Tag: Santa Fe

WERS Allowed in Austin Energy’s Green Building Program

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Austin Energy Green Building Logo

On May 11, Austin Energy announced updates to their esteemed green building program. Included in those revisions was the inclusion of WERS as a points-earning option within the water chapter of the single-family guidebook.

Section 5 requires WaterSense for Homes certification and is worth 3 points. Through Austin Energy, WERS is one of the approved methods for showing compliance to the EPA’s program. Of course, by its very nature, WERS would also demonstrate compliance with the other sections of Austin Energy’s Green Building program’s water chapter.

“It’s truly an honor to have WERS approved by the longest-running green building program in the United States, but all the credit goes to Austin Energy, under the leadership of Heidi Kasper,” said Executive Director Mike Collignon. “Similar to the state of Vermont, they learned about WERS and added it to their green building program completely of their own volition. I think that further demonstrates the growing market awareness and adoption of the WERS Program.”

The new standards will go into effect for projects submitted on or after Monday, June 22, 2020.

While the Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® is currently only cited in the single-family guidebook, the hope is that it will be added to the multifamily guidebook in the next round of revisions. “In looking at the multifamily guidebook, it seems to me that WERS fits seamlessly into there,” stated Collignon.

WERS is now allowed in two municipal building codes (Santa Fe, NM and Santa Barbara, CA), cited in a New Mexico state-level tax credit, is the basis for the WRI in the 2020 National Green Building Standard and is on track to be incorporated as a compliance path in Built Green Canada, the Vermont energy code and WaterSense for Homes 2.0.

Dr. James White to Keynote at Next Generation Water Summit

Mike Collignon 2019 Next Generation Water Summit , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dr. James White, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder will address the Next Generation Water Summit on June 12th in Santa Fe, NM. Dr. White’s keynote address, “Climate Change – The Tipping Point and the Economic Impact”, will begin at 8:15am in the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

Dr. James White
Dr. James White

Dr. White started the INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab in 1989. In recent years, his ice core research has helped to show that large climate changes tend to occur in the natural system as abrupt and rapid shifts in mode probably driven by internal adjustments in the Earth climate system, rather than slow and gradual adjustments to changing external conditions, such as the amount of energy received from the sun. He has been described as a generous mentor, gifted teacher and a serious man of science who leavens his lectures with humor, promotes discussion and listens as well as enlightens.

Climate change is going to impact our water supply, both the demand side and the supply side of the equation.  “A changing climate presents a host of problems for us as we seek to create a sustainable society for the future. We need to not only know what lies ahead, but how fast that new reality will come at us, and continually ask ourselves if we are adequately prepared to face the challenges”, stated Dr. White.

Other keynote speakers include: Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) will give the address on June 13th and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), a long-time advocate for New Mexico’s acequias and traditional lands, will give the keynote address on June 14th.

Over the 3 days of the Summit, 50+ sessions will be held.  A few of these include: “Forest Restoration—How to Pay for It” by Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, Dean of the School of Sustainability, University of Michigan; “WaterSense 2.0 and Water Rating Systems” by Jonah Schein of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); “Permitting Sustainability” by Art Ludwig, founder of Oasis Designs; “Colorado River Basin States Water Efficiency Scorecard” by Mary Ann Dickinson of the Alliance of Water Efficiency; “Latest in Irrigation Technology” by Brent Mecham of the Irrigation Association; and “Irrigation Water Budgets: A Comparative Review” by Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire, department head, New Mexico State University.

Next Generation Water Summit logo
Next Generation Water Summit logo

Additionally, there will be 7 water certification courses held pre- and post-Summit and 4 technical workshops during the Summit. To see the full lineup of speakers, workshops and to register visit: www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit will be the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; the Alliance for Water Efficiency, KUELWater, and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Major sponsors include the Turner Foundation and Phyn. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.

About the Next Generation Water Summit
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.

3rd Annual Next Generation Water Summit Workshops Announced

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The Next Generation Water Summit is pleased to announce a very broad range of pre-and post-Summit water workshops. Several of the workshops will start prior to the Summit on June 5th and continue after the Summit through June 25th.

The workshops include: Greywater Basics, Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® Verifier and Consultant training, Commercial Water Auditor Training, Hotel Water Audits, QWEL Landscape training, and several others. This is the first time several of these courses will be presented in New Mexico and are open to professionals and students.

