October 31, 2024
Josh Dean from the California Energy Alliance talked about environmental advocacy policies and activity.
October brought the 24th installment of the semiannual CalPlug Workshop. The morning kicked off with CALIT2 technical professionals from the California Plug Load Research Center and the SMART Industrial Assessment Center giving the workshop attendees an update on the progress they have made since last spring’s meeting. They were followed by two guest presenters.
Josh Dean from the California Energy Alliance talked about advocacy for our environment. The CEA works to bring beneficial, equitable change to energy standards, policies and programs by developing consensus among diverse and engaged stakeholders. The organization envisions a healthy and equitable built environment that is powered by carbon-free, reliable energy sources. Dean explained to the audience, which was largely filled with students, that clean energy jobs are booming.
“It is important that you supplement your classroom experience with hands-on training,” Dean said. “Learning through real-world experiences is critical.”
Ericka Flores, a climate equity advocate, gave a passionate talk about equity and affordability in transitioning to clean energy technologies.
Ericka Flores, a climate equity advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council, followed Dean. She discussed Equitable Building Decarbonization and a just transition. Flores explained that EBD encompasses both reducing emissions and ensuring energy efficiency resources are given to populations who need it the most.
“Affordability is key.” Flores said. “Ensuring low-income households can access and afford a transition to clean energy technologies is critical.” She went on to explain three main points for equitable decarbonization that must be elevated: affordability, accessibility and environmental health.
After a lunch break, three professors from UCI, UCLA and UC Berkeley presented. Dan Stokols, UCI professor emeritus in psychology, talked about the social, political and technology challenges of our climate crisis. He was followed by UCLA Professor Radjit Gadh who is the director of the Smart Grid Energy Research Center. Gadh discussed energy storage and Internet-of-Things applications. Finally, Hari Das, a Ph.D. candidate at Berkeley who is a graduate student researcher for the Singapore-Berkeley Building Efficiency and Sustainability in the Tropics (SinBerBEST) program presented. His research lies at the intersection of deep learning, computer vision, data-efficient machine learning, and smart and energy-efficient buildings.
The workshop concluded with an interactive audience and guest speakers panel discussion on clean energy solutions.
The following are five presentations from the fall workshop:
Katie Gladych
PLETICS Update
Chelsea Choudhary
SMART IAC Update
Josh Dean
Advocacy for Our Environment
Ericka Flores
Equitable Building Decarbonization and a Just Transition
Dan Stokols
Social, Political and Technology Challenges of Our Climate Crisis
– Shelly Nazarenus
