Bright Employee: Aron Weis, Director of Retrofit Installation, Western Region
We’re proud of the intelligent, passionate, and hardworking people that make up the Bright Power team. Each month, you’ll get a chance to meet one of them, understand how they contribute to the organization, and what makes them excited to come to work every day.
Meet new Bright Power team member Aron Weis, Director of Retrofit Installation, Western Region.
What are some of the things you are excited most about working at Bright Power?
My first job out of college was at an energy efficiency startup in Boston. I was the third employee. The wide variety of skills I picked up and the exposure to many different business opportunities as we grew kept me busy and excited about the future. I look forward to the same at Bright Power. While an established company, with the technological advances in the energy sector—and Bright Power’s commitment to innovative technologies—will create new opportunities for growth and learning.
You have a ton of experience in implementing energy and water improvements. What are some projects and accomplishments you’re most proud of?
While in Capitol Hill I obtained the first ENERGY STAR and LEED-EBOM (Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance) certifications awarded for buildings under the Architect of the Capitol’s jurisdiction.
What’s something people might not know about you?
I run one road race a year. Every Thanksgiving, my sister has forced me to join her family in running the Manchester Road Race in Connecticut. Unfortunately, as her boys get older it’s now become a torturous competitive race in 15F temps rather than a friendly turkey trot.
What do you think is the most underrated energy or water efficiency measure? Why?
Monitoring-Based (or Continuous) Commissioning. Collecting real-time data and monitoring a building’s performance over time allows for maintaining optimal efficiency. It also determines more efficient sequences of operation. This measure eliminates the degradation of savings which is one of the biggest issues owners face after projects are completed. Essentially it’s an energy expert watching your buildings 24/7.
Tell us about the best run retrofit installation you’ve seen. Why did it work well?
At Paris Las Vegas we retro-commissioned the HVAC system while we converted the central chilled water plant to an all variable speed system at the same time. It went very smoothly due to the complete buy-in and technical involvement of the facility staff and the communication and project management of the implementation team. Another key component was getting the IT group involved early. In today’s world, getting IT involved in large energy projects is key, as the IT system is the backbone of the data and control network.
Of all of the different high-performance equipment and systems out there, what do you see as the next big thing? Why?
I believe data analytics will be the future of energy management. As devices and equipment become advanced and more connected, all the data they generate will be used to not only monitor their operations but also predict failures and optimize energy use through advanced algorithms.