Panels

SusTech 2024 Panels

All times and dates shown in Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)

Time	Topic
April 15, 10:30 AM	Ethics, Energy and Environment
April 15, 3:30 PM	Electrifying Agriculture
April 16, 2024, 10:30 AM	Novel Technologies for Sustainable Ocean Energy Generation
April 17, 2024 10:00 AM	Promising Heat Pump Developments: Perspectives from the Pacific Northwest

Ethics, Energy and Environment

How can we meet our energy needs and still care for the environment
in the era of anthropogenic climate change?

April 15, 10:30 AM

Organized by IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT)

IEEE SSIT has been bringing together diverse areas of expertise, including researchers, industry, and communities to address and collectively answer this vital societal question. Ethics takes cognizance of the intrinsic value of nature, the interconnection of all living things, and the responsibility of humans to act in accordance with ethical principles. In creating ethically aligned IEEE Recommended Practices for technology, SSIT members must consider the values of care, fairness, privacy, trust, sustainability and respect. The panelists share their practical experience and insights in evaluating what practices produce human well being while preserving the natural world.

Co-organizer & Moderator: Susan Dickey, secretary of IEEE SA P7800 “Recommended Practice for Addressing Sustainability, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change Challenges in Professional Practice.”

Susan Dickey received an M.S. in Computer Science from New York University in 1984 and Ph.D. in 1994. She was fortunate to begin her career in the 1980s with the NYU Ultracomputer Project doing research on massively parallel processing, and retire in 2020 after spending 10 years with Google helping to write datacenter software to manage millions of processors. In between she was able to do a lot of interesting work in real-time systems, graphics libraries, communications, and systems implementation of ITS and UAV prototypes. Since her retirement she has been an active volunteer with the IEEE SusTech conference and IEEE Planet Positive. She is currently secretary of the IEEE SA P7800 Working Group “Recommended Practice for Addressing Sustainability, Environmental Stewardship and Climate Change Challenges in Professional Practice.”

Panelists:

Clinton Andrews, Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University
Wei Jen Lee, Energy Systems Research Center, University of Texas Arlington
Ann M. Marcus, The Marcus Consulting Group Inc., Portland, Oregon
Arsalan Abtahi, Chair, IEEE P7803 Working Group

Panelist Bios:

Clinton J. Andrews directs the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University. He was educated at Brown and MIT in engineering and planning, and he worked previously in the private sector and at Princeton University. He teaches urban planning and public informatics courses, and he performs research on how people use the built environment. His work addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation, and how technological changes affect urban life. He has current projects on the energy transition, fiscal impacts of coastal hazards, and how low-income urban seniors cope with heat stress and poor indoor air quality.

He publishes both scholarly and popular articles and his books include Humble Analysis: The Practice of Joint Fact-finding, Regulating Regional Power Systems, and Industrial Ecology and Global Change. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a licensed Professional Engineer. Professor Andrews is a Fellow of AAAS and immediate Past President of the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology. You can reach him at clintonjandrews@gmail.com

Wei-Jen Lee received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan., and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Texas, Arlington, in 1978, 1980, and 1985, respectively, all in Electrical Engineering.In 1986, he joined the University of Texas at Arlington, where he is currently a professor of the Electrical Engineering Department and the director of the Energy Systems Research Center. He has been involved in the revision of IEEE Std. 141, 339, 551, 739, and 1584, and the development of 1584.1, 1584.2, 3002.8, and 3002.9.

He is the past President of the IEEE Industry Application Society (IAS), the chair of IEEE TAB (Technical Activity Board) Climate Change Program, co-chair of IEEE Sustainable Development Ad Hoc Committee, member of IEEE Ad Hoc Committee to Coordinate IEEE’s Response to Climate Change (CCIRCC), member of IEEE TAB Hall of Honor Committee, member of Pillar 4 of the Global Power Systems Transformation (G-PST), chair of IEEE Smart Grid program, chair of IEEE Smart Cities Education Committee, member of IEEE Smart Grid Operation and Education Committees, and member of United Nations (UN) Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET).

