Are Autumn Firestorms and Power Shut Downs The New Norm For California?
California is under siege; our fall warm winds have turned into a vehicle for disaster. If you watch the national news, it appears that the end is near, and California will soon be the charred remains of what was once a vibrant and innovative region with natural beauty and diversity. To some, this might be…
Read MoreUnintended Consequences
There is no doubt the electrification trend is taking hold in California. As reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) becomes the most important goal for energy policy, it makes sense to shift end uses of energy away from the limited resource of fossil fuels to the electric grid. Recently, the increase in renewable generation has quickly made…
Read MoreWill Decarbonization Work Without Energy Efficiency?
California is going through a policy paradigm shift concerning energy efficiency, the goal of saving energy overall taking a back seat to reducing emissions. Assembly Bill 3232 directs the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The direct combustion of fossil fuels in buildings (primarily for space and…
Read MoreDid You Know Your House Has A Tailpipe Too?
Recently, there has been a noticeable shift in California energy efficiency policy. For years the focus has been on the overall reduction in energy use. Today, the goals are much more complicated, with aggressive state mandates specifically targeting greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, when energy savings occur has become a factor, often superseding total…
Read MoreI believe in electrification. So why did I just install a new furnace?
Our executive director Charley Cormany works with the Building Decarbonization Coalition and National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to bring a contractor’s perspective to residential decarbonization and electrification policy in California. Efficiency First California (EFCA) manages the SMUD Home Performance Program, which last year started incentivizing electrification with hefty rebates. I subscribe to MCE’s 100% renewable…
Read MoreHow To Hide The BS In Your Work
Building Science (BS) is pretty powerful stuff. Home performance contractors have been providing data and improving building science techniques for well over 30 years now. But while there is no question building retrofits have many benefits, selling the concept to homeowners and property managers is no small feat. While early adopters and others who have…
Read MoreEfficiency First is Now Part of the Building Performance Association
Two years ago at the Home Performance Coalition conference in Nashville, a few folks had an after-hours conversation discussing the state of the efficiency industry and the players involved. At the time, Efficiency First National was struggling financially and with membership growth. From the conversation, it became evident that several organizations were replicating each other’s…
Read MoreResidential Energy Efficiency Business Partners You Might Be Overlooking
The Flores family used REEL financing to make energy-efficiency upgrades and improve the comfort of their home. The role financing plays in building comprehensive projects. If you are a contractor, you most likely spend a fair amount of time generating and presenting proposals to your potential clients. This is a time consuming and sometimes frustrating…
Read MoreMembership Is The Power Of Many Voices
We are in a push to build membership. Recently I stopped to ask myself what is the message we need to send in order to get folks to join? To answer the question I stepped back and asked myself “world how did I get here?” to quote the Talking Heads. Specifically, what was the path…
Read MoreWill PG&E’s Bankruptcy Filing Help Or Hurt The Industry?
The Grid Is Changing The recent fires in California have had tragic consequences. Thousands of people have lost their homes. Many have lost loved ones too. In many cases, the fires were caused by downed or damaged power lines or failed electrical distribution equipment, and the utility, PG&E, has been blamed. If PG&E is found…
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