News | Efficiency First California

Are Consumer Protections in the Heating and Cooling Industry Working?

By Charley Cormany | October 31, 2022

When a building owner or homeowner contacts a heating and cooling professional, their primary concerns may not always be in their best interest. The restoration of service and price frequently take priority over quality.

The Heating and Cooling industry has some real issues with quality. Some contractors do high-quality work, and the performance of their installations is impressive. Unfortunately, most of the industry struggles to produce consistent, high-quality results.

Why is installation quality an issue? Can we regulate quality in the HVAC industry? Are there better options?

Contractors are facing two significant challenges to growth today. Supply chain issues are the first. Can you guess the second?

By Charley Cormany | July 27, 2022

We spend a great deal of time talking to contractors. Understanding their challenges helps us focus our efforts as a trade organization. We continue to hear the same two concerns from contractors. One seems to be slowly improving, and the other is much more difficult.

The first is supply chain issues, which are becoming less of a problem in most cases. The other is the lack of an available workforce, a much more significant and daunting challenge.

Why is it so hard to hire new workers, and what can we, as an industry, do to solve the problem?

Advocacy Update: July 2022 – Why California Policy is Big on Electrification

By Charley Cormany | July 27, 2022

Efficiency First CA works tirelessly on behalf of contractors throughout the state. Here’s an update on recent advocacy efforts.

Advocacy Update – June 2022 : California is Using Microgrids to Help Ensure Safety During Times of Crisis

By Charley Cormany | June 30, 2022

Efficiency First CA works tirelessly on behalf of contractors throughout the state. Here’s an update on recent advocacy efforts.

Five Reasons Heat Pumps Are Making the News

By Charley Cormany | June 23, 2022

Heat pumps have been making the headlines recently. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has illustrated the security risks related to dependence on fossil fuels. Heat pumps are being promoted as a means for Europe to reduce its dependency on energy sourced from hostile partners.

President Biden recently invoked the Defense Production Act to encourage the domestic manufacturing of clean energy technologies. The Department of Energy (DOE) published a plan in February to build a Clean Energy Sector Industrial Base. These are both significant efforts to bolster the adoption of clean energy technologies. One of the technologies showcased in these plans is heat pumps.

What are heat pumps, and why are they now critical for our national security? Are there other benefits to this technology? Should we all consider installing heat pumps for our homes and business? Why is this technology getting so much attention these days?

Advocacy Update: March 2023 – Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) Initiative Funded

By jeff@efficiencyfirstca.org | March 8, 2023

On February 2nd, the California Public Utilities Commission approved $50 million for TECH from California’s FY 2022-2023 budget from General Fund revenues.

All-Electric Buildings – The Safer Alternative

By Charley Cormany | March 8, 2023

Building electrification and heat pumps are getting a lot of attention these days. Most of the conversation centers on taking advantage of clean, carbon-free electricity from renewables. Heat pumps are effective, particularly when paired with energy efficiency upgrades. These are important advantages but are we leaving out the most significant benefit of all-electric buildings, electrification, and heat pumps?

Advocacy Update: February 2023 – Gas Stoves 2.0

By nicole@efficiencyfirstca.org | February 8, 2023

Efficiency First CA works tirelessly on behalf of contractors throughout the state. Here’s an update on our recent advocacy efforts.”

Heat Pumps: A Great Technology With a Few Drawbacks

By Charley Cormany | February 8, 2023

There is a trend in the industry to electrify everything, and heat pumps play a crucial role in buildings. Can the approach be as simple as replacing gas appliances with heat pumps, or do we need to consider other things? How can we make the transition more effective and ensure that the end users are satisfied after the work is done?

Smart Decarbonization

By Charley Cormany | January 10, 2023

The rush to a carbon-free future is in full swing. The effort has slowly been gaining traction, and funding from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will significantly advance the pace. Everyone is talking about electrification, but we need to be “smart” and do more than make everything electric. How does energy efficiency fit into the decarbonization effort?

Advocacy Update January 2023 – SEER 2 ratings went into effect on January 1

By Charley Cormany | January 10, 2023

Efficiency First CA works tirelessly on behalf of contractors throughout the state. Here’s an update on our recent advocacy efforts.

The Latest From The Field – IHACI 2022

By Charley Cormany | December 1, 2022

The Institute of Heating and Air Conditioning Industries (IHACI) is a nonprofit trade organization representing the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. Once a year, IHACI hosts a tradeshow to showcase the latest products in the industry and provide educational sessions for its members.

I attend the conference to keep current on trends and new products. One of my objectives is to see if manufacturers and suppliers are keeping up with policy changes in the state. The last IHACI conference I attended was in 2019. One of my primary goals then was to see if heat pumps were making headway and what new products were available.