Bright Ideas Energy Expo Program

December 7, 2013

Energy Expo2013

Sponsored by:WVU Parkersburg Public Relations/Journalism Department

&Wood County Commission

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg December 7, 2013Page 2

SimontonWindowsproducesENERGYSTARqualifiedreplacementandnewconstructionwindowsand doors, including a line of impact-resistant products. Foundedin1946,Simonton’shallmarkhasbeentodeliveritsmade-to-orderproductsinfivedaysorless.PartofthehomeandsecuritybusinessofFortuneBrands,Inc.Simontondeliversaward-winningproductsnationwidetokeymarketsthroughoutthe48continentalUnitedStates.Forinformation,call(800)SIMONTON(1-800-746-6686)orvisitwww.simonton.com.

PickeringAssociateswasestablishedin1988inParkersburg,WestVirginiaandprovidesprojectdevelopment,projectmanagement,architectureandengineeringservicesintheindustrial,institutional,andcommercialindustrysectors.Thecompanyisbasedonover70yearsofconstructionexperienceintheconstantlyevolvingbuildingenvironment.AstheMid-OhioValley’spremierfull-serviceArchitectureandEngineeringfirm,PickeringAssociatesprovidesanumberofdisciplinestomakesureyourprojectisnotonlyuniquebutalsoinnovative,sustainable,polishedandaffordable. Pickering Associates disciplines include architecture, electrical, mechanical, process, civil and struc-turalengineering,aswellascontrols&automation.Ourstrengthisinourprojectdeliveryability,incorpo-ratingyourexpectationswiththeprojectscope,budget,schedule,andtheexpectationsoftheconstructioncontractors.

Fromahumblestartmorethan55yearsago,StateElectricSupplyCompanyhasevolvedintooneofthenation'slargestandbest-knownelectricaldistributors,onewithmorethan700employeesat40branchlocationsinfivestates. ThecompanywasborninHuntington,WVin1952whenArtWeisbergloadedhispickuptruckwithlightbulbs,extensioncordsandfusesandthenhittheroadsellingtogroceryandhardwarestoresthatwere so numerous back then. WeisbergbuiltStateElectricaroundtheideathatprovidingthecustomerwithjustaproductwasnotenough."Beyondqualityproductsandcompetitiveprices,"hesays,"thethingthatwouldseparateourcompanyfromotherswasservice.Webelievethatmakinganefforttoprovidecustomerswithwhattheyneed,whentheyneedit,willkeepthemhappyandcomingback." HappycustomershavebeencomingbacktoStateElectricforover55yearsandduringthattimethecompanyhassteadilyexpanded,growingfromonelocationinHuntingtontotoday'snetworkoflocationsinWestVirginia,Kentucky,Ohio,Virginia,andNorthCarolina,andservicinganevenlargerregion.

EnergyEfficientWestVirginiaisagroupofconcernedWestVirginiaresidents,businessesandorganizationswhohavecometogethertopromoteenergyefficiencyamongresidential,commercial,and industrial customers in our state. Inresponsetoa43%rateincreaseproposedbyAppalachianPowerCompanyin2009,theycreatedanorganizationtopromotestrongerenergyefficiencypoliciesthatwouldhelpprotectresidentsfromfuturerateincreasesanddriveamarketforenergyefficiencyservices.Givenouroldandinefficienthousingstockandhistoriclackofinvestmentinenergyefficiency,thereishugepotentialforinvestinginenergyefficiencyanddemandresponseprogramsthatwillhelpresidentsandbusinessessavemoneyontheirbills. TheyareactiveinadvocatingforenergyefficiencyatthePublicServiceCommission,thelegislature, and through work with local organizations and municipal governments.

Let Us Introduce

Representing North America’s largest indepen-dentnaturalgasexplora-tion and production com-panies, America's Natural Gas Alliance will work withindustry,governmentand customer stakeholders to ensure continued avail-abilityandtopromotein-creased use of our natural gas resources for a cleaner andmoresecureenergyfuture.

