Just In! for July 8, 2023

The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)

Just In! is NY-GEO's weekly news feed for members. See more information on memberships here. If we send you a complementary copy and you're not a member of NY-GEO, it means we value your role in the transition to renewable heating, but without a membership, please don't count on getting Just In! weekly.

NYSERDA’s Energy Efficiency and Electrification Study – The latest iteration of a series of studies examining energy savings potential from various measures was performed by a trio of consultant firms for NYSERDA and released earlier this year. The study projected “Building shell improvements (in single-family and multifamily residential), efficiency and electrification of space heating (across all sectors), space cooling (in commercial), and improved energy efficiency of water heating (in single-family and multifamily residential) yield the greatest savings potential in New York over the coming years….Table 5-1 (below) shows 2030 energy efficiency and electrification potential by region... Differences in trends between regions are due to differences in the building stock between the regions, including types of buildings and prevalence of heating fuel and equipment types.” The study found that robust incentives of 50% or more of project cost can have a pronounced impact on heat pump adoption in single family homes. Study webpage link here.

East Coast’s Smoke Could Last Until October - Robinson Meyer – HEATMAP - “Pending a meteorological surprise, the wildfire smoke is likely to return periodically throughout the rest of the summer. The smoke probably won’t fully go away until late September or early October, when Quebec’s fire season ends. A lot of the wildfires are in western Quebec, right near Hudson Bay. About 34 wildfires have been left completely to burn…. Recent weather patterns have been so dry — and there’s so little rain on the horizon — that almost nothing suggests those fires are likely to go out any time soon…Climate change has warmed the Canadian boreal forest faster than almost anywhere else in the world. The biome’s average temperature has already increased 1.9 degrees Celsius, or nearly three and a half degrees Fahrenheit, since the mid-20th century.” Article link here.

How Will New York’s ‘Cap and Invest’ Program Shape Up? – Rebecca Lewis – “…the legislation included very little in the way of a regulatory framework, leaving that up to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to develop. And the state agencies are still in the fact-finding portion of the pre-proposal phase, having just closed out the first round of public comments on July 1." (from 2023 07 01 – City & State First Read) Article link here.

Natural Gas Is The Pillar Of The US Electric Grid. It’s Also Unreliable – Jeff St. John – Canary Media – Fossil gas is, for now, the top source of U.S. electricity generation capacity, and the interconnected gas and electric systems share serious reliability problems. For example, over the past 11 years, the U.S. has suffered five separate large-scale grid outages, mostly driven by the failure of gas-fired power during periods of extreme cold. Further, existing regulations fail to account for the reciprocal harm caused by gas and electricity network breakdowns. Recent efforts to extend Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority over gas-system reliability have been rebuffed by Republicans in Congress. Despite the purported flexibility and reliability of gas, wind and solar systems perform better in periods of extreme heat and cold. Article link here.

4 Common Types of Heat Pump Configurations – John Siegenthaler, P.E. - Heatspring Magazine – In this 2 and ½ minute video, Siegenthaler describes the 4 most commonly used HVAC heat pump types, two of which are air source and two ground source. Article and video link here.

Bidirectional Charging Explained – Jason Svarc – Clean Energy Reviews – Electrification of buildings and transportation will challenge the electric grid to provide resiliency through adequate infrastructure and sufficient supply of power. Because geothermal ground loops provide heat storage that minimizes demand for power during peak demand periods, they will be key to meeting this challenge. Other solutions, such as weatherization and energy efficiency will also be important. In addition, bidirectional charging, where EV batteries can provide power to the grid during peak demand as well as power to homes during power outages, is a promising and rapidly developing technology that may round out the response to this challenge. This article provides a clear and detailed review of the current status of bidirectional charging. Article link here.

Hochul Announces “Steel in the Water” - "Governor Kathy Hochul (has) announced that South Fork Wind, New York's first offshore wind farm, has achieved its 'steel in the water' milestone with the installation of the project's first monopile foundation. In the coming days, South Fork Wind will install the project's U.S.-built offshore substation. The project remains on-track to become America's first utility-scale offshore wind farm to be completed in federal waters when it begins operations by the end of this year and supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035." Thanks to Brynn Fuller-Becker at New Yorkers for Clean Power for this tip. Press release link here.

