When it comes to energy efficiency, knowledge is power – especially with increasing regulations regarding carbon emissions and other climate challenges. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is rapidly becoming a key consideration for investors during the due diligence period as well as when evaluating portfolios. ENERGY STAR Certification for buildings, LEED, GRESB, Fitwel, WELL among other certifications, can help new and existing buildings reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy and waste, conserve water, prioritize safer materials, reduce and reuse, lower exposure to toxins and protect the built environment for human benefit. The “Alphabet Soup” of ESG will be covered, along with Energy benchmarking. 

Energy benchmarking, the process of assessing where your building’s energy efficiency falls in line with other buildings of similar size and purpose, gives property owners the ability to make improvements where necessary, find ways to reduce waste and costs, and improve overall property value. Energy benchmarking using the EPA’s Portfolio Manager and monitoring can help to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Additionally, a short overview of energy ordinance compliance will be covered.

Speaker Introductions

Alison Petersen - President and Co-Founder of Blue Ocean Energy, a commercial real estate and building industries energy and sustainability consultancy firm. Alison is a Certified Energy Auditor (CEA®) a professional certification earned from the Association of Energy Engineers and LEED Green Associate a credential signifying core competency in green building principles. With a background in Real Estate, Alison is a certified Texas Realtor® with a Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) credential. Alison holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin and M.B.A. from The University of Houston. Blue Ocean is designated by the State of Texas as a Historically-Underutilized Business (HUB) and the City of Austin’s Woman-Owned Business Enterprise.

Jennifer Carter – Director of Sustainability for Blue Ocean Energy, is a registered commercial Interior Designer and LEED Green Associate with 26 years of experience leading clients, teams, and projects of all types to success. She has a broad overview of how buildings operate and brings sustainability strategy and project management services to the Blue Ocean team. She shares a passion for helping organizations with their sustainability goals.

Jessica Galloway - Jessica is the Project Manager for the City of Austin’s Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure Ordinance (ECAD), the first municipal ordinance in the country requiring energy audits and/or energy benchmarking in the Residential, Multifamily, and Commercial sectors. Jessica has been with Austin Energy since 2008. Prior to taking on the ECAD Project Manager position, she was an AE Green Building Senior Green Building and Sustainability Consultant. Besides having over 11 years in building science, Jessica’s previous career focused on urban, environmental, and transportation planning. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Planning from the College of Architecture at Arizona State University, as well as an Associate’s in Architecture and an MBA. Her career at Austin Energy allows her to pursue her personal mission of saving the planet one building at a time.