The Energy Conversation Recognizes...

The Energy Conversation Award is given to an individual or individuals who show profound excellence in leadership - showing the way to work within the system to help make change for the common good along The Energy Conversation mandate of "Listen, Learn, Connect, Share, Collaborate".

This month the award winners are The USDA Energy Matrix Team and Dr. Alex Zhivov of the US Army.

Accepting the award for The USDA Energy Matrix Team was Bill Hagy. As the Special Assistant for Alternative Energy Policy since August 2009, Mr. Hagy provides support to the Under Secretary for Rural Development and Secretary on policy matter relating to alternative energy development and provides organizational leadership for various boards and committees including the Biomass Research and Development Board and Technical Advisory Committee. Mr. Hagy has received extensive financial management training and is a recipient of the Vice President Gore’s National Performance Review Hammer Award for his efforts in streamlining the B&I Guaranteed Loan Program regulation, which reduced the number of application forms and automated the application process.  Mr. Hagy was the recipient of the Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award in fiscal years 2003 and 2007 for Superior Service to the Department in the delivery of Business Programs.  In addition, Mr. Hagy is the recipient of the 2007 National Rural Economic Developers Association President’s Award for recognition of his dedication, time, talent and expertise in support of Rural Development.

USDA has many programs to assist farmers, rural residents, and the nation to respond to energy-related challenges and opportunities. These range from basic scientific research and development, demonstration and commercialization of new technologies. They include outreach and education, technical assistance programs, financial support for infrastructure development and energy, efficiency improvements, and the adoption of energy-saving products by USDA itself. From more efficient farming techniques, wind farms, and ethanol plants to biochemical and genomics research, USDA is deeply involved in and committed to the nation's quest for energy security. In order to facilitate understanding, opportunities, and collaboration within the department, USDA has created an Energy Matrix tool to assist other governmental bodies, in addition to public and private entities.
 
The Energy Matrix is a Navigational Aide. USDA's energy related programs are large in scope, and extends among many USDA agencies and mission areas. To help you navigate the maze, USDA has developed this web site matrix, (http://www.energymatrix.usda.gov/) which allows you to search by agency, technology type, and program. If you are searching for alternative and affordable energy solutions, funding for projects, available programs and program information, or research and development – it is there to assist you. The Energy Matrix is USDA's one-stop-shopping matrix serving the public, private businesses and the government.

Dr. Alex Zhivov joined the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in 2003 as a Mechanical Engineer in the Energy Branch.  His responsibilities include: new energy use optimization methods, strategic planning leading to implementation of new energy conservation concepts and systems, and optimization of energy consuming processes. In recent years, Dr. Zhivov developed and led a number of Army, DoD, and national initiatives which support the goals and requirements defined in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, Army Energy Strategy, Executive Order 13423, and the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.  Since 2003 Dr. Zhivov lead installation-wide energy analyses; developing and implementing new technologies; and promoting underutilized energy conservation technologies in new construction and facilities retrofits, helping the Department of Defense meet its energy goals and enhance energy independence. Recently, he orchestrated the beginnings of collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) with the objective to develop an electronic interactive source book providing guidelines on assessment of energy inefficiencies and wastes in buildings and building sites, database of energy efficient technologies and practices, and energy calculation tool for building retrofit options and advice on implementation of energy conservation projects using ESPCs options.


Dr. Zhivov has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Leningrad Construction Engineers Institute, a Ph.D from All Union Research Institute for Labor Protection, Leningrad, and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is a recognized Army expert in the area of energy conservation.   He has authored and contributed to more than 100 publications in the USA and other countries.  He is a contributor to National and International Ventilation Guides (ASHRAE Handbook 1993, 1995 and 1999), American Welding Standard Ventilation Guide, 2001 “Industrial Ventilation Design Guidebook,” and the “Ventilation Guide for Automotive Industry”. Dr. Zhivov is often requested to speak at national and international conferences and workshops on the topic of energy conservation in buildings, ventilation and energy conservation in industrial facilities, indoor air quality and air distribution in spaces. His many awards include the Commander's Award for Civilian Service for leadership of the Greater Fairbanks Military Complex Joint Long Range Study team from December 2003 through March 2004; the CERL Program Development Achievement Award for his leadership role for the Improvement of Energy Efficiencies for Military Facilities Program in Support of HQ IMA, ACSIM, and the Corps of Engineers; the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service; and in 2009 he received the prestigious Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program ‘Energy Champion’ for the Army.

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