Ann M Marcus has been President & Chief Communications Officer of the Marcus Consulting Group in Portland, Oregon for over 25 years. With a BA in Sociology from UCLA and an MBA in Business Analysis/Computing Systems (Decision Support) from San Francisco State University, she is an experienced communications strategist bringing a community-engagement orientation to technology-related projects, working within and across the public, non-profit, and private sectors. She crafts visual models that make complex concepts and frameworks accessible to any stakeholder, allowing them to envision and embrace the concept as their own.

Her current projects include: Global Communities Technology Challenge (GCTC), a smart city community of practice under the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Schools as Community Resilience Hubs, a Portland-based pilot project to raise community resilience capacity using neighborhood elementary school resources; and Michigan City Economic Development Projects, in conjunction with iNeighborhoods.us & WeAccel.io to enhance education, workforce development, and economic growth activities in the Lake Michigan South Shore region. Past clients include: Link Oregon, Cisco Systems, AT&T, Microsoft, Nikon Precision, PANO (Wildfire Early Detection System), Collaborative Strategies, Consortium for Service Innovation and, Lotus Development

Dr. Arsalan Abtahi, a medical professional with an M.D from Semmelweis University, advocates shifting our focus from quantity-oriented economic progress metrics such as GDP towards quality-oriented metrics and sustainability assessment tools that account for the social, environmental, governance, economic and health dimensions of human society.

He is the founder of ISSC Global Taskforce, which is establishing a global incubator to enable the creation of Inclusive Sustainable Smart Cities – a post-SDG era where cities are multicultural total integrated ecosystems, promoting community type societies, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, intelligent governance and inclusive economic development.

As Chair of the IEEE SA P7803 “Recommended Practice for Inclusive Sustainable Smart Cities” Working Group, his mission is to establish a fresh global standard for urban design, facilitating the progress of ISSC. P7803 is developing a number of key indicators to facilitate progress tracking and act as a practical means of pinpointing areas that pave the way for the establishment of Inclusive Sustainable Smart Cities, raising the standard of living to a level where individuals are thriving in their communities.

Dr. Abtahi is also co-founder of SynXSpace, a San Francisco Bay Area company using the developing Spatial Web protocol to enhance the human-computer interface (HCI) with additional features to ensure that digital experiences are accessible, secure, and tailored to individual needs. These features can bridge the digital divide, allowing individuals with visual or motor impairments, cognitive or learning difficulties, or linguistic barriers to have equal access to digital resources and services.

Electrifying Agriculture

April 15, 3:30 PM

Hosted/Moderated by Wendy Simons, Energy Policy Analyst, Oregon Department of Energy

Wendy Simons is an Energy Policy Analyst at the Oregon Department of Energy where she is part of a small team administering a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to fund energy audits for Oregon farms, ranches, and rural small businesses. Her work at ODOE includes authoring Oregon Biennial Energy Report articles on agricultural energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, opportunities for agricultural electrification, and agrivoltaics. Before joining ODOE, she worked as an analyst for the Oregon and Minnesota legislatures and as a greenhouse gas specialist with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Wendy’s education includes a Master in Public Policy degree at the Kennedy School of Government.

Panelists:

Robert Wallace CEM, Executive Director, Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development (Wy’East RCD), The Dalles (OR): “Oregon E-Farms Program”

Marcelo Moretti, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, OSU: “Electricity for Weed Management”

Chris Toman, PhD candidate, College of Agricultural Sciences, OSU: “Agrivoltaics”

Panelist Bios:

Robert Wallace is a Certified Energy Manager with over 13 years of experience working in medium & large industrial production facilities, managing O&M plans, and supervising maintenance staff. Robert is certified in Lean Manufacturing, Green Building, and Infrared Thermography. Robert is a Certified Energy Inspector, Commercial/Industrial Building Inspector, and a Certified Energy Manager (CEM). Robert has over 18 years of energy assessment and project development experience in commercial, industrial, agriculture, and residential sectors. Robert is a known leader in the PNW agriculture sector energy efficiency outreach efforts. Robert has operated as an Agricultural Program Specialist contractor for Bonneville Power Administration serving electric cooperative utilities; as of January 2023, Robert has worked as the Irrigation Lead for Energy Trust of Oregon programs under contract with Energy350.