TheWVUParkersburgChronicleisacollegenews publication which is writtenanddesignedbystudents of the Journalism/Public Relations depart-mentatWVUParkers-burg. Production of the ChronicleissupervisedbyCoordinatoroftheWVUParkersburg Journalism/Public Relations Depart-ment, Torie Jackson.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgDecember 7, 2013 Page 3

Grogg’sHeating&AirConditioning,Inc.foundedin1970byLeonB.Groggexiststoservetheircustomerswellandtoconstantlyfindwaystocreatenewcustomers.Theirgoalistoexceedthecustomers’expectationsEVERYTIMEbyprovidingthehighestqualityproductsandservicesavailable.Theytreatthecustomers’homewiththesamecareandrespectasifitweretheirown.Theystrivetobeontimeandperformqualityworkatafairprice.Theystrivetoalwaystreattheircustomerswithdignityandrespect. TheyareconstantlylookingforwaystoimproveandwelcomechangeifitcausesthemtobeabletobetteraccomplishtheirmissioninParkersburg,Clarksburgandsurroundingareas.http://www.groggsheating.com.

CommunityResources,Inc.(CRI)wasorganizedasaprivate,non-profit501(c)3agencyin1986.ItisthesoleCommunityActionAgencyfortheelevencountyareaknownasWestCentralWestVirginia.CRIserveslowtomoderateincomeindividualsandfamiliesinthoseelevencountiesbypromotingthespiritofcommunitiesthroughleadership,education,resourcesandopportunitiesthatempowerfamiliestobecomeself-sufficient,thuscreatingacommunitywhereeveryoneisapartofthesolution. Inthe2010calendaryear,CRIprovidedservicestoover4,800familiestouchingthelivesofover11,000individualswithemergencyneeds,homeweatherization,educationandemploymentassistance,heatingandutilityassistance,homeacquisitionandhomerepairloans.CRIalsooffersafreeincometaxpreparationservicewhichhascompletedasixthfullyearofsuccessfuloutcomes. CRIhashousedtheWeatherizationprogramforthepast16yearsandhasrealizedtophonorsinthestateforperformanceandjobcompletions.CRIhasseenamarkedincreasenotonlyinapplicationsmadebyrecipients,butinmoreactualjobcompletionsandmuchmoreinterestintheprogramfromcommunityofficialsanddevelopers.Asweareabletoprovidemoreassistancetomorefamilies,homevaluesincrease,energycostsdecrease,communitiesbecomestrengthenedandindividualsbecomemoreself-sufficient.TheincreaseinthisprogramhasalsoallowedCRItoprovidelocalemploymentopportunitiesforweatherizationcrewmembers.

PickeringEnergySolutionsisaWestVirginiaorganizationestablishedtolaunchandencouragerenewableenergygenerationandusewithintheMid-OhioValley. Establishedin2012,theyinstallandservicephotovoltaicpowerandotherrenewableenergysystemsforlocalresidentialandcommercialbuildingownersthroughdirectsalesorthroughaPowerPurchaseAgreementorPowerLeasingarrangement. Theyuseelectricalenergyinavarietyofwaysintheirlifewithoutthinkingaboutthesourceorenvironmentalcostofthisenergy.Intheareamostofthepowerisproducedbyburningfossilfuels,primarilycoal,inpowerplants.Thecombustionoffossilfuelsforenergyproductionisattributedtoglobalwarmingandahostofotherenvironmentalandsocialproblems.Thusenergyusecreatespollutionandenvironmentaldegradation–itisjustnotalwaysnoticeabletocommunitymembersbecauseitisnotintheirbackyard. Renewableenergytechnologieshavematuredtothepointwheretheycanreasonablybeincorporatedintoourenvironmentwithlittleimpactonuswhileallowingustoliveinamoreenvironmentallyfriendlymanner.Solarphotovoltaicpanels,whichcanbeeasilyincorporatedintoavarietyofbuildingenvironments,oftenwithoutvisualimpact,willproduceover6timestheamountofenergythatittakestomakethepanelover its 25year life cycle.Aside fromhaving a significant impact on the environment (by avoiding thecombustionoffossilfuels),withpropergovernmentalincentivestheyarealsoagoodfinancialinvestment.