China On Course to Hit Wind and Solar Power Target Ahead of Schedule – Amy Hawkins and Rachel Cheung – The Guardian – China is set to produce 1,200 gigawatts of wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor. The reports says that as of the first quarter of the year, China’s utility-scale solar capacity reached 228GW, more than that of the rest of the world combined, and that China’s wind capacity now surpasses 310GW, roughly equivalent to the next top seven countries combined. However, the grid system in China incentivizes building coal plants around renewable generators. More coal power was approved in the first three months of 2023 than in the whole of 2021. Article link here.

Climate Updates:

Texas Cities Set Temperature Records – Dylan Baddour – Inside Climate News – “Readings in Laredo, Del Rio, San Angelo and Junction were the highest ever recorded, while Corpus Christi logged an all-time-high heat index of 125 degrees. Forecasters warn that no relief is in sight this month… John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist, attributed it to a range of factors, including near-record ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, a high-pressure system that is trapping heat over Texas, and the inexorable reality of climate change.” Article link here.

Has a Human Ever Seen It Hotter ? – Bill McKibben – The Crucial Years – “Monday July 3 was the hottest day anyone had ever measured on planet earth… The best estimate of climate scientists is that Monday was the hottest day since sometime in the last interglacial period 125,000 years ago, right about the time that other scientists think humans etched the first symbols onto bone and started wearing shells as decorations. In other words, a pretty significant record. A pretty significant record that lasted 24 hours…But as the heatwaves have revealed the new power of the sun to inflict enormous human suffering, they’ve also revealed the power of the sun to come to our rescue.” Article link here.

In India, It’s Getting Too Hot to Farm – Sanket Jain – The Nation – “Heat waves are pushing agricultural workers across a wide swath of India to the edge of survival. Rukmini Kamble, 69, has a unique way of identifying how severe a heat wave is. ‘I look at the number of painkillers and paracetamol tablets I take in the months of extreme heat,’ she told me. She now takes two painkillers every day. During the heat waves last year, she took at least one pill a day to bring down or prevent fever while she worked. ‘I collapse almost every 10 days now in this scorching heat. I’ve worked in the fields throughout my life, but such incidents never happened before.’ ” Article link here.

Kalpana Solankar, 46, a farm worker from Arjunwad village, carries a heavy load of fodder on her head. (Sanket Jain)

 Lobbyist “Double Agents” – The Guardian – ‘More than 1,500 lobbyists in the US are working on behalf of fossil-fuel companies while at the same time representing hundreds of liberal-run cities, universities, technology companies and environmental groups that say they are tackling the climate crisis…” Thanks to Anne Rabe frorm NYPIRG for this tip.  Article link here.

Frequent Sources for Just In! briefs:

Green Energy Times

City & State First Read

POLITICO Weekly NY & NJ Energy email)

Canary Media

National Building Electrification Network & Sunstone Strategies



Just in! thanks NY-GEO board member John Ciovacco of Aztech Geothermal for his frequent proofreading contributions to this publication and Paul Maliszewski for his work on the briefs.

EVENTS:

*Indicates a New Listing or Updated Information

2023 07 12 – IGSHPA Town Hall with Arlene Anderson – 11:30 am ET – Speaker: Arlene Anderson of US Department of Energy, Topic: Low-Temperature Geothermal Update. Register here

2023 07 19 – Hydrogen Blending in Buildings: Bad for Health, Bad for Climate - 7:00 pm ET – Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) Pennsylvania - We will discuss why hydrogen means increased GHG emissions and ongoing reliance on methane and coal; how it increases risk of accidents and fires, continued gas stove indoor air pollution, continued health inequities; and what alternatives are healthier, safer, more efficient. Register here.

2023 07 28 – Dig Deeper Webinar with Daniel Booy – 11:30 am ET – Speaker: Daniel Booy from Altum Engineering, Ltd, Topic: Modern Controls and Commissioning for Radiant Heating and Cooling Systems.  Register here.

