower.  The largest system they’ve done to date is a 1,050,000 ton cooling tower for a Virginia Power Plant.  Their current project is at GlaxoSmithKlein, a pharmaceutical company, adding filtration and disinfection to one of their cooling towers in their local manufacturing plant.

Giuliana Kunkel, Account Manager, CEM, LEED AP O+M, DC Sustainable Energy Utility. She is an Account Manager for higher education facilities, including George Washington University, and runs the energy efficiency programs for the district. DCSEU works with private and public customers and they make sure customers benefit from their DCSEU program receiving free technical assistance with their building and get the rebates provided by DCSEU.  DCSEU exhibited at the event to connect with other vendors that they should or have been working with in the district.  She is an AEE member and her co-worker participated on the CWEEL panel    Her current project is working with a university rebuilding the HVAC system and infrastructure to make it for resilient in the future.

Charles Gildehaus, Project Sales and Management, Water Management, Inc. Water Management, Inc. designs and implements water efficiency programs for multi-family housing, commercial, and hospitality sites.  We analyze buildings and utility bills to identify water saving opportunities.  Most water consuming mechanical systems can be adjusted or replaced in order to use less water.  Current projects in the metro area include plumbing fixture replacements, sub metering, and backflow protection.  Water Management is exhibiting at the Extravaganza for students to be aware that saving water lowers a building’s operating costs and conserves fresh water for all life.

Mike Makofsky, Northwest Regional Manager, Shannon Enterprises of Western NY. SHANNON Enterprises designs and manufactures reusable, Thermal and Acoustic engineered blankets.  These custom made blankets save energy, reduce sound of that mechanical area by 4-10 Dba, and reduces ambient room temperature by as much as 25°F. They are OSHA compliant by meeting required sound levels and employee safety.  His customers are anywhere there is a heating or steam distribution system.  His current project is providing thermal insulation blankets on piping and vessels in Baltimore Gas and Electric’s Leadenhall Road LNG plant.

Richard Brown, Regional Sales Manager, ThermaXX. ThermaXX is a manufacturer of removable insulation in commercial, federal government, medical and other buildings.  Removable insulation for ease of use and to conduct inspections in multiple routine maintenance areas of a building such as steam traps.   While exhibiting at the Extravaganza he’s looking for positive engagement and he’s looking for more exposure for Thermaxx. He enjoyed listening to the CWEEL Panel because there are more ways to get into sustainability besides engineering such as himself with a Business Finance Degree.  DC and NYC are the companies top regions.  Current project is with the US Air Force providing insulating jackets for the F15E model of plane.

Silvia Zinetti, President, Virginia Clean Energy. Virginia Clean Energy, a new nonprofit organization, main message is how Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) business model for cities, counties and municipalities can support university and businesses in achieving their environmental goals while stimulating local sustainable development.  The Extrvaganza event worked out really well since they were able to connect with several individuals and organizations.  They are also looking for a sponsoring partner or pro-bono help to produce a “Study on Legal and Regulatory Implications for the Establishment of a Community Choice Aggregation in Virginia”.  They are currently working on a project in partnership with AGU (the American Geophysical Union). More details at this link https://thrivingearthexchange.org/project/developing-a-feasibility-study-for-community-choice-aggregation-renewable-energy-options/.

Robert Kozak, President, Atlantic Biomass LLC. and Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director, Advanced Biofuels USA. Advanced BioFuels USA, established in 2008, is a non-profit educational organization.   Its purpose is to inform and educate the public about what biofuels are; mitigate climate change; try to change government policy to expand research, development and use of renewable fuels; and, finally, to increase advance biofuels use as a mainstream fuel.  Advanced biofuels are sustainable, renewable fuels including ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable jetfuel and others.  They are exhibiting at the Extravaganza because it’s important to talk to students that have an interest in the environment and to explain career opportunities that advance biofuel as such as future engineers, biologists, lawyers and leaders of all kinds.  Atlantic Biomass LLC is a company that developed enzymatic conversion processes with initial research at GWU. They are currently working on an Eastern Shore Energy Beets to Biofuel Program – the beets tailored for hot, humid conditions and use as a biofuel feedstock.  It’s a joint program with University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hood College and Maryland companies to bring economic opportunity to economically depressed and minority agricultural communities.

Brian Parent, Vice President, Sales, Aerospace and Power Generation, AFGlobal Applied Technologies. He connected with Janine of Leaders In Energy on LinkedIn in July 2018.  Brian and Ryan Zwicker are exhibiting at the Extravaganza to increase AFGlobal’s network with other energy consultants. Airem environmental solution incorporates a single-shaft industrial gas turbine that is a proven engine for mechanical, electrical power, and cogeneration applications while operating in extreme environments. The Airem technology takes the VOC-laden air stream from the manufacturing  process through the air inlet of the turbine, combusting the VOCs with supplemental fuel to provide a reliable and cost effective alternative to traditional technologies. This process results in the generation of electricity and thermal energy to be used by the facility, significantly offsetting operational costs and increasing profitability.  Airem technology is a combined air pollution control and cogeneration solution, which empowers states to comply with planning needed to reduce Ozone as determined by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Airem is compliant with the Clean Power Plan and reduces carbon emission footprint by approximately 60 percent. Brian and Ryan Zwicker are exhibiting at the Extravaganza to increase AFGlobal’s network with other energy consultants, initiate discussions and network with industry experts.

Lynn Abramson, President, Clean Energy Business Network. The Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN) was thrilled to participate in the Extravaganza for the second year. CEBN works to advance the clean energy economy through policy, public education, and business support for small- and medium-sized energy companies. The event plays a key role in advancing thoughtful dialogue and collaboration among sustainability leaders working across the business, government, and academic communities. Through the connections we have made at the Extravaganza, we look forward to educating consumers about the broad variety of clean energy and sustainability solutions available in the marketplace. Started in 2009 by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the CEBN is now a small business division of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. The CEBN represents 3,000+ business leaders across all 50 U.S. states working with a broad range of clean energy and transportation technologies. CEBN offers both free basic memberships and affordable premium memberships offering access to a range of business development, funding, and policy tracking tools. Learn more at www.cebn.org/join.

If you would like to contact any of our exhibitors, send a note to info@leadersinenergy.org and we will put you in touch with them!

Molly Medlin is a Leaders in Energy member and also recently joined Potential Energy DC, an incubator for clean energy startups in the DC region. A LEED Green Associate, she brings 20+ years of experience with innovative energy efficiencies in sustainable real estate projects in over 10 states.  She started her real estate ventures in Los Angeles while working for entertainment brands including Dreamworks Home Videos.  She began her career in sports marketing and traveled on the IndyCar racing circuit.