You to Our Exhibitors

MorrisHomeAppliancestocksthearea'slargestlineofmajorappliances.Whetheryouarelookingforanewdishwasher,oven,refrigerator,washer/dryer,stoveorcooktopMorrisHomeApplianceshouldbeyourfirstandonlystop.Theyaretheonlydealerwithaserviceandpartsdepartmentintheareaandweservicewhatwesell! Morrishasawidevarietyofenergyefficientproductswhichlookgreatandcanhelpyousavemoneyonyourutilitybills.

Bright Ideas Energy Project wishes to extend our gratitude to all of our exhibitors, speakers, and performers for making this event successful.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg December 7, 2013Page 4

Schedule of Events 10:00am - 11:30am - Demonstrations by WVU Parkersburg Energy Management students Guests will learn: How to build an insulating cover for recessed lighting to save money on heating bills. How to install an installation blanket on a water heater to save money on water bills. How to weatherize doors and windows to stop cold drafts. How to manage solar heat gain by using window treatments to gain heat in the winter and block heat in the summer

11:30am - 12:00pm - Hamilton Singers 12:00pm - 12:30pm - Guest Speaker Chip Pickering of Pickering Energy Solutions 1:00pm - 1:30pm Smoot Boys Ensenble

Other Activities Include: WIN A FREE IPAD! Kids' craft table -Firefly Jar Craft Kit -"Save our planet" key ring craft kit -Colored magic scratch bookmarks

Complete the Energy Quiz on the Bright Ideas

Energy ExpoFacebook page! All participants will be

entered in a drawing - two people will be drawn to win a free mini iPad!

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5December 7, 2013

The Hamilton Singers is agroup of 7th & 8th grade stu-dents from Hamilton MiddleSchool who meet once a week duringClubTime. They are also a part of the7th & 8th Grade Choir whichrehearses daily, but they have agreater interest in performing and singing and use this additional time to increase their skills. Theyperformat all of our choirconcerts and at various commu-nityeventsaswell. The group is directed byMrs.

The Smoot Theatre BoysEnsemble was organized in Septemberof2011,by ArtisticDirector, Felice Jorgeson. Theprimarypurposeoftheen-sembleistoprovideaqualitymusicalexperience for boys during thechallenging adolescent yearswhen they’re dealing with thevoice change. The members of our Ensemble come from Wash-ington County, Ohio as well ashereinWoodCounty.

They represent a varietyof elementary, middle schools,and home educated programs. Membership in the Smoot BoysEnsemble is determined byauditions held each spring. Re-hearsals are held one evening a weekat theHistoricSmootThe-atre. This group, along with the Smoot Theatre Children’s Cho-rus, is offered free of charge as a service to theyouth inour com-

Marsha Lindenmuth, who hasbeentheChoirandMusicTeach-eratHamiltonfor15years. The students in the group include: Avery Beha, JuliaBland, Chasidy Church, LakynEdwards,DanielleFolwell,TyeeGibson, Daniel Ha, Emma Her-shman, Larne Hoffmann, ChaseMayo, Olivia Ramsay, DylanRichards, Brenee Riddle, KateSalmans, Hailey Smarr, AlyssiaStarcher, Josiah Stephens, Racie Westfall, MariaWharton, EmilyWilliamson,AbbyWooten.

munity. The Smoot Theatre Boys En-semble is under the direction of Mrs.JanetBlessing.Mrs.Bless-ing received her Master ofArtsDegree in music from MarshallUniversity. She retired from the Wood County School System in 2007,where she servedmany years aschoir director of the award win-ningJacksonJuniorHighSchoolChoirinVienna.

