SFCC – Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)

3rd Annual Next Generation Water Summit Workshops Announced

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 5^th and continue after the Summit through June 25^th.

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 7^th and June 10^th, 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 5^th through the 7^th, 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 5^th and 6^th, 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 24^th and 25^th, 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 11^th.

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 17^th – 21^st.

“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.

Next Generation Water Summit Workshops Offered at Santa Fe Community College

March 1, 2018November 8, 2018 Mike Collignon 2018 Next Generation Water Summit 2018, Alliance for Water Efficiency, April, ARCSA, City of Santa Fe, Green Builder Coalition, Green Builder Media, Green Chamber of Commerce, May, New Mexico, Next Generation Water Summit, Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe Convention Center, SFCC, training, WERS

Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) announced its partnership with the 2018 Next Generation Water Summit. As the education partner for the Summit, SFCC will host several water education workshops before and after the Summit, scheduled April 29 through May 1 at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

The workshops include: Greywater Basics, Rainwater Accredited Professional (ARCSA AP) Class, Water Efficiency Rating Score and Commercial Water Auditing, among others. This is the first time several of these courses will be presented in New Mexico and are open to professionals and students. All courses will be held at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave. For detailed information about the courses and to register, visit: https://www.energysmartacademy.com/water.html or call 505-428-1866. Information about the 2018 Next Generation Water Summit can be found at: www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.

“It’s a privilege to partner with the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce, Green Builder® Coalition, the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association and the City of Santa Fe by serving as the education partner for the Summit,” said Interim President Cecilia Y.M. Cervantes, Ph.D. “We are excited to offer these valuable and innovative water workshops, which complement the college’s already strong technology and building science offerings.”

The Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® Verifier course, April 25 through 27, provides in-depth and practical experience in performing residential water assessments for new and existing homes. This class is required to become a WERS Verifier. The WERS Consultant course, April 25 and 26, is also being offered and plumbers, builders, irrigation professionals and water reuse professionals are eligible to attend this professional designation course.
Greywater Basics, April 26 and 27, will cover how to build and maintain a Greywater system and includes a field trip to view working systems.
The Rainwater Accredited Professional (ARCSA AP) Class, May 2 and 3, is an in-depth rainwater harvesting workshop required for those seeking a better understanding of rainwater catchment systems. The course tuition includes an ARCSA Rain Harvesting Planning Manual.
Commercial Water Auditing, May 2 and 3, will cover the basics of performing a commercial water audit for many type of facilities. A sample audit will be performed as part of the class.

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 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 Santa Fe Community College

For more than 30 years, Santa Fe Community College has been the gateway to success for individuals and the community by providing affordable, high quality educational programs that serve the social, cultural, technological and economic needs of a diverse community. SFCC is designated a ”Best for Vets” and a “2015 Military Friendly” school. The college serves more than 15,000 students per year in its credit, noncredit and adult programs. For further information, visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000. Follow us: SFCC on Facebook, SFCC on Twitter, SFCC on LinkedIn.

Next Generation Water Summit Schedule Released

May 4, 2017November 8, 2018 Mike Collignon 2017 Next Generation Water Summit $299, City of Santa Fe, Ed Mazria, Green Builder Coalition, Green Builder Media, Green Chamber of Commerce, June, Mary Ann Dickinson, Next Generation Water Summit, Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association, Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe Convention Center, SFCC, Vulcan

The session schedule for the Next Generation Water Summit is now available, and it covers a broad range of subjects. Attendees can choose from three educational tracks: Builders, Developers & Architects; Water Professionals; and Policy. Topics will include rainwater, greywater, blackwater, stormwater, water rights, irrigation, water efficiency, building codes, land use and leak detection. The presenters herald from 6 states, and CEUs are available for all sessions. In addition, Ed Mazria will deliver the keynote on Monday morning, with Mary Ann Dickinson starting the discussion of solutions on Tuesday morning.

To view the entire schedule, please click here. To learn more about the presenters, please visit the presenter page. Finally, if you’re looking for even more learning opportunities, Santa Fe Community College will be hosting 3 Pre-Summit courses.

The Next Generation Water Summit will take place June 4-6, 2017 at the Santa Fe Convention Center in Santa Fe, NM. Attendees can register today to attend the Summit for just $299. This will allow admittance to both keynote speakers, any educational session, and breakfast & lunch on Monday and Tuesday. Just as important, attendees will be able to network with a broad spectrum of stakeholders while working towards solutions for their respective challenges.

Hosts of the event are the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce (lead host), Green Builder® Coalition, City of Santa Fe, 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. Vulcan, Inc. is a Sustaining Sponsor.

First WERS Class Sold Out

March 3, 2016May 30, 2016 Mike Collignon Uncategorized efficiency, Florida, Georgia, Green Builder Coalition, New Mexico, Santa Fe, SFCC, training, water, WERS

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.