Speakers & Seminars

Kick-Off General Session
The Perfect Energy Storm—Coming Soon to a Building Near You
Anto Budiardjo, Clasma Events Inc.

Increasing energy costs, climate change, society's growing acceptance of sustainability, and shifting global economics are converging to change the way we think about energy. The days of cheap fossil fuels are numbered, soon to be replaced by new energy systems—smart, sustainable, clean, abundant, and economical energy systems that will power human conquest well into the 21st century. As one of the largest energy consumers, buildings need to adapt to this future reality. As the Internet democratized information from a small centralized system of sources into the blogosphere and Twitter-land of today, the Smart Grid will democratize energy from centrally generated power to … well, that remains to be seen. In this session, Anto Budiardjo, who has spent more than 15 years in the building-automation industry, the last five in the Smart Grid arena, will discuss the significant role buildings will play in the future energy system and the opportunities this will create for the HVACR industry.

Anto Budiardjo is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Clasma Events Inc., organizer of key conferences and events focused on the intersection of energy and information technology, including GridWeek and ConnectivityWeek. Recipient of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Building Technologies CEO of the Year award, he has held executive-level marketing and product-development positions with several controls companies. This rare combination of marketing and technology experience has allowed him to develop an energetic, visionary, and dynamic approach to business, one that has led to business opportunities throughout Europe, the Americas, and the Asia/Pacific region. He frequently speaks at industry events and is a contributing editor of AutomatedBuildings.com.

Lighting Retrofits: Beyond Kilowatt-Hours
Eric Utterson, PE, LEED AP, and Gerald J. Williams, PE, LEED AP, 8760 Engineering

Economic models traditionally utilized to analyze energy savings from lighting-retrofit projects focus primarily on the reduction of electrical lighting energy (kilowatt-hours). In truth, the true economic success of these projects is very much dependant on other factors, such as when energy is saved (reducing power peaks) and, more importantly, how lighting energy interacts with a building's HVAC system and fits into the total-energy picture. In this session, Eric Utterson, PE, LEED AP, and Gerald J. Williams, PE, LEED AP, specialists in the analysis and design of mechanical and electrical building systems, will provide examples of when lighting retrofits make sense and when energy savings alone fail to justify the expense. Further, they will discuss when to apply new lighting technologies in new-construction projects.

Eric Utterson, PE, LEED AP, is president of 8760 Engineering, a St. Louis-based firm providing innovative engineering analysis and design to achieve optimum building-system energy efficiency. He has 14 years of experience designing HVAC, plumbing, building-automation, and fire-protection systems, with an emphasis on the analysis of facilities to determine the best life-cycle-cost approach to mechanical and electrical systems.

Gerald J. Williams, PE, LEED AP, is senior vice president of 8760 Engineering, a St. Louis-based firm providing innovative engineering analysis and design to achieve optimum building-system energy efficiency. He has more than 36 years of experience in the design, analysis, and commissioning of HVAC systems. In addition to serving as a principal lecturer in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ Professional Development Seminar Series, he has been active in the training of National Environmental Balancing Bureau testing-and-balancing technicians and served as an affiliate professor of mechanical engineering for Washington University in St. Louis. He is a longtime member of HPAC Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Going Geothermal: Ball State University's Conversion to a Campuswide Geothermal System
Jeff Urlaub, PE, and Michael Luster, PE, LEED AP, MEP Associates LLC

In 2009, installation of the first campus-wide geothermal system began at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. When completed, it will be the largest geothermal-energy project in the United States, involving the heating and cooling of more than 40 buildings across 660 acres. At an estimated cost of $93 million, the system is expected to lower annual energy costs by $2 million and eliminate 80,000 tons of carbon emissions a year, cutting the campus’s carbon footprint in half. Currently, the replacement of four coal-fired boilers, the drilling of 3,600 400-ft-deep boreholes, and the installation of heat-pump chillers are under way. In this session, Jeff Urlaub, PE, and Michael Luster, PE, LEED AP, of MEP Associates, designer of the system, will discuss the complete transition of the central heating/cooling system to one utilizing geothermal fields and energy stations; the critical phases of analysis, planning, and design; and the potential for similar large-scale geothermal conversions.

Jeff Urlaub, PE, is president and chief executive officer of MEP Associates LLC, based in Eau Claire, Wis., with offices in Eden Prairie and Rochester, Minn., and Norman, Okla. With more than 16 years of professional experience, he is responsible for some of the firm’s most sophisticated and complex design projects, including the geothermal conversion at Ball State University. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and is a registered professional mechanical engineer in 20 states.

Michael Luster, PE, LEED AP, is a senior mechanical engineer with MEP Associates in Rochester, Minn., focused on the design of energy-efficient, sustainable systems. Currently, he is serving as project manager for the geothermal conversion at Ball State University. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University.

The Art and Science of Net-Zero-Energy Planning, Implementation, and Verification
Steve Melink, PE, Melink Corp.