Robert has made many inroads into the agricultural and rural communities utilizing a “boots on the ground” approach. Robert understands rural areas and how they operate. He currently serves on the Dufur School Board and is a Commissioner for the Port of The Dalles. Previously Robert served as Mayor for the City of Dufur. It takes the ability to understand these rural communities and how they work in order to be effective when delivering programs in these rural areas.

Dr. Marcelo L. Moretti is an associate professor in weed science in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He serves as the state-wide research and extension specialist for weed science in perennial horticultural crops. Dr. Moretti’s research program is focused on integrated weed management, aiming to develop effective and economical strategies for managing weeds in organic and conventional production systems. Moretti is particularly interested in non-chemical weed control strategies.

Chris Toman is an undergraduate research assistant at Oregon State University. He has been a mechanical engineer for 26 years and has gone back to school to seek a post-baccalaureate degree in Earth Systems, where he decided to join the Agrivoltaics research team at Oregon State University to focus on projects in Central Oregon to reduce impacts of drought suffered by farmers in the region. He is applying for a PhD in Ecological Engineering at OSU to expand research in the area of drought tolerance and heat stress on plants using shading techniques provided by solar panels.

Novel Technologies for Sustainable Ocean Energy Generation

April 16, 2024, 10:30 AM

Organized by Bill Wilson, IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society

The IEEE SusTech 2024 conference panel on “Novel Technologies for Sustainable Offshore Energy Generation” brings together leading experts, researchers, and innovators to explore groundbreaking advancements in the realm of offshore renewable energy. With the pressing need to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, offshore energy generation presents a promising avenue towards achieving sustainability goals. The panel aims to showcase emerging technologies and discuss their potential to revolutionize the offshore energy landscape while addressing environmental concerns.

Panelists:

Dr. Peter F. Green, National Energy Research Laboratory (NREL)
Dr. Daniel Deng, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories
Dr. Landon Mackey, C-Power, Corvallis, OR
Andy Stough, Windlift, Durham, NC

Panelist Bios:

Dr. Peter F. Green – National Energy Research Laboratory, Golden, CO – Deputy Laboratory Director, Science and Technology; Chief Research Officer; and Alliance Senior Vice President

In his role as deputy laboratory director for Science and Technology, Dr. Green is responsible for NREL’s science and research goals, strengthening the laboratory’s core capabilities, and enhancing NREL’s research portfolio. In addition, he oversees the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, NREL-university interactions, and the postdoctoral research program.

Prior to his appointment at NREL, Green spent 20 years in academia and 11 years at Sandia National Laboratories, where his professional career began in 1985. He moved from Sandia to The University of Texas in 1996, where he became a professor of chemical engineering and the B.F. Goodrich Endowed Professor of Materials Engineering. In 2005, he was recruited to the University of Michigan, where he served as the Vincent T. and Gloria M. Gorguze endowed professor of engineering. He was also a professor and chair of materials science and engineering, professor of chemical engineering, and professor of macromolecular science and engineering.

He was the 2006 president of the Materials Research Society (MRS), the inaugural editor-in-chief of MRS Communications, and a divisional associate editor for Physical Review Letters. Green serves in advisory roles for national laboratories, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and scientific journals.

His awards include election to the position of fellow of a number of societies: American Physical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the American Ceramics Society, the American Association of Arts and Science, and the MRS. He was recognized with Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Awards in 2020 and 2023. Green was awarded the 2022 Distinguished Alumni award from Cornell University’s materials science and engineering department.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Hunter College and a master’s and doctorate in materials science and engineering from Cornell University. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

https://www.nrel.gov/

Dr. Daniel Deng – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA – Laboratory Fellow in the Energy & Environment Directorate

In addition to his role at the PNNL Dr. Deng is an adjunct professor of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan. He directs the PNNL Bio-Acoustics & Flow Laboratory, an accredited multi-disciplinary R&D laboratory that addresses a broad range of engineering and ecological issues for marine, hydrokinetic, conventional hydropower, and wind energy systems. Dr. Deng has developed several licensed technologies related to renewable energy and energy storage. He holds 16 US patents and has coauthored over 150 journal articles.

