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.
Laura Breit is the founder and owner of Oregon-based firms Root Engineers and ColeBreit Engineering. She is a professional mechanical engineer specializing in the design of HVAC, plumbing, and process systems for the cannabis industry. Using her experience in traditional engineering methods through Root Engineers parent company, ColeBreit Engineering, she applies her team’s depth of knowledge to create efficient and economically sound solutions for cultivation and processing facilities. Taking a custom approach to each project, Laura has experience working in the traditional design-bid-build method, as well as in the design-build arena. She enjoys the dynamic nature of the cannabis industry, and since legalization in her home state of Oregon in 2014, Laura has led her team of mechanical and electrical engineers on more than 80 cannabis-related projects across the country. She thrives on building relationships with building owners, growers, architects, contractors and investors. Laura received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Keith Coursin is the president of Desert Aire LLC, a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of integrated environmental control systems including GrowAire™ Systems for the cannabis cultivation industry. In addition to his duties at Desert Aire, Mr. Coursin served in 2009 as chairman of the board of directors of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). He has also served on numerous AHRI committees. Mr. Coursin is also a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Keith Coursin’s efforts to drive market-based solutions that promote resource efficiency include development of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Model Aquatic Health Code as well as ANSI/ACCA standards detailed in the CDC’s HVAC Design for Swimming Pools & Spas (Manual SPS).
Gretchen is a professional engineer who has spent the past five years optimizing controlled environment agriculture operations for resource efficiency and productivity. Schimelpfenig earned a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Wyoming and an M.S. in Civil Engineering, Sustainable Design & Construction with a concentration in energy from Stanford University. Her diverse professional experience includes time spent commissioning commercial buildings, designing utility energy efficiency programs, and helping businesses like the University of Vermont and the City of Burlington benchmark their resource consumption. She specializes in analyzing the operation of building systems for cultivation facilities and helps the members of RII’s Utility Working Group reach cultivators with their financial incentives and technical assistance.
She has consulted across the U.S. on efficiency program design for controlled environment agriculture (CEA), and has published papers on benchmarking and high-performance technologies with ACEEE, ASABE, and USGBC. Gretchen has presented at conferences for industry organizations including ACEEE, AESP, ASHRAE, EUCI, MEEA, and IES.
She works directly with the DesignLights Consortium to increase the adoption of third-party certification of horticultural building systems. Gretchen also represents RII on several industry committees developing standards for CEA including the ASABE PAFS-30 (Plant Systems Group), ES-300 (Electrical Utilization & Energy Group), and ES-310 (Agricultural Lighting Group), ASHRAE Technical Committee 2.2 (Plant and Animal Environments), ASTM Committee D37 on Cannabis, IES Horticultural Lighting Subcommittee, and Task Group 1 of the UL 3600 Scorecard for Measuring and Reporting Circular Economy Aspects of Products, Sites and Organizations.
Gretchen raises houseplants and cats in her Vermont farmhouse and enjoys foraging for ramps, fiddleheads, and mushrooms when she isn’t skiing, biking, or knitting.
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.