Trainings & Events

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Anyone new to the use of Portfolio Manager

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Webinar Level: Beginner

Join ENERGY STAR as they introduce and demonstrate the core functionality of the Portfolio Manager tool. Attendees will learn how to navigate Portfolio Manager, add a property and enter details about it, enter energy and water consumption data, and generate performance reports to assess progress.

Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:

• Getting started with benchmarking.
• Understanding how to assess your energy performance.
• Generating reports.

Speaker:

• Mimi Smith, ICF

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Building owners, managers, and service providers

Duration: 1 hour

Webinar Level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced

Every other Wednesday at noon, ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR and they’ll answer all your questions about Portfolio Manager in this public forum.
 

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Those with a basic knowledge of Portfolio Manager who want to learn about the tool’s more advanced features

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Webinar Level: Intermediate

Build on your basic knowledge of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool by taking a deeper dive into more advanced features, such as editing property data, correcting and updating property use details, using the data quality checker, and sharing property data with other users.

Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:

• Going beyond the basics of Portfolio Manager functionality.
• Learning about property sharing, improving data quality, and more.

Speaker:

• Chris Costello, ICF

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Regular users of Portfolio Manager who want to learn its most advanced features

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Webinar Level: Advanced 

Are you well-versed in the basic functionality of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and ready to take advantage of more advanced features? If so, join this webinar to learn about the tool’s most advanced features, including using spreadsheet upload templates to update property data, setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties, creating custom reports, and using the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.

Attend this webinar if you’re interested in:

• Learning about Portfolio Manager’s most advanced features, including goal setting, custom reports, and more

Speaker: 

• Maddy Albee, ICF

Join us for the January Coffee Hour as we discuss the importance of sustainable Winter operations and management. We will be joined by Mary McCarthy, T2 Center Program Director, and Shannon O’Loughlin, T2 Center Educational Program Coordinator, who will provide an overview of the T2 Center's programs, the CT Green Snow Pro training program, and how it can help your municipality manage snow more sustainably and earn points towards action 3.14, Implement Sustainable Snow Management. We will also hear from Tom Modzelewski, Director of Public Works, WPCA Administrator, and Tree Warden for the Town of Ellington. Ellington is a leader in sustainable snow management and is the only town in the state to earn all 60 points available under Action 3.14.

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Thursdays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

The Community Partnership Initiative seeks to leverage the local knowledge, trusted relationships, and experience of local community groups, nonprofit organizations, and environmental justice municipalities in Connecticut who are committed to raising awareness and measurable participation in the Sponsors’ energy efficiency offerings within their own communities.

Applicants are asked to share information on outreach campaigns that they would like to undertake during 2025 in their community to: drive participation in Energize Connecticut energy efficiency programs including Home Energy Solutions^SM – Income Eligible and Small Business Energy Advantage; increase income eligible customer heat pump adoption; and conduct outreach to renters and property owners/managers of multifamily properties with 5+ dwelling units promoting the Multifamily Initiative.

Informational webinars will be held on Tuesday, January 21 at noon and 7:00 p.m.

• To sign up for the noon webinar, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. webinar, please click here.

Open question forums will be held on Tuesday, February 4 at noon and 7:00 p.m. The forums will briefly cover the information presented during the January webinars and focus on Q&A from prospective applicants.

• To sign up for the noon forum, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. forum, please click here.

Round 3 Applications are Due Friday, March 14, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Access the application and learn more on EnergizeCT.com.
 

The Community Partnership Initiative seeks to leverage the local knowledge, trusted relationships, and experience of local community groups, nonprofit organizations, and environmental justice municipalities in Connecticut who are committed to raising awareness and measurable participation in the Sponsors’ energy efficiency offerings within their own communities.

Applicants are asked to share information on outreach campaigns that they would like to undertake during 2025 in their community to: drive participation in Energize Connecticut energy efficiency programs including Home Energy Solutions^SM – Income Eligible and Small Business Energy Advantage; increase income eligible customer heat pump adoption; and conduct outreach to renters and property owners/managers of multifamily properties with 5+ dwelling units promoting the Multifamily Initiative.

