Multifamily Buildings 2011: The Energy Efficiency Edge Brings Together Leading Minds in Energy Efficiency, Durability and Sustainability

Multifamily Buildings 2011: The Energy Efficiency Edge, presented by the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA), will bring together leaders in the industry for a unique event focusing on the programs, processes and technology that deliver energy efficiency to multifamily housing.

Chicago, IL, August 05, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Held in Chicago, IL, August 8 – 10, 2011, the conference will play host to policy-makers, program designers and implementers, as well as building owners and operators, design and building performance professionals, weatherization agencies, contractors, and diverse energy experts as they discuss the challenges and opportunities facing an industry devoted to making multifamily buildings across North America energy efficient, durable, healthy and sustainable.

The Multifamily Buildings conference features interactive workshops, panels and technical presentations. Topics include assessment and retrofits of existing buildings and systems, management of building energy use, high performance building design and renewable energy. Industry standards, training and financing will also be discussed. A town hall meeting will address current hot topics in the industry.

“Chicago is proud to host this key national meeting on energy efficiency in multifamily housing,” said Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago, who will be a keynote speaker at the event on August 8. “Key players in public, private market and utility energy-efficiency programs in the Chicago area and the Midwest are involved in the program—and holding it here means that more building performance and weatherization professionals from Illinois and neighboring states will be able to attend, contribute, and learn from peers and thought leaders in this growing industry.”

Fully 25% of all US homes and 60% of the nation’s rental stock are situated in multi-unit properties. Residential buildings consume 21% of the nation’s energy and are responsible for an equivalent percentage of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Multifamily buildings are ripe for the types of energy savings that can significantly cut building operating costs while they clean the air and improve public health,” said David Hepinstall, Executive Director of AEA, noting that an increasing number of state and local governments are adopting energy-efficiency portfolio standards and greener building codes.

“Energy efficiency is the wave of the future,” Hepinstall said. “And this conference offers unmatched opportunities to explore the ideas, technologies and best practices that will soon make energy-efficient multifamily buildings the norm, rather than the exception in this country.”

According to Hepinstall, the conference will also seek the most effective ways to utilize the organizational, technical and training infrastructure developed under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to achieve ongoing economic, environmental and health benefits in the years to come.

The conference provides a forum for leaders and practitioners who will play active roles in making the conference an exceptional platform for information-sharing and innovation to advance the policies, strategies, and practices that make multifamily buildings energy efficient, durable and safe, extending the benefits of energy efficiency throughout the multifamily building market.

This year’s conference involves over 100 presenters in more than 60 sessions. Attendance at each of the past two conferences in the series has been over 500 professionals. In addition to Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer of the City of Chicago, featured speakers include:
· Robert C. Adams, the head of the Weatherization Assistance Program for the US Department of Energy
· Wayne Waite, Manager of Field Energy and Climate Operations, US Department of Housing and Urban Development
· David Diestel, Senior Vice President of Operations for First Service Residential Management, North America’s leading provider of residential property management

The conference is underwritten by the US Department of Energy’s Building America program, by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA), and other organizations working in multifamily energy efficiency, including Chicago’s CNT Energy.

“AEA’s Multifamily Buildings conference targets key issues of concern to all of us who work in multifamily energy efficiency,” said John Hamilton, Weatherization Director of CEDA, the local host sponsor of this year’s event. “We’re pleased to have helped to make it possible to hold the conference in Chicago this year.”

For a full list of speakers and presenters and additional information about the conference, or to register, please visit the conference website: www.aeanyc.org/mfb2011. Members of the media are encouraged to attend the event, located at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile August 8 – 10, 2011. To request press credentials, please email singlis@motumb2b.com.

About the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA)
With offices in New York and California, AEA is a leading provider of energy technical services and training, including energy audits, modeling, work scope and specification development, energy usage monitoring, construction management and quality assurance. Since the early 1990s, AEA has been implementer of weatherization and utility energy-efficiency programs, and a technical services contractor for weatherization and a variety of research and development projects in the field. AEA serves all types of residential properties, but specializes in delivering energy efficiency to multifamily properties, including affordable housing. AEA has long been recognized as one of the foremost advocates for energy efficiency in multifamily housing across the United States.

AEA’s Energy Management Training Center offers over 50 courses for building performance professionals, technical and program staff, installation contractors, weatherization workers, and green job seekers. Many of these courses prepare trainees for key industry certifications from groups such as the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA). Using high-definition, interactive distance learning technology, AEA is extending the reach of its training through collaborative arrangements with partners across the US.

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Association for Energy Affordability
Stephanie Inglis
718.292.6733
www.aeanyc.org
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