On Tuesday, September 24th, our DC chapter held their “Going Green with Tech” panel discussion at Opower. The speakers included 3 movers and shakers from the DC area: Ed Peters from Opower, Lynn Miller from 4GreenPs, and Matt Caywood from TransitScreen. The event was moderated by Sen Zhang from Greensmith who added his own expertise to the discussion.
The evening kicked off with a networking session coupled with complimentary food and beer, and was followed by a panel discussion on the advancement of green technology and how each speaker’s company has harnessed green initiatives and alternative resources. During the discussion, Matt Caywood provided the audience with the striking statistic that the “environmental footprint of a building’s transportation demand is 130% of own energy use”. He followed up with “...transportation produces ¼ of greenhouse gases.”
Throughout the event audience members were encouraged to participate by asking their own questions of the panel, which promoted a laid-back yet engaging atmosphere. Ed Peters concluded the event with a “word to the wise”, that cable boxes are known to use more energy than refrigerators! So when not in front of the television or before leaving for work, we should all remember turn off the cable box. Cost efficiency and sustainability? Sounds like a win-win. Overall, the evening proved to be thought provoking and informative.
We’d like to thank, again, Opower for hosting our event and our sponsors, Workbridge Associates and Jobspring Partners.
Stay tuned for our next DC event by joining the group!