PORTLAND

A program of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the Portland 2030 District is a collaborative local community of high-performance buildings in downtown Portland that aims to reduce energy and water consumption and reduce emissions from transportation, while increasing competitiveness in the business environment and owners’ returns on investment.

Join the Maine Real Estate & Development Association for breakfast on Nov. 7 from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn By the Bay for an overview on the accomplishments and current efforts of the district.

This will be followed by a case study on cost savings and insights into how to get started on reducing energy consumption in your commercial buildings.

What is the Portland 2030 District? How will it reach of its goal of reducing energy and water consumption and transportation emissions 50 percent by 2030 in commercial and multi-family buildings in downtown Portland?

Learn how district members are obtaining utility data for benchmarking, financing, decision making and working with the appraiser community. Attendees will learn more about accessing online tools and local cooperative purchasing, as well as specific strategies and case studies for cost savings. Members of the panel include:

• Drew Swenson has developed and financed numerous real estate projects and overseen property asset management and financial advisory services for clients throughout Maine and New England. He has served as a president and CFO for affordable housing, commercial development and operating companies.

He was a founder and former treasurer, president and director of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association.

• Fred Horch is a small business owner and advocate for Maine’s people and environment. His company, Spark Applied Efficiency, helps businesses find smarter ways to save energy. He is known in Brunswick for F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, a store he founded and operated for several years prior to launching Spark.

• Michael Pulaski leads Thornton Tomasetti’s Portland office. He has more than 10 years of experience in sustainability consulting, providing sustainability strategies and engineering, energy and environmental analysis, and certification management. His clients range from building owners to design teams and contractors for new construction and existing structures. He is well versed in all LEED rating systems.

Registering for the event:

MEREDA member: $45, non-member: $55

Register after Oct. 31: Member: $55, non-member: $65

Your R.S.V.P. is requested by Oct. 31. No refunds will be granted to anyone who registers, but fails to attend or who cancels after Oct. 31.