The Hamilton Singers perform at the Parkersburg City Park

The Hamilton Singers

Smoot Boys Ensemble

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg December 7, 2013Page 6

by Allison Hilber T h e WVU P a r k e r s b u r gPublic Relations CampaignManagement class is not a con-ventional class. This class is not taught by reading from a textbook, writing papers, taking ex-ams or listening to a lecture. T h i s c l a s s i s a s e r v i c e learning class, meaning that hands-on work in the field of study is performed by the stu-dents, to benefit the communityaround them, without being paid. Energy efficiency is the areaof focus of the campaign man-agement class for the fall 2013semester. The class of eight stu-dents included: Joy Alderman,JeremyHarrison,AllisonHilber,Kristiana Hunt, Susan Moore,Jason Ross, Rachel Terzo and Jessica Thompson, and led byadvisor Torie Jackson. Bright Ideas Energy Expo isthe name the class came up with for the event that is being put on at the end of the semester, with

A new club at Parkersburg High School is growing througheducation and awareness of re-newableenergy. SeniorJ.ConorMcCoystartedtheParkersburgHighSchoolSo-lar Energy Club after attendingtheAmerican LegionMountain-eerBoysState in thesummerof2012.ArequirementaftertakinganonlineclassofferedbyClem-son University asked McCoy todevelop a service learning plan, which sparked his idea for creat-ingthePHSSolarEnergyClub. McCoy’s draft proposal forthe club outlines the objectives,which include: to develop alearning curriculum, meeting schedule and establish member-ship, engage the community andthe school in fund raising for a solar photovoltaic (PV) system,and to obtain and assist in the in-stallationofanactualPVsystematPHS. Once the solar panel systemis installed, the club will be in charge of the maintenance, as wellasthemonitoringofthesys-tem to make sure it is functioning atfullcapacity. McCoy is not only the proj-ect planner of the club, but also thetheme,“Isyourhomesick?”

The expo includes exhibitorswhocandisplaywhat theirbusi-ness can do to help homeowners with energy efficiency, promo-tional material, information to the public on energy efficiency,entertainment, food and a venue. To help promote awareness the class also created a website, www.brightideasenergyproject.org,andaFacebookpage,BrightIdeas Energy Expo, with infor-mation on how to help make homes become more energy ef-ficient, as well as promote theexpo. With no funding, the class had to obtain all themoneyused forthe expo through sponsorship.This included phone calls, going to businesses, e-mails and going before the Wood County Com-mission to pitch a promo for the event and ask for their assistance with already allocated funds forenergyeducation. Finding energy efficient busi-

nesses,whowouldbe exhibitorsat the expo, advertising throughnewspaper and radio, and fund-ing became a challenge at times, but students pursued every op-tiontocreateasuccessfulexpo. The students also designed and developed promotional kits which included items that goes along with the “Is your homesick?”theme. A myriad of things werelearned by the students thissemester, including how much work goes into putting together and promoting an event such as this, but one of the most valuable things learned was how to move forward from a rejection, andregroup to create a successful project. Each student in the public relations class learned different things from their experiences inmaking the Bright Ideas EnergyExpohappen,butwithoutservicelearning it would not have been possible.

PHS Solar Energy Clubthe president. “I will serve asthe club’s initial president and will serve for one year,” statedMcCoy. He will also prepareanother potential leader for the club, after he graduates to keep it active. McCoymentioned that one ofthe most important aspects of the club’s existence will be learn-ing how to execute fundraisingfor the school’s solar system ifand when it is built. “Even if a solarPVsystemisnotbuiltrightaway,oratall,itgivestheclubaspecificandspecialgoal.” Although one of the main goals of the PHS Solar EnergyClub is to have a solar systeminstalled, the club also is focused on raising awareness of our area’s potential for renewable energy sources such as wind,biomass, and solar. “We are transitioning from fossil-based energy sources to renewablebased energy sources with natu-ral gas as a transition source,”McCoystated. McCoy hopes in the futuresolar panels become cheaper and can be installed on more buildings in the area, including schools and churches.