*2023 08 16 – Dandelion’s Kathy Hannun on Drilling Lessons from Sweden – California GEO - 3:00 pm ET – Hannun will present “a high-level understanding of how the Swedes approach residential geothermal drilling and what has translated to the Northeast US (and what has not).” $10 fee for non-members. Register here.

2023 10 17-19 – IGSHPA Accredited Installer Training with WaterFurnce – Hampton Inn and Suites – Poughkeepsie – “Learning to install Ground-Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems will keep you competitive in a market forced to deal with rising energy costs and resource depletion. Installer accreditation enables you to open new markets and offers customers a low-maintenance, economical, and environmentally friendly alternative for their space conditioning needs. With more than 35 years of experience teaching these workshops, accrediting thousands of installers, and developing the industry standards, IGSHPA has pioneered training in GSHP installation.” Register here.

2023 12 5^th to 7^th - IGSHPA Annual Conference – The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) will be holding its annual conference December 5 to 7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. IGSHPA is partnering again this year with NGWA (National Ground Water Association). Early bird registration is open now, along with exhibitor, sponsorship, and advertising opportunities. Presenter abstracts for the workshops are due by May 31, 2023. Selection of speakers and workshop topics will be confirmed in June.  For more information, check out the conference page.

2024 05 28^th to 30^th – IGSHPA Research Conference - The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) is pleased to announce that the next IGSHPA Research Conference will be held at Polytechnique Montréal. This is the fourth in a series of research conferences held in Denver (2017), Stockholm (2018), and Las Vegas (2022). Like the previous three conferences, papers will undergo peer-review to ensure quality. Details will follow, but it is anticipated that abstracts will be due on September 18, 2023 and papers due around November 20, 2023. Question? Write to info@igshpa.org

JOBS !                                                                    * = new listing

Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board – Technical Energy Advisor - The Technical Energy Advisor will serve as the CNY Regional Clean Energy Hub’s key technical expert, customer project manager and liaison with clean energy business partners including HVAC installers, weatherization contractors and solar developers. The Technical Energy Advisor will serve as an independent resource for property owners, renters, contractors, and other key stakeholders interested in energy projects. The Technical Energy Advisor will work collaboratively with other Hub and Energy Program staff. (listed 06/10/23, apply by 7/15/23). The posting is available here.

Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) seeks an Energy Advisor for EnergySmart CNY. The Energy Advisor role involves collaborating on outreach development, executing activities, assisting community members with accessing programs and pursuing energy-saving measures. The position allows for remote work, but regular attendance at meetings and local events is required in Central New York. Compensation ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 per year, with benefits including health and dental insurance, paid leave, and vacation time. Bilingual fluency in English with Spanish or other

language strongly preferred. (listed January 14, 2023) The posting is available here.

Climate Nexus - Campaign Associate – Methane Accountability, Campaigns & Strategies - Climate Nexus “is expanding our Methane Team. Our new campaign associate will help hold the oil and gas industry accountable for reducing methane pollution, and pressure governmental entities to stand up to the industry and craft policies that prioritize communities and the planet over corporate profits. Simply put, we want to humanize the fight against methane polluters. This is a remote position and we have team members across the country.  Listing here.

Hudson Valley Community College - Instructor-Heating and Refrigeration Systems - Salary for this 10-month position is $48,981.00. Application closes: Jun 23, 2023. (listed 2023 05 27) Click here for qualifications and details.

PWGC Environmental Engineers, Bohemia, NY - Geothermal Engineer – PWGC, a multi-year award-winning environmental engineering firm seeks an experienced professional engineer for closed loop geothermal projects in the downstate New York area. Expert knowledge of commercial building sciences, mechanical system design, conventional HVAC, heat pump technologies, building automation and energy modeling applications. This position requires 5-10 years related experience, bachelor’s degree in civil, mechanical or chemical engineering and a PE License. Advanced knowledge of CAD 3D and 4D software and REVIT. Interested? Send your resume to hr@pwgrosser.com or apply on our website at pwgrosser.com/careers 

