Danfoss Symposium Emphasizes Education, Communication

The sixth Danfoss EnVisioneering Symposium — “Breaking Through: Creating an Informed Energy Efficiency Technology Marketplace” — was held recently at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. Key topics included energy education, knowledge, and communication as a way to address global energy challenges.
Close to 25 energy stakeholders attended the all-day event, the final one hosted this year by Danfoss.
The symposium featured six speakers whose organizations have recognized the seriousness and urgency of the global energy situation, and are making strides to improve their education, knowledge, and communication of key energy issues.
Dennis Moran, eastern region director of energy for Marriott, Inc., said one of the challenges facing Marriott is a “limited understanding of the energy issues and technologies among decision-makers and staff,” including building owners.
Glenn Barrett, director of energy management for Supervalu Inc., which manages 1,300 grocery facilities nationwide, noted that cold storage facilities and supermarkets use about 7% of the electricity generated in the U.S. Barrett said he hopes to increase the energy efficiency of Supervalu stores and distribution centers.
Karen Penafiel, vice president for advocacy with Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, highlighted two BOMA programs that have had recent success. The BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP) provides building owners with tips on reducing energy costs, while the Green Lease Guide gives building tenants guidelines for saving energy and being environmentally responsible. Those guidelines are part of a standard lease agreement, Penafiel noted.
John Galyen, president of Danfoss Refrigeration Air-Conditioning North America, reviewed the highlights of the five previous symposia, and emphasized that stakeholders still have a lot of work to do.
“The global energy situation is a complex and high-profile issue,” Galyen said. “For many players, the level of information and clear understanding is still in its infancy. But I strongly believe we’re making progress. We’re putting the larger, global issues on the table, opening dialogues that were previously closed, discussing solutions, and beginning to measure outcomes.”
Danfoss plans to continue the EnVisioneering Symposia Series in 2008, emphasizing regional micro-symposia with topics that are even more relevant to target audiences. Details about the 2008 program will be announced soon.
Visit www.envisioneering.danfoss.com/symposium for additional information.