Efficiency First California

Webinar: How to make money with heat pumps
2023-11-08 12:00 - 12:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
What you’ll learn:

How to significantly increase your profits
Reduce callbacks (hint: it’s all about expectation-setting)
Sell faster with software tools for HVAC and plumbing contractors
How to generate happy, comfortable customers

Industry expert presenters:
Larry Waters, President, Electrify My Home – Larry is a revered industry expert and the founder of Electrify My Home, a first-of-its-kind electrification company specializing in residential electrification and workforce training. Electrify My Home provides contractor training statewide for the TECH Clean California program. With 42 years of HVAC trade experience, Larry has designed and installed over 400 high-efficiency heat pump systems. He is NATE and BPI-certified and serves on multiple boards focused on propelling the movement to Electrify Efficiently.
Charley Cormany, Executive Director, Efficiency First California – Charley brings over 20 years in the construction industry, including 10 years as a Home Performance Contractor. As the Executive Director of EFCA, Charley is also responsible for overseeing the Program Implementer team for the highly successful SMUD rebate program, and he provides a “boots on the ground” perspective on policy and program design.
Kevin Beck, Director of Education, Efficiency First California – Kevin is an educator and trusted expert in the field. He is a third-generation home improvement expert who has dedicated his career to helping contractors turn their professional dreams into an energy-efficient reality.
Brent Davidson, Event Organizer, Heat Pump Summit – Brent brings his extensive background in clean tech software and passion for helping onboard contractors to heat pump technology.

Course: 2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards for HVAC Contractor Installers
2023-11-07 12:30 - 16:00 | Online
Instructor: Marina Chavez Blanco

Level: Intermediate

Use the 2022 Multifamily Energy Inspection Checklist to practice streamlined inspection of installation scenarios while also targeting top categories of high-value energy savings and impact on compliance. Effective building energy efficiency enforcement is reviewed and practiced as a comprehensive process — from initial consult of building features listed in permitted documentation to review of what contractors document as installed to visual confirmation of these features on-site. This highly interactive online live course is designed to provide Building Inspectors with the essential knowledge and skills they need to more quickly and effectively enforce California’s 2022 Multifamily Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or the Energy Code). This course is delivered in two half-day sessions held on two consecutive days. Participants must attend both sessions to complete the course.

Optimizing Residential Forced-Air HVAC Systems: Load Calculations, Equipment Selection, System Airflow and Layout
2023-11-02 09:00 - 12:00
Improved design, installation and commissioning practices lead to a dramatic improvement in building energy consumption, indoor air quality, and comfort. There are six performance factors that can be applied to HVAC design, installation and/or commissioning. In the Optimizing Residential Forced-Air series, we will review how each factor can be specified at design, implemented during installation, and tested/adjusted during commissioning. We will also look at how we can redesign our approach to high performance HVAC systems to support California climate goals, help manage the peak electrical load on the grid as well as the owners operating cost under the time-of-use billing structure.
The Optimizing Residential Forced-Air series is informed through commissioned systems, where real examples from completed projects are used to support class content. Dan Perunko of Balance Point Home Performance has designed, built, and commissioned both retrofit and new construction projects that exemplify the concepts covered in class. Course content will include design examples, photos installations, and test results from commissioning.
The HVAC equipment, materials and knowledge required to dramatically improve the performance of HVAC systems is readily available. This class will assist the designer, installer, and rater in their efforts to improve the HVAC systems we build.

Electrify Efficiently: Staging Home Electrification Projects
2023-10-30 12:00 - 13:30
Part 2 of 5 – October 30, 2023 (12pm – 1:30pm)
Long-term planning is essential when it comes to most whole-home electrification journeys. By taking into consideration a customer’s long-term needs alongside their immediate needs, you can help customers avoid costly mistakes. In this webinar, participants will hear insights and recommendations on optimal order of operations of electrification installs. These insights come from Electrify My Home’s deep experience on hundreds of real-world electrification projects. Come prepared with questions about your electrification projects.

2023 San Diego Green Building Conference & Expo
2023-10-27
BUILDING POSITIVE: CULTIVATING A REGENERATIVE FUTURE
We are pleased to bring you the 9th annual San Diego Green Building Conference & Expo (SDGBCE23) on Friday, October 27, 2023 at UC San Diego Park & Market. This is San Diego’s premier event for green building professionals from all fields of expertise to come together to share ideas, inspiration and connection. This year we are partnering with the World Woman Foundation’s Sustainability Forum taking place on Thursday, October 26th at UC San Diego Park & Market. Join both days of this exciting collaboration to hear from visionary leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, academics, artists and policymakers.

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: The All Electric Building – Fall
2023-10-26 08:30 - 12:30
Part 5 of 5 – October 26, 2023 (8:30am – 12:30pm)
This training series will focus on the design, commissioning and operational issues associated with heat pumps and heat pump systems with a focus on how this type of equipment can facilitate electrification of buildings and building systems. The content will be divided into five half-day sessions. Each session will stand alone, but the different training modules will also be inter-related. Ideally people interested in using heat pumps as part of building electrification projects will attend all five sessions.
With the move towards electrification, owners of existing facilities that are already all-electric may think there is not much more they can do. But that may not be the case and this session will take the existing building topic a step further by using a case study format to look at the opportunities that exist in a facility that is already all-electric.

