Learning How to Perform an Energy Audit

One program that’s generating some early buzz in Seattle was yesterday’s pre-convention workshop on how to do a facility energy audit. Participation swelled, forcing the workshop to relocate to a larger classroom.

Energy Audit: A Portal to Green Projects offered contractors their first look at a brand-new resource developed just for them by NECA – a step-by-step guide to evaluate the energy conservation, efficiency and alternative power opportunities for an existing building.

“The first step to winning a green energy project is proving to your customer that you understand their energy needs and that you can do the work to meet their green building goals. When an electrical contractor does a facility energy audit, he shows he can meet both needs,” said Dick Nogleberg, chair of NECA’s Energy Solutions Task Force. The task force was the driving force behind developing the audit tools and training.

Owners tell us that the firm who does their energy audit is usually the same contractor who creates their green energy project and controls the work. Energy audit expertise is a highly valuable addition to a NECA member’s green energy business and profit development toolkit.

Future energy audit training will be available through MEI.

Welcome to the NECA 2009 Seattle Live Blog!

Hi everyone!

I’m Beth Margulies, NECA’s director of public relations, and I’ll be live-blogging NECA’s convention and trade show in Seattle this week on blog.necaconvention.org.

I hope you’ve been reading the blog to keep up with new sessions and special offers, but now with everything in full swing, we’re shifting our coverage on-site, with daily reports on sessions, speakers and scenes from the Show floor. If you see something you like here, use the Social Media tools on each post to share it on your own Facebook, Twitter or MySpace page.

But this blog isn’t the only way you can keep up with everything that’s going on in Seattle.  You can become a fan of the NECA Convention on Facebook to receive important updates before the events and while they happen.

Or follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/necaconvention for quick updates about new blog posts, room changes, and raffle drawings.  Ginger Wilson has already tweeted tons of pictures and reports from pre-convention workshops and as the Show floor takes shape. If already on Twitter, you can tag your own tweets with #NECA09 to let your followers know you’re tweeting about NECA 2009 Seattle.

For NECA 2009 Seattle attendees who aren’t familiar with everything social media can offer electrical contractors, you might want to attend the management seminar I’m leading on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8 a.m., What is Social Media and How it Can Help Your Business.  Details about NECA’s own social media can be found on our website, too.

There won’t be a lot of time to spare in Seattle, so take advantage of NECA’s social media for event updates and to stay in touch!

Get $1,200 in LED Products at Pre-Convention Workshop!

Did you know that Philips Color Kinetics is giving away $1,200 worth of LED products to each registered participant in the How LED Technology Can Change Your Business pre-convention workshop?

Now that you do, can you really think of a reason why you shouldn’t enroll today?

LED technology is dramatically changing how electrical contractors specify and install lighting systems. Customers like the energy savings and control LED offers – and if you can’t meet their needs, they will find someone who can.

Be their best resource for LED information by educating yourself at NECA 2009 Seattle. At the pre-convention workshop, you’ll learn the right questions to ask when selecting an LED system, steps for making a cost-benefit analysis, and get a hands-on installation demonstration.

Register for How LED Technology Can Change Your Business now!

Already coming to NECA 2009 Seattle, and want to add this workshop to your registration? Go here to learn how.

Pre-convention Classes for Code Geeks!

Readers of NECA’s Contractors Code Letter will know about our special National Electrical Code-focused pre-convention workshops, including Sneak Peak at the 2011 Proposed NEC Code Changes, presented by Mike Johnston, NECA Executive Director, Standards and Safety. The half-day seminar on Friday, Sept. 11, will cover both the 2008 NEC and highlight some of the more than 5,000 proposed changes for the 2011 NEC.

Significant Changes to NFPA 70E 2009, also on Friday, Sept. 11, will cover how changes in the de facto electrical safety standard will impact on-site safety practices and project costs. The pre-convention workshop will be lead by Palmer Hickman, NJATC Director of Code and Safety Training and Curriculum Development.

All pre-convention workshops and many NECA 2009 Seattle management seminars can earn Continuing Education credits for attendees. Most pre-convention workshops only cost $125 for each registrant – a great bargain for professionals to need continuing education credits!

If you’re in the Seattle area, pre-convention workshops are a great way to take advantage of NECA’s training without spending too much time out of the office or away from home. If you’ve already made your plans to be at NECA 2009 Seattle, make the most of your time there by registering for a special pre-convention workshop today!