Sustainable Westchester - Clean Energy Associate, EnergySmart Homes. (Location: Mount Kisco, NY) - The Community Energy Advisor (CEA) is a full time position at Sustainable Westchester. This position will provide assistance, direction, organization, coordination of programs that work to inform residents, multifamily building owners, and small businesses, with an emphasis in low-to-moderate income and priority communities, of the options for adopting clean energy strategies in their homes and businesses. $50k-$60k/year. (listed 2022 08 06) The posting is available here

Sustainable Westchester - Marketing, Communications and Outreach Director. (Location: Mount Kisco, NY) The Director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach will be responsible for developing and implementing Sustainable Westchester’s marketing, communication and outreach plans & strategies including public relations, digital communications, key messaging, storytelling and brand experience. $75k-$80k/year.  (listed 2022 08 06) The posting is available here

Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dutchess County Energy Advisor - The CCE Dutchess Environment & Energy Program currently has an open job posting for five (5) Energy Advisor positions to join our team. These positions will continue and expand on the work that we have been doing to assist residents, small businesses, and non-profits in the Mid-Hudson region to access energy efficiency and clean energy programs. We are looking for locally based candidates with a passion for educating and empowering individuals within their community to make informed energy decisions. Fluency in Spanish, and/or other locally relevant languages, is a plus and will be needed for at least 2 of the candidates hired (if not more). We encourage applications from candidates who have related skill sets but may lack direct experience with delivering programing around energy topics. On the job training will be provided, therefore a candidate with a related skill set and a strong desire to learn more about these topics could excel in a position such as these. (listed 2022 08 06) The posting is available here

Clean Energy Associate (PAID INTERNSHIP) - Sustainable Westchester aims to educate and train the next generation of leaders in sustainability in Westchester. We hire students and recent graduates who have the skills, passion, intelligence and maturity to take on significant responsibility to help bring clean energy solutions to our residents. Throughout the duration of the position, associates may work with elected officials, municipal leaders, community members, subject matter experts, and consultants to provide a one-of-a-kind experience. We are committed to providing these valuable work opportunities to people from communities that have been underrepresented in the environmental field. (listed 2022 08 06) See Sustainable Westchester website for more.

Rewiring America – Federal Senior Policy Manager – The FSPM will own and drive critical efforts to influence federal policy initiatives. This role will manage the Federal policy team and lobbyists, lead the strategy and execution of federal policy, oversee targeted research and the drafting of key content, and provide critical perspectives in support of the multi-pronged policy strategy for Rewiring. This important work will continue and grow Rewiring America’s ability to affect federal policy, removing key barriers for electrification. (listed 2022 07 09) The posting is available here

Rewiring America – Local Policy Director - With a clear vision, smart strategies, and significant and sustained financial support, Rewiring America is growing rapidly. As the Local Policy Manager on the Policy team you will lead on efforts to influence local policy initiatives around the country, particularly in public schools. This role will drive policy strategy, targeted research, support the drafting of policy and campaign documents, and provide input into the policy team’s public school electrification work. (listed 2022 07 09) The posting is available here

The Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee Finger Lakes Region – Is looking to hire two staff members: 

·    The Manager of Organizational Programs will lead our efforts to educate, inspire, and support businesses and nonprofits that want to take action on climate.

·    The Program Director will be in charge of developing an exciting new program that we're not allowed to talk about until our contract with the funder is fully executed (which makes the hiring process a bit complicated). (listed 2022 05 28). The posting is available here. 

“Energy Department Will Recruit 1,000 Additional Staffers For New Corps To Tackle The Climate Crisis • The DOE is starting up a Clean Energy Corps to help implement the bipartisan infrastructure law and develop clean-energy solutions to the climate crisis, the agency said. It will hire 1,000 new employees through a newly launched hiring portal.” (from 2022 01 14 Green Energy News) [CNN]

Citizens for Local Power Executive Director - CLP’s mission is to help communities in the Mid-Hudson Region transition to a locally-based, clean energy economy. Combining research, education, advocacy, and project coordination, CLP supports community and municipal engagement in energy decision-making, transforming energy policy and practice to strengthen local economies, mitigate climate change and increase resilience…persons with strong community organizing experience are welcome to apply; training in energy policy areas can be provided. (listed 2021 12 27) See more here 

