Will 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. With all of these changes, it’s easy to discount the value of energy efficiency and shift all attention toward the shiny new object of electrification. But while a shift in focus toward emissions reduction and electrification will impact the role energy efficiency plays, the goal of using less is still essential.
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…
Read MoreLaunch Of Our New Website
After much consideration and research, we’re very excited to announce the launch of Efficiency First California’s new website! We’re now using a software solution called GrowthZone which is a comprehensive management tool that meets all our needs. Our website, membership database, billing, events, and ads are now all linked to this one platform and we’re…
Read More2018 IHACI Trade Show- What You Missed
Recently, I attended the 39th annual Institute of Heating and Air Conditioning Industries (IHACI) trade show in Pasadena, California, in the hopes of learning about some exciting new products and maybe a couple new technologies for the heating and cooling industries (HVACR). It’s been about four years since I was actively involved as a contractor/installer,…
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