Register today!

Help! I’ve already registered, but now I want to add a pre-convention workshop to my registration!

First of all, congratulations to you for taking advantage of NECA 2009 Seattle’s full roster of pre-convention workshops. (We start them on Friday, Sept. 11 so folks attending the Board of Governors meeting Sept. 12 can go, too.)

Second, you can add pre-convention workshops and tours to your existing registration online or call Katie at 301-215-4506 for help.

If you want to make the changes to your registration online, follow these steps:

1. Click on “Attendee Registration” at the top of the NECA 2009 Seattle website.

2. Select “I know my username and password.” When prompted, enter your username and password if you are not already logged into the site.

3. The NECA 2009 Seattle registration will display. Select “Review Your Registration” at the top of the page.

4. Your registration will display. Select “Would you like to update your registration?” from the top of the page.

5. Scroll down and select “Update Event Tickets” from “Registrant Events.” From here, you can enter the number of tickets you need for a pre-convention workshop.

6. Click “Update” at the bottom of the page. You are now registered for a pre-convention workshop.

ACCESS SEATTLE: Fact or Fiction?

Beth Ellis, executive director for NECA’s convention and trade show, recently took the time to answer a few of the questions about NECA 2009 Seattle. See her Q&A on the new Access Seattle page of the 2009 NECA Seattle blog.

Survey Shows Electrical Contractors Making More LED Recommendations – But Still Looking for LED Education

A recent survey of electrical and lighting contractors showed that contractors are involved in recommending LED lighting more than 70% of the time, demonstrating their importance in the specifying and recommendation of LED lighting products for building projects.

However, a majority of respondents said they are still looking for LED education – a need that NECA 2009 Seattle can meet!

The pre-convention workshop How LED Technology Can Change Your Business on Friday, Sept. 11, offers participants hands-on instruction using product samples, ROI calculations, product application guides for indoor and outdoor usage, comparative pricing, and information regarding tax incentives and rebates.

Led by Tom Hamilton from Philips Color Kinetics, a pioneer of intelligent LED illumination technologies, the half-day workshop will demonstrate how LED technology allows electrical contractors to deliver energy savings, longevity, and maintenance savings to their customers – the top concerns cited in the survey.

Register now for How LED Technology Can Change Your Business!

Time is Running Out, Your Opportunity for Affordable Training is at NECA 2009 Seattle!

There’s a great reason to arrive early for NECA 2009 Seattle – and to bring your key employees with you. A dozen different Pre-Convention Workshops will be held on Friday and Saturday, September 11-12, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. They’ll feature expert instructors on topics ranging from succeeding in new markets and making the most of new technology to improving productivity and safety performance and coping in these trying times. They are open to all electrical industry participants.

Nowhere else can you find so many in-depth learning opportunities at such affordable prices, all in one location. (Workshop fees are as low as $75, and none exceeds $250.) Registration for any Pre-Convention Workshop includes admission to all three days of the NECA Show, any of the Technical Workshops held in conjunction with the Show, and the New & Featured Product Room– all at no additional cost! Use the online registration form for NECA 2009 Seattle to reserve your place at the Pre-Convention Workshop(s) of your choice.

Check out your Pre-Convention Workshop Options and register NOW!

NECA 2009 Seattle Really IS All About Business – Improving Yours, That Is!

Special events and fun social activities before, during, and after our Convention and Trade Show are just the icing on the cake. The main ingredient is the educational opportunites making NECA 2009 Seattle your energy solutions classroom and your pathway to learning how to cope and prosper in these tough times. Be smart now: Register before early discounts expire on July 24. Get even smarter in September!

Early registration ends July 24! Save NOW on registration and hotel bookings.

Planning on an Early Arrival? Plan on Early Registration

NECA 2009 Seattle is full of educational opportunities, but you’re not limited to the sessions during the convention and show – NECA offers a wide range of Pre-Convention workshops taught by our highly skilled instructors, the best in the industry!

This year we have added several courses in business development and management in efforts to help electrical contractors get ahead. These courses will provide the tools and resources you need to survive this tough economy.

Did you know? Signing up for Pre-Convention Workshops entitles you to all three days on the NECA Show floor, all technical workshops AND entry into the New and Featured Product Room! What are you waiting for? Sign up today!