The Commercial Restaurant Water Auditor class, held June 7th and June 10th, is the first of its kind anywhere in the country. This class is being taught by Bill Hoffman, and those who attend and successfully pass the test will become a Commercial Restaurant Water Auditor. The City of Santa Fe Water Conservation Office will assist in the recruitment of restaurants to be audited and will use the auditors that successfully complete this workshop. A test and a sample audit will be performed as part of the class.

“The Summit always represents an educational opportunity for those interested in a water career,” stated Christine Chavez, Manager of the Water Conservation Office for the City of Santa Fe. “This year we are especially excited to see the rollout of our Commercial Restaurant Audit Program. Saving water is always important in Santa Fe, and this class expands our conservation programs into the commercial restaurant sector. We will support this program with rebates and promotions to hopefully audit over 200 restaurants during the next 12-18 months,” she concluded.

The Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® Verifier course, occurring June 5th through the 7th, provides in-depth and practical experience in performing residential water assessments for new and existing residential properties. This class is required to become a WERS Verifier. The WERS Consultant course, held concurrently on June 5th and 6th, is also being offered and plumbers, builders, irrigation professionals and water reuse professionals are eligible to attend this professional designation course.

Greywater Basics, scheduled for June 24th and 25th, will cover how to build and maintain a Greywater system and includes a field trip to view a working system. This course is intended for both plumbers and homeowners.

The Hotel Audit class will also be instructed by Bill Hoffman and will follow the Restaurant Audit class. It will focus on appliances and water-features not included in the restaurant workshop (e.g. cooling towers, laundry facilities, swimming pools and spas, etc.). This class will be held June 11th.

The Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) professional certification provides landscape professionals and others education on local water supply, sustainable landscaping, soils, landscape water budgets, irrigation system components and maintenance, irrigation system audits, and scheduling and controller programming. An audit and an exam is included in this class. This class is scheduled for June 17th – 21st.

“Water workshops and water certification courses are part of the Next Generation Water Summit every year, and this year we have the broadest array of workshops we have ever had,” stated Doug Pushard, co-chair of this year’s Summit. The ability to earn valuable Continuing Education Credits or new water certifications is an important part of the mission of the NGWS.

Detailed information about these workshops can be found at: www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the Southwest.

Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit are the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, Green Builder® Coalition, City of Santa Fe, the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.

“Careers in Water” Track to Debut at 2019 Next Generation Water Summit

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The Next Generation Water Summit always looks to provide innovative content, and 2019 is no exception. The final day of the Summit will feature a “Careers in Water” track aimed at students preparing to embark on their careers, as well as others who might be seeking a career change. The Summit will take place June 12-14 in Santa Fe, NM.

Mary Ann Dickinson will help kick off the day by participating in a panel discussing leadership roles in the water industry. “I’m thrilled to present once again at the Next Generation Water Summit,” exclaimed Dickinson. “This intimate event on sustainable water provides a great balance between deep-dive sessions and networking.”

Friday’s career track will also feature sessions on various facets of the water industry that are applicable to projects big and small, including water certifications, alternative water, irrigation and landscape. “We’re really excited to offer content that is relevant to today’s students, but we also hope they take the opportunity to network with some of the most prominent leaders in the industry,” said Doug Pushard, co-Chair, 2019 NGWS and co-founder of KUELWater.

Back by popular demand, the Summit will host one charrette for a limited number of attendees. It will take an in-depth look into the most effective and innovative water efficiency programs in the West. The Summit’s agenda also features renowned presenters, such as:

  • Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, Nobel Prize-winning author
  • Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources at San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
  • Dr. Nirit Bernstein, Institute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences from the Israeli Volcani Center

They are scheduled to present on a diverse range of topics, from forest restoration to commercial water sharing to water reuse in Israel.

The Summit is a unique water and water reuse event that will feature builders presenting on Net Zero Water Houses and Near Net Zero Water houses. These Southwestern builders will host a design workshop for builders, contractors, home owners or architects that need assistance in designing net zero water dwellings.

Prospective attendees will not want to delay registering for this outstanding event, as capacity is limited. Early bird registration is available now through March 22 at the special rate of $249, so people are encouraged to register now.

For more information on the Summit, please visit www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit will be the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; the Alliance for Water Efficiency, KUELWater, and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.

About the Next Generation Water Summit
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.

