The E+E 100 are the VPs, directors, managers and engineers who are making significant strides in driving our industry. Watch for the report featuring all 100 at the end of June, or see the complete list here. And stay tuned for the Call for Submissions coming in the fall, when you can nominate your favorite sustainability or energy management professional!
Now, meet Kirby Dipert, field engineer with Lockheed Martin Energy:
Lockheed Martin Energy provides energy management and efficiency programs including smart grid technologies for utility customers. Dipert works directly with utility customers to help them put programs into place — from lighting retrofits to manure pumps to anything else that saves a utility kilowatt hours. Dipert is also passionate about sustainability education and works tirelessly to champion the synergies of sustainability along with energy efficiency and renewable energy.
EMT: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in the last year or two?
Dipert: My work involves meeting with utility customers and folks that are eligible for incentives and helping them with energy efficiency programs. Basically, we’re just trying to give money away and it’s hard to convince people that we really are trying to give money back to them. People think it’s too good to be true. That’s a real challenge, trying to rope commercial customers in and convince them the programs really will give them money back.
EMT: How have you addressed that challenge?
Dipert: We communicate it through networking events, outreach events, referrals, face- to-face meetings. We have opportunities to spread the word through large presentations. They tell the newspaper, other people hear about it. It’s all about communication. We have account managers that interface with large customers, so they’re good at saying, “You might want to talk to Kirby.”
Specifically, one of the best ways of communicating the benefits is to give them calculations on the cost of doing nothing.
EMT: What advice would you give other professionals as they try to accomplish their sustainability or energy management goals?
Dipert: A lot of folks are interested into getting into energy efficiency or energy management. My recommendation is to stick with it, stick with your heart, continue to work hard to make connections, and eventually, doors will open up. Also get credentialed for things like CEM (certified energy manager) or LEED AP O+M (LEED certification for existing buildings). Only a small population of people has that certification