The corporate headquarters of Melink Corp., provider of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy solutions for commercial and institutional buildings, in Cincinnati is the first building certified Platinum under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings rating system in Ohio and one of the first net-zero-energy buildings in the United States. In 2010, it was named International Renewable Energy Project of the Year by the Association of Energy Engineers. In this session, Steve Melink, the company’s founder, owner, and president, will discuss strategies and technologies to consider when planning a net-zero-energy building, how to ensure an organization's culture will sustain a long-term commitment to net-zero energy, how to financially justify net-zero energy beyond energy savings and simple payback, and how to verify net-zero energy after a building's design and construction.

Steve Melink, PE, is founder, owner, and president of Melink Corp., provider of building-commissioning services, energy-saving kitchen-ventilation controls, and solar-photovoltaic systems for commercial and institutional buildings. Customers include national restaurant, retail, supermarket, and hotel chains, as well as schools, hospitals, and federal, state, and local governments. He is a member of the boards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Cincinnati chapter and Green Energy Ohio and a member of the Association of Energy Engineers, the Greater Cincinnati Green Council, the Ohio Green Pathways Council, Ohio Advanced Energy, and the U.S. Clean Economy Network. In addition to “walking the talk” at his home and business, he has actively promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy at the local, state, and national levels. He believes energy is the core of some of the most pressing challenges in the United States, including economic growth, national security, and environmental health.

Identifying, Prioritizing, and Implementing Energy- and Maintenance-Cost-Saving Measures in Commercial and Industrial Facilities
Gary W. Wamsley, PE, CEM, JoGar Energy Services

Whether your commercial or industrial facility’s energy costs are $5,000, $10,000, or even $100,000 a month, this session can benefit you. Veteran plant operator and manager Gary W. Wamsley, PE, CEM, who has reviewed energy and utility systems in facilities of all types and sizes around the world, will show you how to identify, prioritize, and implement projects that can produce annual energy- and maintenance-cost savings of 10 percent or more. Measures proven successful in facilities similar to yours will be presented, and benchmarking concepts will be discussed. Further, you will learn how to identify major energy-using equipment in your facility, determine if the equipment is being operated effectively, and achieve savings quickly. The concepts and ideas presented could pay for the time and effort spent to learn them several times over.

The president of Alpharetta, Ga.-based JoGar Energy Services, provider of on-site technical reviews, inspection services, and training seminars, Gary W. Wamsley, PE, CEM, has more than 40 years of plant-operation and management experience in the tire, aerospace, and paper industries. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University and is a member of ASME, the American Institute of Plant Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Association of Energy Engineers, and HPAC Engineering’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Thermal-Energy Storage: A Vital Component of a Low-Carbon Future
Paul Valenta, LEED AP, CALMAC

Once a trend, high-performance buildings are the new standard in commercial building. The next stage in this evolution will be government mandates. At the city, state, and national levels, progressive changes are being made to commercial-building requirements. Owners savvy enough to preemptively adopt new building practices will come out ahead of the pack. In the case of thermal-energy storage, by which energy generated at night is captured and used during daytime peak-demand hours, cooling-cost savings can be as much as 40 percent, with significant reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. In this session, Paul Valenta, LEED AP, of thermal-energy-storage designer and manufacturer CALMAC will discuss how energy storage works, applications of energy storage, and how energy storage can help building owners reduce energy costs and peak load, earn points under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green-building certification system, and qualify for tax deductions.

As national sales manager for CALMAC, designer and manufacturer of thermal-energy-storage products, Paul Valenta, LEED AP, is responsible for marketing and sales of IceBank energy-storage systems in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. A 24-year veteran of the HVAC industry, he is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the Association of Energy Engineers. He has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska.

Buildings to Grid: Converting Buildings to Virtual Power Plants
Anto Budiardjo, Clasma Events Inc.

As power generation moves from fossil to more variable renewable sources, demand-side management will be required to maintain the critical balance so important to the electric grid. Commercial buildings are an ideal virtual resource for shedding load when capacity is strained. Modern building automation systems (BAS) are critical to enabling demand management in conjunction with real-time connectivity to the Smart Grid. In this session, Anto Budiardjo, who has spent more than 15 years in the BAS industry, the last five in the Smart Grid arena, will discuss the unprecedented opportunity to turn buildings into virtual power plants—ones that shed load in response to economic and capacity signals from the grid—lying before the buildings industry over the next decade.

Anto Budiardjo is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Clasma Events Inc., organizer of key conferences and events focused on the intersection of energy and information technology, including GridWeek and ConnectivityWeek. Recipient of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Building Technologies CEO of the Year award, he has held executive-level marketing and product-development positions with several controls companies. This rare combination of marketing and technology experience has allowed him to develop an energetic, visionary, and dynamic approach to business, one that has led to business opportunities throughout Europe, the Americas, and the Asia/Pacific region. He frequently speaks at industry events and is a contributing editor of AutomatedBuildings.com.