3rd Annual Next Generation Water Summit Early Registration is Open

Mike Collignon 2019 Next Generation Water Summit , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Early bird registration is open for the 3rd Annual Next Generation Water Summit (NGWS) to be held on June 12th – 14th, 2019 in Santa Fe, NM.

Next Generation Water Summit logo
Next Generation Water Summit logo

A few of the exciting topics that are scheduled include:

  • “Utilization of Marginal Water” by Dr. Bernstein of the Israeli Institute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences
  • “Emerging Viruses and Bacteria due to Rising Temperatures” by Dr. Nichols, formerly of the CDC
  • “How Building Codes Save Water” by Hope Medina
  • “Irrigation Water Budgets – A Comparative Review” by Dr. St Hilaire
  • “Water Reuse Trends” by Kyle Pickett, Co-founder & COO of Urban Fabrick, Inc.

As in prior years, the Summit will be preceded by several technical training courses that offer advanced water certifications for attendees. Workshops that will be held before and during the Summit include:

  • Commercial Water Audit Verifier Training
  • Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® Verifier and Consultant Training
  • Greywater System Design

The Summit is a unique water and water reuse event that will feature builders presenting on Net Zero Water Houses and Near Net Zero Water houses.  These Southwestern builders will host a design workshop for builders, contractors, home owners or architects that need assistance in designing net zero water dwellings.

Prospective attendees will not want to delay registering for this rare opportunity, as seats are limited. Early bird registration is available now through January 15 at the special rate of $200.

For more information on the Summit, please visit www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit will be the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; the Alliance for Water Efficiency, KUELwater, and the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association.

About the Next Generation Water Summit
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.

Sen. Udall to Keynote “Solutions Day” at Next Generation Water Summit

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U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) will address the Next Generation Water Summit on May 1st in Santa Fe, NM.  His keynote address will begin at 8:15 am at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

Senator UdallSenator Udall began serving as U.S. Senator from New Mexico in 2009, after two decades of public service as U.S. Representative and State Attorney General. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he wrote and passed legislation to establish a national renewable electricity standard, which spurred the creation of good jobs, reinvigorated the economy, and reduced global warming emissions.

Energy has been a priority of Udall’s career in Washington, with water becoming more and more important due to population growth and changing climate patterns in the Southwest. “In New Mexico, we know that water is life – and we know that we don’t have water to waste. I’m grateful for the essential work being done across our state to encourage conservation and innovation, and Santa Fe is the perfect place to bring together stakeholders to chart a more sustainable path forward at the Next Generation Water Summit. Together, we can find solutions to secure New Mexico’s water future, as well as the rest of the West,” Senator Udall recently stated.

The Summit is being held April 29 – May 1, 2018. This unique water and water reuse event will feature builders presenting on Net Zero Water Houses and Near Net Zero Water houses. These Southwestern builders will also address both how and why reducing water consumption is the right thing to do to sustain the homebuilding industry in the Southwest. Finally, water professionals from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Utah will discuss and collaborate on distinctive conservation and reuse initiatives within their states.

A limited number of attendees will also be able to register for one of two charrettes. The charrettes are a new feature at this year’s Summit, with only 80 total slots available. The professionally moderated, half-day charrettes will take place on Tuesday, May 1. White papers will be produced and distributed to all Summit attendees, not just those who participate in the charrettes. Prospective attendees will not want to delay registering for this rare opportunity. Early bird registration expires on March 22. For more information on the rest of the Summit, please visit www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit include the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, Green Builder® Coalition, City of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association, and The Alliance for Water Efficiency. Major sponsors include Vulcan, a Paul G. Allen Company; and Uponor. Santa Fe Community College is the official education sponsor, and Green Builder® Media is the national media partner.

The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.

WERS Educational Sessions at Industry Conferences

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Here is the list of upcoming WERS educational sessions:

  • Getting to Zero National Forum – 4:00pm on April 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, PA
  • 2018 Home Performance Coalition National Conference
    • Energy Codes from 2009 to 2018: A Multi-State Look at Compliance Verification Service Opportunities – 10:30am on April 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA
    • Water Ratings in Santa Fe: A Look Back at Year 1 – 1:30pm on April 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA
  • Next Generation Water Summit
    • WERS: Train the Trainer – 9:00am on April 29, 2018 in Santa Fe, NM
    • WERS Workshop for Builders, Developers and Designers – 3:00pm on April 29, 2018 in Santa Fe, NM
  • American Water Works Association Annual Conference & Expo (ACE) – 8:30am on June 13, 2018 in Las Vegas, NV

