Upcoming Events • NESEA News • Jobs Board • Community News • Featured Benefit

Event Date: Friday, August 15, 2025
Time: 1pm-5pm
Location: Manchester, CT 06042
CEU Information: AIA (pending)
Cost: $35 Members/$45 Non-Members

This August, NESEA will head to Connecticut to offer a tour of a renovated and expanded 1940s elementary school that has been transformed into a modern, net-zero facility, complete with a 66-well geothermal HVAC system, to serve 400 students.

Originally built in 1949, this project highlights the practical implementation of cutting-edge sustainable design principles in a real-world setting, while also showing the challenges and opportunities of transforming outdated school infrastructure into modern, net zero energy facilities. From its geothermal HVAC system and rooftop solar array to its interdisciplinary STEAM spaces and improved circulation design, the project offers a comprehensive look at innovative solutions that align with both environmental and educational goals.

Our event will begin with an opening workshop where the team will discuss the history, goals, and design and construction strategies. Attendees will then break into small groups to tour the school while hearing more from the interdisciplinary team of experts who made the building possible. After the tour, we’ll regroup for a reception and Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to chat with the day’s speakers and each other. 

Our Connecticut Pro Tours always bring out a great group of folks, and this tour shaping up to be a fun and interesting one. See you there!

Event Date: September 3, 2025
Event Time: 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Venue: online
Event Cost: free
Presented by USGBC

Whether you're working toward LEED certification, carbon neutrality, or building performance standards, a trained workforce is essential to ensuring consistent, measurable results. Join us to explore how targeted workforce development strategies can help you build internal capacity, foster innovation, and drive long-term impact toward your clean energy goals.

For more great content like this, be sure to save the date of October 16th for BuildingEnergy NYC 2025. Registration will be opening soon, so stay tuned! You can learn more about the BuildingEnergy NYC Conference, and it's theme, by visiting here.

Presented by

Date: Friday, September 5, 2025
Location: South Portland, ME
Cost: $35 Members/$45 Non-Members
CEU Information: AIA (pending)

This September, NESEA invites you to join us for a tour of two recently completed multifamily buildings in South Portland, both built to PHIUS standards. Together, these side-by-side buildings provide the community with 95 units of high performance affordable housing.

Not only will this event showcase the design and construction of the buildings and their systems, we will also learn about their place in the larger context of the Mercy Hospital Campus Redevelopment project and the surrounding neighborhood. Join us!

BuildingEnergy Access is a NESEA initiative to support the work of WMBEs (women and minority-owned business enterprises) by connecting them with the resources of the NESEA community. Each month, we'll introduce a participating company to the wider NESEA community through a spotlight interview.

We recently sat down with Mark Tajima and Yamil Brito of B. Alpha Construction, minority-owned and operated commercial insulation and construction business based in Chicopee, MA. Read our interview...

US Heat Pump Summit - Truckee, CA
Tech Education Rights and Technologies S.L.U - San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain

See all member organizations on NESEA's Business Member Directory. Learn more about business, academic, and non-profit/government membership on our website.

Last week, we held a Pro Tour of a high performance, 55,000 square foot building on the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, NH. We have compiled a gallery of photos from the day on our website.

Our thanks go out to the sponsors, hosts, and attendees who made this event so successful and memorable! You can stay up to date with our 2025 Pro Tour Series by visiting here.

In celebration of our 50th anniversary, we are planning community events around the Northeast and combing through our archives for fun memories to share. As we look back on the first 50 years of learning and connecting, we're also busy planning the next 50. Here's to a bright future, a close community, and a more sustainable and healthy built environment!

Throughout the course of our 50 years as an organization, our programs and community have supported countless students and emerging professionals through direct education, professional development, connecting individuals and mentors and jobs. We've also welcomed over 300 individuals into our BE the Future scholarship program, which was originally spearheaded by NESEA Lifetime Member Phil Kaplan.

As part of our anniversary celebrations, we reached out to past scholarship recipients to see how NESEA has impacted their careers - whether by facilitating a connection, sparking new ideas, or motivating a new career path. We were thrilled with the response! Visit this page to read a sampling of the responses we received.

As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, the next issue of BuildingEnergy magazine will focus on our history and on the impact that NESEA has had in the lives and work of our community members. Submissions can be as short as a few sentences to as long as a few pages.

We want to hear from you: who is your NESEA hero, what’s your favorite NESEA memory, and how has your engagement with NESEA changed your life or work? During this time of reflection, is there anything you would like to share about how NESEA has shaped your career, your friendships, or your life?

We'll share your stories over the next several months, culminating in the magazine release. There are three ways you can get involved with BuildingEnergy magazine:

• Propose Content: Submit your ideas for the inclusion in the magazine or our digital platforms. The Request for Proposals closes on Friday, September 26. Find the link to the proposal form here (you must log in to access the form).
  
  
• Advertise: Promote your company and its association with NESEA by purchasing an ad in the magazine. Contact Ryan Dovenmuehler at ryand@emsconsultinginc.com to learn more. Business Members receive 15% off. 
  
  
• Serve on the Editorial Committee: This committee of NESEA Members will work with staff to select content to feature. Please indicate your interest by Friday, August 8. To serve on the Editorial Committee or if you have questions, please contact Florence MacGregor at fmacgregor@nesea.org.

You can read past issues of BuildingEnergy magazine here.

