blog

Some electric service panels can be dangerous. Is yours one?
“It Costs How Much?” How to Talk to Your Customers About the Cost of Electrification
Heat Pump Water Heaters- A Filtered Reality
From Technician to Electrification Advocate: Building a Business That Actually Changes Things
The Right Tools Let You Focus on What Matters
The New Generation of Heat Pumps: California Raised the Bar. Now Execution Has to Catch Up
Rebates: Leverage them for your success
AHR Expo 2026 – Trends and New Products
Green Build 2025: New Products and Resources for Contractors

Heat Pump Water Heaters are Getting a Lot of Attention These Days
I could not wait to get rid of my gas meter, little did I know.

The Biggest Concern to the Electrical Grid is not EVs or Electric Buildings
Leveraging AI as a Contractor
Policymakers Don’t Understand Contractors’ Business Models
The Feds. Versus California. Where do we stand on clean energy?
What’s New This Year at the AHR Conference

The LA Wildfires, A Perfect Storm
2024 in Review: Efficiency First California and the Clean Energy Transition
Field Quality Control and Rebate Programs

Has Energy Efficiency Become Less Important?
Why new regulations, such as A2L, are focusing on refrigerants
Are Deep Energy Retrofits and Electrification the Answer?
What is all the buzz about time-of-use rates, and why does it matter?
Charging Your EV at Home, Things to Consider
Will the Electrical Grid Support an All-Electric Future?
Why rebate programs?
Industry Trends to Watch in 2024
The Clean Energy Connection – Powered by EFCA
2023 Unpacked: EFCA Is Not Your Typical Trade Organization
Takeaways from the EPRI/CEC Building Electrification Summit
Making Exceptions Makes Sense, Except When it Doesn’t
Field Quality Control – An Outdated Idea or a Necessary Process?
Never Underestimate the Power of Innovation
Highlights from the 2023 BPA National Home Performance Conference
The Last Mile: Why the Final Day of a Retrofit Project is the Most Important
All-Electric Buildings – The Safer Alternative
Heat Pumps: A Great Technology With a Few Drawbacks
Smart Decarbonization
The Latest From The Field – IHACI 2022
Are Consumer Protections in the Heating and Cooling Industry Working?
Why is California Banning Natural Gas Heaters?
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a Big Deal
Contractors are facing two significant challenges to growth today. Supply chain issues are the first. Can you guess the second?
Five Reasons Heat Pumps Are Making the News
The Continued Value of Efficiency in a Decarbonization World
The BPA National Conference – How Was Nashville?
Still Think Gas Stoves Are Best for Cooking? Think Again
A Perspective on TECH Clean California Incentives
Do You Really Need to Upgrade Your Service Panel to Electrify Your Home?
Is there a better way to access clean electricity than through the existing grid?
Spend a Bit More Now to Save Loads Later
What’s with all the natural gas bans in California?
How to Deal with Emergency Replacements and Still Support Electrification
What’s the Deal with Contractors and Heat Pumps?
Heat Pump Water Heaters – We Need to Get this Right
Simple Ways to Save Water – and Energy Too
Energy Efficiency Finally Gets the Credit it Deserves
Changing the Focus: From Saving Energy to Saving the Planet
Having Trouble Finding a Clean Energy Contractor? Efficiency First California is Making it Easier
Four Steps to a Clean Energy Future

The Biggest Barrier to Electrifying Buildings is not Technology
2020 Changed Everything – Including the Home Performance Industry
Why are Contractors Still Pushing Gas Furnaces?
How California’s Climate Policies Are Impacting “Clean” Natural Gas
Why Energy Efficiency is a Crucial Component of Grid Management
“I Hear You Knockin’, But You Can’t Come In” To My Home
Requiring New Technologies Is Not Always the Best Choice
Are we overlooking the first step towards electrification?
Is Energy Efficiency Dead In A Decarbonization Future?
Is There A Silver Lining To The Stay At Home Order?
6 Tips For Working From Home
It’s All About BS: Building Science
What Is Driving Changes In California Energy Policy?
Why Heat Pumps All Of A Sudden?
The Power Is Off. Now What?
Are Autumn Firestorms and Power Shut Downs The New Norm For California?
Unintended Consequences
Will Decarbonization Work Without Energy Efficiency?
Did You Know Your House Has A Tailpipe Too?
I believe in electrification. So why did I just install a new furnace?
How To Hide The BS In Your Work
Efficiency First is Now Part of the Building Performance Association
Residential Energy Efficiency Business Partners You Might Be Overlooking
Membership Is The Power Of Many Voices
Will PG&E’s Bankruptcy Filing Help Or Hurt The Industry?
Launch Of Our New Website
2018 IHACI Trade Show- What You Missed
Home Performance In California Is Changing
Quality Work Is Worth The Effort
What You Missed At The ZNE Retreat
On-The-Job Experience: Why Electrification Is Better And Cheaper
TEDx HPC Conference 2018
The Real Heroes Of Home Performance
The Best Energy Source For Our Future
When Good Incentives Go Bad
Advocacy Update: The State of California
Get Fire Out Of Our Buildings
Will Data Save Home Performance?
Is Health The Future of Home Performance?
3 Myths About Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Fire, Smoke, and N-95s
The Latest Trend in Home Performance: Why You Should Be Concerned
The True Value of an Energy Audit
Will ZNE Transform Energy Efficiency?
It’s Time to Stop Using Fire in Our Homes
Good Intentions, Poor Results
Building a Clean Energy Future, Respect for the People Who Will Build It
When Simpler is Better: Choosing the Right Home Efficiency Rating for Point of Sale Comparisons
Who’s Your Best Home Performance Customer?
The Perfect Solution, and Why it is Not Working
Can Energy Monitoring Services Bolster Your Bottom Line?
Stepping Back: Work on Your Home Performance Business, Not in It
What Trump Does Not Know About Energy Efficiency
4 Ways Residential Pay-For-Performance Will Change The Market
6 Ways Recent California Legislation Will Change Home Performance
Getting the Systems Right: What I’ve Learned About What Works for Contractors—and What Doesn’t.
Is Your “Bag of Tricks” Missing a Critical Tool?
10 Ways for Contractors to Be More Professional
It Takes a Village to Raise a Home Performance Industry
7 Ways Contractors Can Reduce Materials Costs
Why Should You Support Your Trade Organization
8 Tips about Insurance for Contractors
7 Services to Add to Your Home Performance Toolkit
The Challenges of Energy Efficiency Advocacy
What Really Sells Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Six Keys to Selling Energy Efficiency
Google HSAs are Bad for Energy Efficiency
PG&E’s Contractor Exchange – Was it Worth Attending?
The “M” Word
Energy Upgrade California is Not Sustainable