WERS Educational Sessions at Industry Conferences

Mike Collignon Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here is the list of upcoming WERS conference sessions:

  • 2017 National Home Performance Conference (formerly known as ACI) – 10:30am and 3:30pm on March 20, 2017 in Nashville, TN
  • WaterCon 2017 – 2:30pm on March 22, 2017 in Springfield, IL
  • NMWCA – 12:00pm on April 13, 2017 in Santa Fe, NM

First WERS Class Sold Out

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SFCC logo

March 3, 2016 – Santa Fe Community College’s EnergySmart Academy has announced that the inaugural WERS training course, scheduled for March 8-10, has reached capacity. In fact, there are currently two students on the waitlist. Seeing this demand, SFCC anticipates another WERS training course later in 2016.

“Santa Fe Community College is delighted that our first WERS class has had so much interest, not just from Santa Fe but around the state and nation,” said Amanda Hatherly, Director of the EnergySmart Academy.

“We figured interest in the WERS class would be strong in New Mexico, where WERS is cited in the compliance rules for the state’s extremely popular sustainable building tax credit,” said Mike Collignon, Executive Director of the Green Builder® Coalition. “Interestingly, one-third of the class attendees are from outside the state.”

Discussions are already underway to hold WERS training courses in Florida, Georgia and Illinois. “We believe there is a pent-up demand for water efficiency across the country, but it’s hard to know where to start if there are no benchmarks”, Collignon added. “The WERS program provides a snapshot of where we are, so we can better formulate a path to increased water efficiency.”

In addition to a soon-to-be-released online course component offered by SFCC, The Coalition will continue to work with SFCC and other educational partners to expand the number of in-person training opportunities across the United States. To request more information on an in-person course at SFCC, please contact Amanda Hatherly at 505-428-1805 or Amanda.hatherly@sfcc.edu.

About EnergySmart Academy
The EnergySmart Academy at Santa Fe Community College is a nationally recognized training center specializing in energy efficiency, green building and sustainable technology trainings. As well as offering Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) accredited clean energy programs, Building Performance Institute (BPI) and RESNET trainings, staff have been involved in the development of the WERS protocol and now are offering the first WERS training courses in the country. For more, visit www.sfcc.edu/nm_energysmart_academy.

WERS Program Helps Homebuilder Save Thousands on Building Permit Fees

Mike Collignon Uncategorized , , , ,
WERS logo

December 17, 2015 – When homebuilder Bill Roth of Modern Design + Construction, Inc. recently submitted a building permit application, he had to declare how much water his latest project would use. This is part of an alternative “Plan B” permitting process for homebuilders in Santa Fe, NM.  Under this plan, homeowners can commit to using less water annually than the average home, in trade for a lower permit fee based on their reduced water consumption.  Accurately demonstrating the projected water use of a new home in your permit application has been a challenge… until now. This time, Roth had something new that enabled his application to get accepted in the blink of an eye, while saving his client approximately $2,000.

The Water Efficiency Rating Score, or WERS (www.wers.us), is a predictive, performance-based approach to residential water efficiency and water resource management. The WERS is the culmination of calculations that consider the loading from principal plumbing fixtures, clothes washers, structural waste, and outdoor water management. Potential rainwater and greywater catchment are also calculated. Applicable for both new and existing single-family and multifamily residential properties, it uses a scoring scale of zero to 100, with zero being the most desirable and 100 representing the baseline home.

Using the WERS program, Roth had his house plans analyzed by David Dunlap of Tierra Concepts. The preliminary report included everything Roth needed for his permit application.  According to Dunlap, “Having an analytical model like WERS, to clearly show the predicted water consumption for a new home, makes compliance with the city Plan B water program simple for everyone. This building permit application, using the WERS report, marks a huge step forward in water conservation efforts.”

All exterior water usage will be supplied through the use of reclaimed water. According to Roth, those systems will cost around $6,000. By leveraging the WERS program to prove he would not need potable water for the exterior, he was able to secure a significantly lower tap fee. “It was the equivalent of a 30% rebate. In Santa Fe, real savings can be had immediately,” said Roth.

“This project represents the first use of the WERS program in the market. Certification won’t occur until the project is completed, but this represents a significant moment for residential water efficiency”, said Mike Collignon, Executive Director of the Green Builder® Coalition. “The financial savings achieved by this project are eye-catching and just another reason for homeowners to make water efficient choices.”