Derek Smith

Resource Innovation Institute

Executive Director

In my career, I’ve focused on trying to find solutions to significant challenges facing society – from sustainability to equity to resilience. My interest is in solving public problems through market-based means. Building demand, developing functional finance approaches, strengthening supply, achieving scale through public-private partnerships. I am particularly passionate about overcoming climate change and economic injustice.

At Resource Innovation Institute, I am building a non-profit organization to address the massive resource use of the cannabis marketplace, the fastest growing industry in North America. We are capturing energy consumption data from a variety of production facility types through our Cannabis PowerScore tool to help indoor, outdoor and greenhouse farmers learn how to operate most efficiently, and to assist governments and utilities in establishing policies and incentives to drive efficiency.

Previously, I have held leadership positions in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Until 2015, I served as CEO of Clean Energy Works, a public-private partnership initiated by the City of Portland and US Dept. of Energy to create equitable jobs and reduce carbon emissions by creating a market for residential energy efficiency retrofits. I led the organization from a fully subsidized operation to an independent viable enterprise.

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM MDT

The Challenges and Opportunities of Energy Codes

Join on Zoom

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Panel Environment Design Resource Innovation Institute

Thao Chau

California Energy Commission, Electrical Engineer

Jen Amann

ACEEE, Buildings Program Director

Derek Smith

Resource Innovation Institute, Executive Director

California is proposing to begin eliminating HPS from indoor cultivation environments as of Jan. 2023. But who exactly would the law apply to? How can cultivators take advantage? What can cannabis learn from other mature, energy-intensive industries?

Thursday, October 8, 2020

12:15 PM - 1:15 PM MDT

The Factors that Drive Water Consumption and Advance Efficiency

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Panel Environment Design Resource Innovation Institute

John Kagia

New Frontier Data

Rob Eddy

CEA Consultancy LLC, Principal Consultant

Derek Smith

Resource Innovation Institute, Executive Director

Learn about the various techniques for applying, storing, treating, recirculating and discharging water in today's dynamic market. How do climate, building type, dehumidification strategies, substrates and other factors impact how much a cultivation environment consumes? And how can we move toward best practices together?