Informational webinars will be held on Tuesday, January 21 at noon and 7:00 p.m.

• To sign up for the noon webinar, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. webinar, please click here.

Open question forums will be held on Tuesday, February 4 at noon and 7:00 p.m. The forums will briefly cover the information presented during the January webinars and focus on Q&A from prospective applicants.

• To sign up for the noon forum, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. forum, please click here.

Round 3 Applications are Due Friday, March 14, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Access the application and learn more on EnergizeCT.com.
 

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Building owners, managers, and service providers

Duration: 1 hour

Webinar Level: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced

Every other Wednesday at noon, ENERGY STAR holds a Portfolio Manager “Ask the Expert” session. It’s a live webinar that gives all users an opportunity to ask their questions directly to EPA experts in an open forum. Want to talk to a “real” person? Have a question about how Portfolio Manager calculates your score? Want to learn more about entering Green Power? Join ENERGY STAR and they’ll answer all your questions about Portfolio Manager in this public forum.
 

The Partners for Places matching grant program supports & equitable sustainability projects and helps build partnerships between local government leaders, frontline community groups and place-based funders in the U.S. and Canada.

These matching awards provide partnership investments between $45,000 and $100,000 for one-year projects, or between $75,000 and $150,000 for two-year projects, with one or more local foundations required to provide at least a 50% matching grant.

The deadline to submit proposals is February 28, 2025.

Are you curious to learn more about submitting a successful proposal for the Partners for Places grant program? Join The Funders Network on Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. ET for an informational webinar to learn more!
 

Relevant Building Sectors: All commercial buildings

Recommended for: Energy managers, facility managers, sustainability professionals, and service providers

Duration: 1 hour

Webinar Level: Intermediate and Advanced

IMPORTANT: The method for entering green power in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager has changed. Join ENERGY STAR to learn how to correctly benchmark properties that use offsite electricity. When green power is entered correctly—capturing the various flows of grid and renewable electricity in and out of the property—Portfolio Manager accounts for the impact of offsite renewables on energy performance and greenhouse gas emissions.

This training will cover:

• The data required to enter offsite green power.
• How to enter offsite green power into Portfolio Manager.
• The impacts of offsite green power on ENERGY STAR metrics.
• The eligibility requirements for NextGen.

Note: Green power will be a requirement for ENERGY STAR NextGen certification (available this winter).

Speaker:

• Maddy Albee, ICF

This free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series provides a comprehensive framework of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Sessions run 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on: February 4, March 4, and March 25. Content will be geared to help Sustainability Teams integrate equity considerations into their Sustainable CT initiatives. Who should attend? Sustainability Team members in registered Sustainable CT communities. This includes elected officials, municipal staff, commissioners, and volunteers

Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

February 4: Be READI© for Municipalities - This workshop introduces the foundational principles of the Be READI© framework. During the session, participants will learn values-based strategies for integrating belonging, representation, equity, access, diversity, and inclusion into their core functions and services.

March 4: Anti-Racism in Action - This workshop empowers municipal leaders to implement anti-racism initiatives by elevating the conversation from awareness to action. This session provides a roadmap for turning anti-racist principles into tangible improvements in municipal governance.

March 25: Facilitating Race Dialogues - This session takes the art of conversation to the next level, offering techniques for leaders to facilitate dialogues on race. The focus will be on managing complex dynamics, navigating sensitive topics, and using conversational frameworks that promote deeper understanding and collective progress.
 

The Community Partnership Initiative seeks to leverage the local knowledge, trusted relationships, and experience of local community groups, nonprofit organizations, and environmental justice municipalities in Connecticut who are committed to raising awareness and measurable participation in the Sponsors’ energy efficiency offerings within their own communities.

Applicants are asked to share information on outreach campaigns that they would like to undertake during 2025 in their community to: drive participation in Energize Connecticut energy efficiency programs including Home Energy Solutions^SM – Income Eligible and Small Business Energy Advantage; increase income eligible customer heat pump adoption; and conduct outreach to renters and property owners/managers of multifamily properties with 5+ dwelling units promoting the Multifamily Initiative.

Informational webinars will be held on Tuesday, January 21 at noon and 7:00 p.m.

