PNNL

Sam Rosenberg, a data scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has been appointed a voting member of the Regional Technical Forum (RTF) for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

It’s a three-year term ending in December 2024.

According to their website, the council was created in 1980 following the Northwest Power Act, which authorized Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to develop a regional power plan and fish and wildlife program to balance the Northwest's environment and energy needs. The council's mission is to preserve the Columbia River and its natural resources for future generations.

As the technical advisory arm for the council, the RTF develops standards to verify energy savings potential for specific energy efficient technologies or actions—a vital component for power system planning.

In this role, Rosenberg will be reviewing and voting on proposed measures for residential and commercial energy technologies.

“As a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, I absolutely love the mission of the council and RTF to protect the region and its natural resources,” - Sam Rosenberg, data research scientist

Collaborating on conservation and energy efficiency

Rosenberg joined PNNL as a student intern in the spring of 2019 and became a full-time researcher later that year conducting field work, data collection, data analysis, and reporting for Building America's New Home Ventilation Indoor Air Quality study. Currently, Rosenberg studies the impacts of mechanical ventilation systems on residential indoor air quality, the demand response and load shifting capabilities of heat pumps, and other emerging technologies. He also conducts data analysis and provides recommendations for federal building regulations and evaluates emerging efficient building materials.

Rosenberg has been sitting in the RTF meetings as an observer since 2019. During this time, he familiarized himself with the voting process and learned about different building technologies, strategies, and programs that are in place in the region.

When the application process opened for this term, Cheryn Metzger, program manager for the Residential Building Integration Program, suggested he throw his name into the hat.

Rosenberg didn’t think twice.

His appointment is also a valuable opportunity for PNNL to communicate and collaborate with the RTF, particularly through information sharing and technology validation support.

“In my term I hope to provide the council with valuable insight based on my own building science and energy efficiency research knowledge as well my experience as a data scientist, while acting as a liaison between PNNL and the RTF to promote the sharing of information,” said Rosenberg.

In addition to serving as voting member for the RTF, he is also completing his Master of Information and Data Science at University of California, Berkeley.