Bright Ideas Team Overcomes Challenges

Pictured (l to r) are Torie Jackson, Allison Hilber, Jason Ross, Susan Moore, Rachel Terzo, Jess Thompson, and Jeremy Harrison.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 7

Dr. Charles ‘Chip’ Pickering PhD, PE, LEED - Chief Executive Officer

SincefoundingPickeringAssociatesin1988,Chiphasbeenactivelyinvolvedinbuildingandguidingthefirm’sdirectionandgrowth.Hehasmanagedelectricalandmulti-disciplinedprojectsformanyofthefirmslocatedintheMid-

OhioValley. Chiphasanumberofinterests,includingsustainabledesignandconstruction,solarenergy,projectmanagementandteachingasawayofpassingontheknowledgeandcaringthat

others have shown to him in the past. ChipholdsaB.S.inEngineeringPhysics,anM.S.inEngineeringManagement,aPh.D.inStrategicLeadership,isaLEEDAPforBuildingDesignandConstruction,andholdsProfessionalEngineerlicensuresinseveralstates.HeiscurrentlyactiveatPickeringAssociatesworkingonspecial

projectsandprovidingorganizationalleadership.

Pickering Associates is a well-aligned team of professional architects and engineers withadiversedepthandbreadthofknowledge.Thestrengthofthefirmrestsinourhighly

qualified personnel. And it is through our personnel that we have gained a reputation for thedeliveryofasuperiorserviceevidencedbyanextremelyhighrateofrepeatbusiness. Ourindustry-focusedprofessionalsinthefieldsofprojectmanagement,architecture,civil,

structural, mechanical, electrical and process engineering, automation and controls and

construction administration create solutions for today’scomplexfacilityand infrastructure challenges. Successfully executingmorethan

10,000projectsinits history,thefirmhasbuilt a tremendous wealth ofexperiencegaining

insight into what works for eachofourclienttypes. Those lessons learned add substance to our work

and provide our clients with unparalleledvalue.Ourobjectiveistopartnerwith our clients improving theirperformance,flexibility,life-cyclecost,sustainabilityandultimatelywell-being.

Establishedin1988,PickeringAssociateswasfoundedasanengineeringfirmthathasdevelopedintoanintegratedarchitectureandengineeringcompanyprovidingservicesto

education, government, healthcare, industrial, oil & gas and private sector clients.

People, Service, Results

Pickering Associates was contracted by Mondo Building and Excavating on behalf of Washington Electric Cooperative to architect and engineer a new 30,000 SF LEED certified office and warehouse building. The Project Basic Task List was Architectural

Design, Site Design, Structural Design, MEP Design, and Construction Administration/On-site Representation. The Disciplines involved were Architecture, Civil Engineering, Structural

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Project Management, and Construction Administration. Highlights of the successes created by the professionals at

Pickering Associates include:

Water Efficiency – saving the amount of water to do 650 loads of laundry every year.Workplace Quality of Life – 90% of the occupants have a direct line of site to the outdoors.Energy Efficiency – 22% reduction in energy consumption versus code requirements.

Pickering Associates Departments:• Project Management• Architecture • Civil Engineering

• Structural Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Electrical Engineering

• Automation and Controls • Construction Administration• Process Engineering

December 7, 2013

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 December 7, 2013

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[email protected]

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Jimmy Colombo's The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgDecember 7, 2013 Page 9

Italian RestaurantFamily owned and operated

since 1954

* Appetizers

* Pizza

* Salads

* Sizzling Steaks

* Family Favorites

* Pasta Dishes

* Pork Entrees

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* Children's Menu

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1236 7th Street Parkersburg, WV

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• American families

waste more than $13

billion dollars worth of

energy annually. This

amounts to approximat-

ley $150 per family.

