In the realm of energy modeling, the term "baseload" refers to energy demands that remain consistent throughout the year, irrespective of seasonal changes.
Building Performance News
Your official building performance news source for Penn College Workforce Development.
Recent Articles
Understanding Baseload Energy Usage and Optimizing Water Heaters
Practical Energy-Saving Tips from the Building Performance Team
Our Building Performance instructors at Penn College Workforce Development recently shared their favorite low-cost strategies for saving energy at home.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
CTE students explore weatherization careers
The Clean Energy Center’s weatherization career readiness program, called Next Door, has hosted a series of recent field trips for more than 90 career and technical education center students to the center’s labs in Williamsport and Harrisburg.
Clean Energy Center Highlights CTE Partnerships at Record-Breaking National Conference
The Clean Energy Center made a significant impact at the National Home Performance Conference in New Orleans, which saw record attendance of over 2,800 participants.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Spring 2025 magazine features feats
Read the Spring 2025 edition of Penn College Magazine, featuring the feats of the Diesel Performance Club and its lightning quick “Accelerated Learning” Mack truck; the Hall of Fame-worthy tool collection of Eric L. Anstadt, assistant professor of electrical technology/occupations; the Clean Energy Center’s expanding reach; the architecture & sustainable design program’s past and present, and much more.
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Get energized with 'Creating Healthy Buildings'
Whether you're a home or business owner looking to reduce energy demands and lower costs, or you're considering exploring a building science career path, this conversation is for you: "Creating Healthy Buildings." In the latest episode of the Tomorrow Makers podcast, Jason Embick, executive director of the Clean Energy Center, shares his expertise and boosts everyone's energy consumption knowledge.
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Penn College harvests attention at Pennsylvania Farm Show
Representatives from across the college traveled to the Pennsylvania Farm Show – the nation’s largest indoor agricultural exhibition – during the first week of January to plant seeds of excitement about Penn College’s hands-on programs. While academic programs and support services provided activities in the college’s exhibit space in the Main Hall throughout the week, students and staff from the college’s baking & culinary program busied themselves at the Culinary Connection.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Penn College ready to empower at Farm Show
“Powering Pennsylvania” is the theme for the 109th Pennsylvania Farm Show, and Pennsylvania College of Technology will be in attendance, sharing its empowering possibilities. Set for Jan. 4-11 at the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, the largest indoor agricultural event in the country attracts hundreds of vendors and thousands of exhibitors showcasing their skills. The show welcomes farmers, families and food lovers. Admission is free.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
College names Clean Energy Center executive director
Jason K. Embick has been appointed executive director of the Clean Energy Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Embick had been serving on the Clean Energy Center’s leadership team as director of training operations. He joined the center in 2015 and has fulfilled multiple roles, including instructional specialist, special projects coordinator and assistant director.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
WNEP-TV interviews Penn College employee umpiring at LLWS
A Pennsylvania College of Technology employee “getting the experience of a lifetime” was the subject of a WNEP-TV report Tuesday evening. Zachary Gump, senior program manager of commercial buildings for the college’s Clean Energy Center, is one of 16 individuals from around the globe chosen to umpire at the Little League Baseball World Series, taking place in South Williamsport through Sunday.
Thursday, August 1, 2024
Clean Energy Center to open Pittsburgh facility in early 2025
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Clean Energy Center has announced a new strategic partnership with Pittsburgh Gateways Corp. to bring nationally recognized clean energy workforce solutions to Pittsburgh. The Clean Energy Center selected Pittsburgh Gateways to co-develop a state-of-the-art workforce training and career exploration center in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Homewood community. Following renovations, the new facility will open in early 2025 and offer hands-on weatherization, building performanc
Building Operator Certification® Training Aligns with Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards Benchmarking Requirements
If you own or operate a building in Maryland that is 35,000 square feet or larger, and does not qualify for exemption, you could soon be required to benchmark your building to satisfy the state’s proposed Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPs).
Thursday, June 27, 2024
College names vice president for workforce development
Alison A. Diehl has been appointed vice president for workforce development at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Diehl’s hiring was approved June 27 by the Penn College Board of Directors. She has been serving as executive director of the college’s Clean Energy Center since November 2023; she begins her new duties on Aug. 5.
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Groundbreaking celebrates workforce-boosting initiatives
Pennsylvania College of Technology held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for two projects funded, in part, by a $2 million U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant: construction of an 1,800-square-foot Clean Energy House and renovations at the Carl Building Technologies Center on main campus.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
College employee to umpire at Little League Baseball World Series
A Pennsylvania College of Technology employee has a once-in-a-lifetime vacation planned for summer: umpiring at the Little League Baseball World Series. Zachary Gump, senior program manager of commercial buildings for the college’s Clean Energy Center, is one of 16 individuals from around the globe chosen to umpire for the first time at the 77th edition of the series, considered the world’s premier youth sporting event.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Lehigh Valley senator, PPL president tour Penn College labs
Sen. Nick Miller, a Democrat whose 14th senatorial district comprises portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties, visited Penn College Thursday, taking in a variety of instructional areas along with members of his staff, college administrators, and state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), who chairs the Penn College Board of Directors, and his staff. Coincidentally, Miller’s campus call overlapped with a visit by Christine M. Martin, president of PPL Electric Utilities, and other PPL employees.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Clean Energy Center's Harrisburg lab holds open house
Celebrating the positive impact being made in people’s lives, an open house was held Wednesday at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Clean Energy Center site in Harrisburg. The center is equipping individuals with the skills necessary to weatherize the homes of others, thus reducing energy bills, while at the same time, addressing health and safety issues such as mold, lead paint and carbon monoxide. It is an undertaking with immeasurable benefits for communities.
Friday, March 8, 2024
Open house held at Clean Energy Center's Latrobe lab
Offering an overview of the numerous career pathways in the home energy efficiency industry, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Clean Energy Center lab in Latrobe hosted an open house on Wednesday at its 7,500 square-foot facility at Westmoreland Airpark. The event gave attendees opportunities to watch live demonstrations of home energy efficiency technologies and network with employers and workforce development experts.
New Initiative Will Connect Pennsylvanians to Home Weatherization Careers
The nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and a diverse network of partners today announced Green Workforce Connect—a collaborative effort that will link job seekers in Pennsylvania with home weatherization careers.
Save Money and Increase Comfort: The Basics of Commercial Building Re-tuning
Are you looking for ways to reduce energy costs in your commercial facility without investing thousands of dollars in new equipment? Do you receive thermal comfort complaints from occupants in your building? Investing in Commercial Building Re-tuning skills training for your on-site facilities staff can help you tackle these problems for years to come.
What is Clean Energy?
Here at the Clean Energy Center, we define “clean energy” in two parts: energy efficiency and renewable energy. In this article we’ll share what each of these terms mean for our homes and buildings, why we put them together, and how they are fueling today’s clean energy career opportunities.
Celebrating Newfound Skills for Building Green Futures Graduates
Friday, July 14th, was a day for celebration as participants from the first class of Building Green Futures took part in the program graduation ceremony.