Training Overview:
Learn the ins and outs of making indoor agriculture projects energy efficient through this information-packed, interactive workshop series designed exclusively for MEP engineers. Get tips on supporting your cultivation customers with the best resources on reducing expenses and improving plant quality. Engage directly with the experts who are designing and servicing the most efficient warehouse and greenhouse cultivation projects in the country.
Retrofitting existing buildings for cultivation facilities: energy sources and fuel mixes
Dehumidification, cooling, and energy recovery approaches in new and existing HVACD systems and energy efficiency opportunities
Automation & controls strategies for new and existing HVACD and lighting systems
Demand reduction opportunities and demand response approaches for new and existing CEA facilities
Event Benefits:
After completing these classes, you will have experience in:
Understanding challenges cultivators face with retrofits and new construction projects from real facility examples
Designing and optimizing cannabis cultivation processes for efficient operations
Comparing and contrasting the varying types of HVACD, lighting, and controls systems used for industrial cannabis production processes
Identifying the most cost-effective strategies for energy efficiency and implementing them with program administrators
Planning for flexible demand management in cannabis cultivation operations
Commissioning installed systems and verifying performance to achieve demand reductions and energy savings
Who Should Attend:
Building Owners, Managers, Consultants, EVERSOURCE Engineers, NGRID Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Utility Vendors, and all those interested in Advanced Building Systems.
Nick Collins, PE is a professional engineer and a nationally recognized expert on energy use and facility performance in cannabis and indoor agriculture. His areas of expertise include the monitoring and verification of energy efficiency projects and the analysis of energy efficiency and demand-limiting measures in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities. Nick has been on the delivery team implementing Efficiency Maine programs for the past 10 years. He has led numerous impact evaluations of utility and program administrator incentive programs in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors including the last three consecutive NYSERDA Industrial Process and Efficiency (IPE) gross impact evaluations. For the past three years, Nick has applied his expertise to the indoor cannabis cultivation industry where he has toured dozens of facilities, performed scoping audits, detailed technical reviews, and ground-breaking measurement and verification activities on indoor facilities throughout the Northeast and Colorado. Nick has been presenting these findings and training other professionals on the topic of energy use and efficiency in indoor cannabis cultivation at conferences across the country. He has published papers and presented with ACEEE, IEPEC, IEC, KEEA, NESEA, and EUCI. He is a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association Facility Design Committee. Before joining ERS, Nick was a project manager in construction management on projects including Gillette Stadium, Terminal A at Logan Airport, and the Walker Art Building renovation and expansion at Bowdoin College. He received his BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Maine.
As Executive Director, Derek provides overall leadership and strategic direction. Derek engages RII’s advisory bodies, including the Strategic Advisory Council and Technical Advisory Council Leadership Committees, develops global partnerships and oversees the organization’s policy work.
Before RII, Derek led Clean Energy Works, recognized as one of the most successful American Recovery & Reinvestment Act ("stimulus") programs. He has directed energy programs for the City of Portland, managed operations for a VC-backed start-up and created an award-winning corporate sustainability program for a national retailer. Derek has testified to the US Senate Energy Committee and briefed the US Secretary of Energy.
Derek enjoys playing and listening to a range of music, soccer (especially his hometown Portland Timbers), hiking and travel.