https://www.pnnl.gov/

Landon Mackey – C-Power, Inc, Corvallis OR – Systems Engineering Group Lead

Landon joined the electrical research and development team at C-Power in 2022. Prior to C-Power, Landon earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at North Carolina State University, where he developed facilitating technologies, specifically new circuit protection systems, for renewable ocean energy harvesting. While completing graduate studies, he also started a wave-powered disaster relief desalination company, Water Bros, in response to the Department of Energy Waves to Water Prize. As a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine electrician veteran, Landon has extensive experience operating and maintaining complex electrical and mechanical systems in the challenging ocean environment.

https://cpower.co/

Andy Stough – Windlift, Durham, NC – Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Stough serves as chief technology officer for Windlift and has been working in the field of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) since 2009. He has been the PI for five major development projects during his tenure. The latest project is an $11M, 2-year effort to develop an airborne power generating system for customers at the Department of Defense. He has been awarded (3) patents with multiple patents pending and has spoken at numerous conferences and other public events about AWE.

Prior to Windlift, Mr. Stough worked for Caterpillar for 10 years. He held multiple roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in the management of an engine systems team, where he managed component design and specification with an annual spend of ~$40M/year. While at Caterpillar, Mr. Stough was awarded two patents and led the technical development of a backhoe loader new product introduction program. He also conceived and executed implementation of a system that has saved customers well over 250 million gallons of diesel fuel over the platform life. Previously, he worked at Westinghouse in manufacturing and design of stationary power generation systems, at Ericsson, and at Battelle Memorial Institute.

https://windlift.com/

Promising Heat Pump Developments:
Perspectives from the Pacific Northwest

April 17, 2024 10:00 AM

Join us for a panel discussion featuring industry experts tasked with deploying heat pumps in the Pacific Northwest. Panelists will be sharing current opportunities and challenges that they are facing. This is a great opportunity to hear updates on how technology and policy developments may offer solutions for heat pump incentive programs.

Hosted/moderated by Stephanie Kruse, P.E., a Facilities Engineer from the Oregon Department of Energy.

Stephanie Kruse, P.E., is a facilities engineer for the Oregon Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation section. Stephanie serves as a technical resource for many of the department’s energy programs, recently assisting with the development of the state Rental Home Heat Pump and Community Heat Pump Deployment programs. She is currently focused on the upcoming federally funded Home Energy Rebate programs. Stephanie has 13 years of energy related experience, including implementing energy programs in Oregon and performing energy audits on public buildings in rural Alaska.

Panelists:

Christopher Dymond, Senior Product Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Thomas Elzinga, Energy Services Manager, Central Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Rick Wittgraf, Southern Region Equipment Sales Manager, from Gensco, Inc.

Panelist Bios:

Christopher Dymond (he/his) is NEEA’s senior product manager for residential HVAC systems. His work at focuses on identifying and establishing partnerships and technical basis for accelerating market adoption of high efficiency variable speed heat pump systems. He has undergraduate degrees in physics and engineering physics and a master’s degree in building systems engineering and over 25 years’ experience in emerging technology development and market adoption of energy efficiency and solar energy solutions.

Thomas Elzinga serves as the Energy Services Manager for Central Electric Cooperative, a rural electric cooperative headquartered in the high desert of Redmond, OR. Thomas manages the utility’s energy efficiency, beneficial electrification and regulatory compliance programs. He has spent his career educating members on the best practices of using electricity for homes and businesses of all types in central and western Oregon.

Rick Wittgraf is a Regional Equipment Sales Manager for Gensco Inc. Gensco Inc is a family owned, HVAC distributor located in 6 states in the PNW, and has been in business since 1948.

Gensco’s corporate headquarters is in Tacoma WA, and we have 25 branch location throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and northern California.

Rick has been with Gensco for 34 years and has been involved in the sales and distribution of many generations of Heat Pumps, along with other HVAC equipment and associated supplies. He currently lives in North Portland, and manages a large portion of the heat pump sales in Oregon and SW Washington, including 6 Territory Managers and 9 local branches.