• Energy expended for

the heating and cooling

of homes accounts for

50%-70% of all energy

usage.

• A crack as small as

1/16 of an inch lets in

the same amount of air

as if the window was

actually OPEN 3 inches.

• Simple repairs , such as

installing weather strip-

ping around doors and

windows saves 10%-

25% on energy wasted

for heating and cooling.

• Inspection of furnace

and ductwork (and

repair) can save you

15%-35% on heating

and cooling costs.

• Improved insulation can

save you up to 20% on

heating and cooling an-

nually.

• Using fans during the

summer months can

save 7%-10% on cool-

ing costs.

** Facts from AEP and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 10 December 7, 2013

by Kristiana Hunt Energy efficiency awarenesscanoffer avarietyofbenefits tonotonlyhomeownersbuttheen-vironment as well. Many homeowners would besurprised by the little things intheir home that contribute to the priceoftheirutilitybillsandhowsimpleit is tofixthem.Someofthese problems can be identifiedand solved by hiring a contrac-tortoperformanenergyauditonyour home. The contractor canperformavarietyoftestsandin-spectionsonthehometoidentifywhat areas need improvement. Oneofthefirstthingssomeonecan do to make their home more energy efficient is install neworadditional insulation in areas that need it such as attics or ceilings. In addition, weather strippingwill ensure that windows and doorsaresealedproperly.Weath-er stripping partnered with the insulation can prevent drafts and air leaks. Thus, in the winter or summer, the warm and cold air will stay trapped in the home.The elimination of air leaks can also decrease the cost of one’s utility bills as the systems willnot need to be run so often. Becomingenergyefficient canalso involve replacing older ap-pliances with newer models that are Energy Star certified. Thisincludeswashers,dryers,kitchenappliances, or furnaces. For ex-ample, low-flow shower headsand toiletsareEnergyStarcerti-fied as they save a lot of water.Anon-demandwaterheateronlyfires when hot water is needed,and once it quickly heats up, itquits burning fuel.Upgrading tomodelsthatareEnergyStarcerti-fied will save money as well asconserveenergy. Furnaces are one appliance thatcanbealteredinavarietyofsimplewaystobecomemoreen-ergyefficientinsteadofbuyingacompletely new system. Chang-ing theairfiltersmakes it easierfor air to circulate. Therefore, the furnace does not have to work as hard. Another solution to reduc-ing how much the furnace works

is providing it with seal ducts. Additionally, installing a pro-grammable thermostat prevents the furnace from running while the home is not being occupied. Then, the homeowner can set the furnace tokickonshortlybeforeanyoneisexpectedhomeandthehouse will be warm upon arrival. Closing vents in unused roomsalso cuts back the use of the heat-ingandcoolingsystems.Thelessthe systemshave to run, the lessthehomeownerhastopay. The next step a homeownercan take to become more en-ergy efficient is switching fromincandescentbulbs tofluorescentbulbs. Though fluorescent bulbscostmore topurchase, theysavethe homeowner money in thelong run. Fluorescent bulbs last upto12timeslongerthanincan-

descent bulbs. Solar panels can also be a wise investment both financiallyand environmentally. In thisarea especially, our homes runoff of power produced in power plants by burning fossil fuels.By switching to solar panels,our homes create its own power, therefore eliminating the need for power from power plants and re-ducing our dependency on fossilfuels. Financially, this system alsoreduces electric bills because home owners are not required to pay the power company for useof their power. Aside from the previouslymentioned options, a multitude of other ideas are available for homeowners to become energyefficient.Plantingatreeforshade

in the summer or taking a second out of the day to turn off un-necessary lights and appliancesare simple steps one can make to promoteenergyefficiency. Finally, homeowners shouldtake advantage of the tax in-centives that come with being energy efficient. They could getupto$1,500backfortheirhomeimprovements. Not only arehomeowners saving money onutility bills, but they are earningmoney through tax incentivesjustforbeingenergyefficient. The options available for homeowners to become energyefficientmake itpossible for ev-eryone to participate. It providesbenefits for the environment aswell as personal benefits for thehomeowner.Itisawin-winsitua-tiontobeenergyefficient.

