Green Building Program

Future Proofing and Preparing for the Electric Utility of the Future:
Carbon Neutrality and Energy Efficiency in the Buildings We Live and Work In

Since electric lights first appeared in buildings, the electrical grid and buildings have had an important relationship. To date, the relationship has been one-sided - the grid provides electricity and buildings have been passive consumers. However, new technologies and efforts to reduce energy costs and the environmental impacts of electricity generated from fossil fuel are rapidly transforming how buildings interact with the electrical grid. Additional drivers in this transformation include technological advancements and falling prices in renewable energy technology, battery storage, sensors and controls, remote access technologies, and building management systems.

While renewable energy reduces the need to produce energy from dirty sources, energy efficiency provides multiple benefits including - 1) reducing energy demand, 2) making renewable energy more affordable by optimizing size of rooftop solar and 3) reducing the need to build more electric power plants. Energy efficiency is among the most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions, making it a part of fighting climate change. Hear about the role you can play in this transformation to reduce environmental impacts and improve the prospects for a bright future with the buildings we live and work in.

Speaker: Jeff Grout, Senior Energy Consultant
Jeff Grout is a Senior Energy Consultant and Project Manager who has been working on Energy Efficiency projects with large Commercial and Industrial customers in Arizona for over 10 years. His experience includes many Energy Efficiency projects, energy audits and working on Demand Response and Demand Side Management programs with major utilities from coast to coast.

Jeff has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of Massachusetts. He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), certified Project Manager Professional (PMP), Certified Demand Side Manager (CDSM) and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. As an active participant in the clean energy revolution, Jeff’s current dream is to see Arizona become the solar power leader that it is destined to be.