HVAC Project Manager – Aztech Geothermal, Ballston Spa, NY – Aztech Geothermal, a well-respected Geothermal Heat Pump design-build contractor, is seeking an experienced HVAC Project Manager responsible for estimating project costs, purchasing/sourcing materials & equipment, project planning including management of technicians and subcontractors. This position requires 3-5+ years' experience in Residential &/or Commercial HVAC, including AC/heat pump equipment, power and control wiring, HVAC plumbing, and sheetmetal/air distribution systems. Strong candidates must be comfortable with computers and common Microsoft programs with ability to learn industry specific analysis software. Interested? Send your resume to info@aztechgeo.com. (listed 2021 12 20)

AVANGRID, Inc. Engineer, Non-Wires Alternatives – AVANGRID, Inc. is seeking a full-time Engineer to support Non-Wires Alternatives (“NWA”) efforts in NYSEG and RG&E territory in New York. The Engineer will be responsible for providing engineering expertise to support the development and analysis of Distributed Energy Resources (“DER”) which are part of the innovative and growing NWA program in New York. This position is based out of any AVANGRID location including offices in NY, ME, and CT. Interested candidates should apply directly on the AVANGRID Career site here.

Campaign Director - Building Electrification – “Supervises: 2-6 core campaign staff, Salary: $120,000 non-negotiable. Scope: The Campaign Director for Building Electrification leads the Sierra Club’s national campaign work to end fossil fuel use in our homes and buildings, and implements just and equitable solutions in the buildings sector. The Campaign Director works alongside a team of Directors as part of Sierra Club’s Energy Campaigns to address climate disruption, transform the energy economy and protect communities from pollution.” See the job posting here.

Sierra Club Seeks Expert on “Renewable Natural Gas” - Sierra Club is looking for a new expert for PUC proceedings across the U.S. on "renewable natural gas" (including biomethane), synthetic gas and hydrogen. Experience with utility regulation and gas utility business models is a plus. If you have any recommendations, please email: Amneh Minkara (amneh.minkara@sierraclub.org)

UHAB is Hiring -UHAB (Urban Homesteading Assistance Board ) is hiring a Project Associate focusing on Energy Services, including Co-ops Go Solar, Clean Heat for Co-ops, and other energy efficiency and energy-reducing renewable technology partnerships... We also have a few other positions posted, for a part-time Affordable Housing Loan Officer, and a full-time Project Associate on the Co-op Improvement Program who’ll provide services to distressed affordable buildings. All of the job postings are viewable on our website here.

Aztech Geothermal is Hiring- Seeking an Experienced Heat Pump Technician in NY's Capital District - Aztech Geothermal is looking for an Experienced Residential HVAC Technician in the Capital Region to join our growing installation and service business based in Ballston Spa. Geothermal heat pump experience a plus. but not required; we are willing to train the right individual. Our company is based in Ballston Spa and principally serves the Capital District, Hudson Valley and Western Massachusetts. Contact info@aztechgeo.com for more information.

“Dandelion Energy is growing its Drilling Department and we are looking for Senior/Master Drillers to operate our new rigs and lead our on-site drilling efforts for residential geothermal projects.In this role, you will make a significant impact in redefining how residential ground heat exchangers are installed which will lay the groundwork for Dandelion’s future growth and success. The Senior Driller will be directly responsible for the production rate of geothermal boreholes, the operation, and maintenance of equipment, the safety of on-site workers, and delivering feedback to both the Operations and Engineering team on how to optimize the overall process. For more information about the Senior Driller opening please apply here: https://boards.greenhouse.io/dandelionenergy/jobs/4879245002

Not a Senior Driller? check out our other exciting opportunities on our career site: https://dandelionenergy.com/jobs”

 

Ongoing – NYSERDA is hiring! The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has ongoing recruitment opportunities. Join our email list or check this page periodically to learn about new career opportunities. All qualified individuals will be evaluated for each relevant position for which they apply. Opportunities include:

NYSERDA Career Opportunities

NY Green Bank Career Opportunities

Paid Fellowship Opportunities

Paid Internship Opportunities

To learn more about NYSERDA, please visit our social media channels.



NY-GEO is not necessarily notified when jobs are filled. If you find one of these jobs are no longer available, please let us know.