SavingEnergySaves Money

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgDecember 7, 2013 Page 11

DATE TEAM MATCH-UP TIME

12/10 Girls SMHS Vs. Williamstown 7:30pm12/17 Boys SMHS Vs. Tyler 7:30pm12/20 Boys SMHS Vs. Williamstown 7:30pm1/7 Boys Pkb. Catholic Vs. SMHS 7:30pm1/14 Boys Ritchie Vs. SMHS 7:30pm1/21 Boys Williamstown Vs. SMHS 7:30pm1/23 Girls SMHS Vs. Ritchie 7:30pm2/4 Girls Williamstown Vs. SMHS 7:30pm2/5 Boys SMHS Vs. Ritchie 7:30pm

2013-2014 High School Basketball Schedule

Are you at work? Traveling? Need to listen to a basketball game but can't find where. Then you've come to the right place. Check out our line up of great local games.

Tune into Lite Rock 93R for all the live actions or online at literock93r.com.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg December 7, 2013Page 12

The WVU Parkersburg Environmental Action

Group works to promote awareness of environmental issues

such as conservation and preservation, with a focus on educating the college

community. Anyone can become a

member.

The mission statement of the Environmental Action Group is “to promote awareness of environmental issues such as conservation and preservation, with a focus on educating the college community.” Professor Bill Douglas and a group of students who wished to inform people about environmental is-sues first started EAG in 2003. Once Douglas retired, Jane King took over as the advisor for EAG. After King, the group remained in-active for a few years until more students began showing interest in reactivating the organization. This August, EAG was taken over by Professor Rebecca Phillips and is now an active group with 27 students currently signed up. Student leaders of EAG include President Kodi Sells, Vice President Trina Cottrill, Secretary Michelle Hoff and Treasurer Logan Mace. Candace Vandenbroeke is also very involved with the group. The EAG has put together several events this semester. On Oct. 31 the club had a joint meeting with the psychology club in room 1317 with professors Phil and Denise McClung speaking about PSYCH 410, WVU Parkersburg's unique Applied Environmental Psychology course. The Environmental Action Group has also had special guest speakers such as Kelly Bragg of the West Virginia Division of Energy who discussed alternative fuels and ways of transportation. Also Hans Straight instructional specialist and program coordinator of WVU Parkersburg's diversified agriculture program has spoke about food agriculture issues. Anyone who is interested in becoming a member of EAG, or anyone who has any concerns or infor-mation they would like to share about environmental issues, may contact Rebecca Phillips at [email protected]. Phillips is also available in her office, room 1306. Students can also find more information about EAG on their Facebook page, WVU Parkersburg Envi-ronmental Action Group. Students are encouraged to like the page to receive news or upcoming events involving EAG.

The Energy Programs at WVU Parkersburg consist of the Solar Energy Technology program, the

Energy Assessment and Management Technology program and the Automated Systems Technology

program with a specialization in Energy Management and Building Controls (beginning Fall 2014).

The Solar Energy Technology program teaches students design and installation skills for both solar

photoelectric systems and solar thermal (domestic hot water) systems. The Energy Assessment

and Management Technology program teaches residential energy auditing and weatherization

skills. The Automated Systems Technology program, with a specialization in Energy Management

and Building Controls, will begin accepting students in Fall 2014. It will teach students highly

technical skills such as computer networking, computer programming, commercial heating,

ventilation and air conditioning skills, and is intended to provide training for entry level positions

in Commercial Energy Management and Commercial and Institutional Facilities Management. A student demostrates how to utilize an on-demand water heater.