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Is There A Silver Lining To The Stay At Home Order? These are difficult times. While we all might hope that things can get back to “normal” soon, it’s likely that some things will change for good. Like a lot of businesses, contractors are suffering, as customers put off renovations and upgrades. If there’s a…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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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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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Home performance hasn’t changed much over the past 30 years. Recently though, a few big things have started to change in the world of energy. Contractors need to be aware of what’s happening and why, in order to prepare, adapt, and take advantage of new opportunities.
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A few rotten apples The world is full of contractor horror stories. Over the years, contractors have lost customer trust, often for good reason. Simple mistakes like forgetting to re-install a water heater vent after a roof replacement could have drastic consequences if the exhaust fumes, and potentially carbon monoxide, were to re-enter the…
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It’s amazing how many energy efficiency conferences and workshops have surfaced recently. The Redwood Energy Zero Net Energy Retreat, which takes place twice a year, is one of the best conferences. Our Executive Director Charley Cormany, with help from EFCA’s Board Member Debra Little give their perspective of the conference for this month’s blog.
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