• To sign up for the noon webinar, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. webinar, please click here.

Open question forums will be held on Tuesday, February 4 at noon and 7:00 p.m. The forums will briefly cover the information presented during the January webinars and focus on Q&A from prospective applicants.

• To sign up for the noon forum, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. forum, please click here.

Round 3 Applications are Due Friday, March 14, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Access the application and learn more on EnergizeCT.com.
 

The Community Partnership Initiative seeks to leverage the local knowledge, trusted relationships, and experience of local community groups, nonprofit organizations, and environmental justice municipalities in Connecticut who are committed to raising awareness and measurable participation in the Sponsors’ energy efficiency offerings within their own communities.

Applicants are asked to share information on outreach campaigns that they would like to undertake during 2025 in their community to: drive participation in Energize Connecticut energy efficiency programs including Home Energy Solutions^SM – Income Eligible and Small Business Energy Advantage; increase income eligible customer heat pump adoption; and conduct outreach to renters and property owners/managers of multifamily properties with 5+ dwelling units promoting the Multifamily Initiative.

Informational webinars will be held on Tuesday, January 21 at noon and 7:00 p.m.

• To sign up for the noon webinar, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. webinar, please click here.

Open question forums will be held on Tuesday, February 4 at noon and 7:00 p.m. The forums will briefly cover the information presented during the January webinars and focus on Q&A from prospective applicants.

• To sign up for the noon forum, please click here.

• To sign up for the 7:00 p.m. forum, please click here.

Round 3 Applications are Due Friday, March 14, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Access the application and learn more on EnergizeCT.com.
 

This free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series provides a comprehensive framework of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Sessions run 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on: April 10, May 8, and June 12. Content will be geared to help Sustainability Teams integrate equity considerations into their Sustainable CT initiatives. Who should attend? Sustainability Team members in registered Sustainable CT communities. This includes elected officials, municipal staff, commissioners, and volunteers

Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

April 10: From Unconscious Bias to Systemic Change - This workshop goes beyond recognizing unconscious bias to crafting strategies for systemic change. The session offers theoretical insights and practical tools to reshape the municipal landscape for equity and justice.

May 8: Race & Community - Deepening Engagement and Solidarity - This workshop is designed to deepen community engagement around issues of race and racism. This interactive session will focus on building partnerships, coalitions, and networks that can amplify efforts to challenge racism and build equitable communities.

June 12: Persuasion for Progress - Influencing Change in Community Attitudes - Aiming to create progressive shifts in community attitudes, this workshop provides participants with nuanced approaches to community conversation, listening, resistance, and persuasion. Understanding that change often meets resistance, this session equips leaders with psychological insights and advanced communication strategies to transform skepticism into support for the Be READI© principles.
 

This free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series provides a comprehensive framework of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Attendance at all three sessions is required.

Sessions run 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on: June 17, July 22, and August 26. Content will be geared to help Sustainability Teams integrate equity considerations into their Sustainable CT initiatives. Who should attend? Sustainability Team members in registered Sustainable CT communities. This includes elected officials, municipal staff, commissioners, and volunteers.

Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live, interactive training and will NOT be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will actively participate in three different workshops:

June 17: Be READI© Leadership - Championing Equity at the Forefront - "Be READI© Leadership: Championing Equity at the Forefront" is a workshop for those ready to lead by example in equity and inclusion. Participants will explore leadership techniques, including influencing organizational culture, inspiring teams, and leading equitable change initiatives that yield measurable results.

July 22: Measuring What Matters - Assessing DEI Impact in Municipalities -  "Measuring What Matters: Assessing DEI Impact in Municipalities" focuses on tracking progress and evaluating the impact of DEI initiatives. Municipal leaders will learn to collect and analyze data, report on findings, and use insights to drive continuous improvement and accountability in DEI efforts.

August 26: Sustainable Change - Institutionalizing Be READI© Practices - "Sustainable Change: Institutionalizing Be READI© Practices" is designed to ensure the longevity and resilience of DEI efforts. Leaders will be equipped with strategies for policy development, stakeholder engagement, and creating a municipal infrastructure that supports lasting DEI integration.