Scam email warning: We have been informed that a number of people in our community have received deceptive emails from scammers pretending to work for or represent NESEA, and offering the opportunity to purchase hotel rooms for the 2026 BuildingEnergy Boston Conference. These emails do not come from NESEA or any of our partners.

If you receive such a message, please do not respond, click any links, or provide the sender with any personal or financial information.

Some tips for email safety:

• Confirm the sender’s actual email address (check the From and Reply-To fields) if you have any doubt about the legitimacy of an email. Do not rely on the email display name which is easily falsified.
• If you identify an email you've received as fraudulent, mark/report the email as spam.
• Consult your Information Technology department about any fraud attempts.
• Call or email us to validate communications originating from NESEA.

We take your information security very seriously and encourage you to also be vigilant in order to prevent fraud!

The ability to post on NESEA's Jobs Board is a benefit of NESEA Business, Academic, and Non-Profit Membership. Here are a few of this month's featured jobs:

Middlebury or Waitsfield, VT: Vermont Integrated Architecture, P.C. (VIA) seeks a team member to assist with project documentation for all phases of design and preparation of contract documents. Project work will include sustainable residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Read more...

Greenland, NH: Our design/build and cabinetry company is busy year-round with a substantial backlog that is committed to energy efficiency and fine craft. Our coverage area is typically the seacoast, NH and southeast ME regions. We work hard and find the time to enjoy company outings that
include golfing, boating etc. Read more...

Bangor, ME: Seeking candidates with 6 months to 1 year of experience in construction, carpentry, or related work (or completion of trade school/apprenticeship), basic knowledge of hand and power tools (e.g., drills, saws, nail guns) and a willingness to learn, take direction, and work hard. Read more...

We like to help spread the word about upcoming member events and news items. Members can submit news items via this form or post events to our community events calendar, and we’ll try to include them in the next NESEA Monthly.

Lindsey Lawson has recently earned her Professional Engineer license in Civil Engineering from the State of Maine. This significant milestone recognizes her seven years of engineering experience and commitment to professional excellence. Her Professional Engineer license further strengthens her ability to provide technical guidance on complex sustainability projects. Read more...

We’re accepting applicants for the Fall 2025 season! Whether you’re interested in our Registered Carpentry Apprenticeship or our Registered Sustainable Prefabricated Construction Apprenticeship, you’ll gain hands-on experience working alongside our expert master builders.

From learning cutting-edge techniques in our climate-controlled production facilities to gaining real-world experience on active job sites, our programs are designed to equip you with the skills you need to build a strong foundation for your career.

Visit our website to explore both apprenticeship tracks and submit your application today. Don’t miss your chance to join us this fall! Read more...

Date: Friday, August 8, 2025 - Sunday, August 10, 2025
Hosting Organization: Solarfest
Address: 144 Steinberg Road, Brandon, VT 05733
Cost: Various passes available

2025 continues a 30-year tradition of bringing together generations of friends and family from Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and 22 other states, plus Canada for a fun solar-powered summer festival with live music, great food, and exciting activities for all ages.

Set right in beautiful Brandon Vermont, SolarFest presents top-quality regional and national musical performers along with the ever-popular Singer Songwriter Showcase.

Workshops across eight subject tracks include scores of hands-on presentations by experts and practitioners on important topics that offer practical solutions to real-world concerns. From film to food, solar to storage, and transportation to technology, SolarFest’25 will be an incredible experience! Read more...

Date: August 14, 2025
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: online
Hosting Organization: Built Environment+
Cost: Varies (discounts available)

Built Environment Plus (BE+) presents a collaborative education series designed to equip building industry professionals with the knowledge and tools to reduce embodied carbon, specify healthier materials, and drive sustainability through informed material choices. Covering topics including carbon accounting, material transparency, and life cycle assessments, these courses bridge the gap between sustainability goals and real-world implementation. Join us to explore the connections between climate, human health, and the circular economy—transforming the way we design and build for a better future.

The series will kick off with a 2-hour Introduction to Healthy Materials course. Sign up and read more here...

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025
Time: 4pm-5:30pm
Location: Sharon, CT
Hosting Organization: Build Green Connecticut
Cost: $25 Member, $40 Non-member

Join us for an exclusive tour of Birchfell, a Phius CORE 2024 (design-certified) single-family home in Sharon, Connecticut, that exemplifies conscientious building for future generations. Designed to endure and adapt across lifetimes, this home is rooted in deep sustainability, local ecology, and cutting-edge high-performance design. Read more...

Dates: November 18, 2025 - November 19, 2025
Hosting Organization: US Heat Pump Summit
Venue: DCU Center, Worcester, MA
Cost:Various pass types available

The 3rd annual US Heat Pump Summit serves HVAC and plumbing contractors with technical and business training from the industry's top trainers and leading contractors. The US Heat Pump Summit is a comprehensive event for contracting firm owners and their teams. The Summit brings together unique business training with the best technical trainers in the industry, all in a track based program to maximize your organization's value from attending the event. Read more and Register...

Add your name to the growing list of individuals who have made a lifelong commitment to NESEA's vision of a vibrant and resilient built environment that supports climate justice and equity.

Lifetime membership is open to anyone who supports NESEA's mission of advancing sustainability practices in the built environment through a collaborative and educational community. Flexible installment payment options are available. Learn more here...