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: Existing Buildings – Fall
2023-10-25 08:30 - 12:30
Part 4 of 5 – October 25, 2023 (8:30am – 12:30pm)
This training series will focus on the design, commissioning and operational issues associated with heat pumps and heat pump systems with a focus on how this type of equipment can facilitate electrification of buildings and building systems. The content will be divided into four-half day sessions. Each session will stand alone, but the different training modules will also be inter-related. Ideally people interested in using heat pumps as part of building electrification projects will attend all four sessions.
This session will look at heat pump systems and applications from an existing building perspective including common existing building commissioning opportunities for heat pumps and the utility systems supporting them. A case study format will be used and will include functional testing and trend analysis examples for several opportunities.

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: New Construction - Fall
2023-10-24 08:30 - 12:30
Part 3 of 5 – October 24, 2023 (8:30am – 12:30pm)
This training series will focus on the design, commissioning and operational issues associated with heat pumps and heat pump systems with a focus on how this type of equipment can facilitate electrification of buildings and building systems. The content will be divided into five half-day sessions. Each session will stand alone, but the different training modules will also be inter-related. Ideally people interested in using heat pumps as part of building electrification projects will attend all five sessions.
This session will look at heat pump systems and applications from a design and new construction perspective including how heat pumps need to be integrated with the utility and control systems that support them. A case study format will be used to provide a real-world perspective on the issues and opportunities that exist. Examples of commissioning procedures will be discussed including Title 24 acceptance testing.

Energy Resiliency for Homes
2023-10-20 09:30 - 12:00
This course will provide an understanding of energy resiliency and its importance in the face of extreme weather events and stress on the utility grid. It will cover important considerations when screening single-family residential buildings for energy resiliency and provide an overview of economic, technical, and operational considerations in developing an energy resiliency project, including electrification of residential loads using heat pump water heaters and heat pump air conditioners, electrification of transportation and electric vehicle charging, and solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and storage sizing.
California is facing extreme heat events and wildfires due to climate change, both of which place stress on the grid, the state is undertaking a major initiative to electrify energy end uses in an effort to meet decarbonization goals. This course will discuss how electrification of end-use technologies contributes to energy resiliency and decarbonization.
The course will also provide background on recent California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rulings that drive PG&E’s energy resiliency-related incentive programs, and will review available tax credits for project finance, especially in light of changes implemented by the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act. Finally, it will provide links to PG&E resources on resiliency, interconnection, and electrification.

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: Ventilation System Integration (DOAS and ERV) – Fall
2023-10-19 08:30 - 12:30
Part 2 of 5 – October 19, 2023 (8:30am – 12:30pm)
This training series will focus on the design, commissioning and operational issues associated with heat pumps and heat pump systems with a focus on how this type of equipment can facilitate electrification of buildings and building systems. The content will be divided into five half-day sessions. Each session will stand alone, but the different training modules will also be inter-related. Ideally people interested in using heat pumps as part of building electrification projects will attend all five sessions.
This session will provide an overview of how heat pumps can be integrated with ventilation strategies ranging from a basic make up air system to dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), run-around coils and other strategies. Pros and cons of the various strategies will be discussed along with how heat pumps themselves can be applied as the heating and cooling source in the equipment. Options for introducing ventilation air into the heat pump zones will also be discussed.

Water Heating Distribution Best Practices – Class 5: High Performance Fundamentals Series
2023-10-18 15:00 - 17:00
This is class 5 of 6 in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals Certificate series. Earn a 3C-REN certificate of completion after finishing the series and passing short quizzes at the end of each class.
Do you have any customers who wait a long time to get hot water somewhere in their house? Do you know someone who is frustrated watching the water run down the drain while waiting when outdoor watering is restricted due to drought? Have you ever wondered why a shower sometimes feels wimpy and what you can do about it without adding a boost pump? And, given the trend toward decarbonization, how do you pick a water heater that will provide customer satisfaction and be energy efficient? Would you like to know how to solve these and related problems in existing buildings and prevent them in new ones? We will discuss the answers to these and other questions during this fast-paced class.

Case Studies: Sequential Pathways to Zero-Carbon Homes
2023-10-18 09:00 - 11:30
Ever think, “I cannot afford to convert my home into a zero-carbon home? It’s too much to think about or learn all at one time!” Instructor Terry Nordbye will present key elements of a zero-carbon home and how to plan a long-term strategy to decarbonize your home. This session unpacks the project history of two heavy carbon emission homes and how they were converted to zero-carbon homes over a period of 12 years.

Remodeling—A Great Time to Improve Efficiency and Electrify
2023-10-17 12:00 - 13:00
This class is intended to equip homeowners planning remodeling projects to work effectively with their design and building team to incorporate high-performance goals of efficiency, comfort, electrification, etc.—and avoid common pitfalls. Managing even a simple project can be challenging enough, but when you’re targeting high performance, it takes extra care to make sure you get the results you hope for. This talk will cover:

Definitions and benefits of high performance, efficiency, electrification, solar, and batteries
A quick introduction to State energy/climate goals
The planning process: gathering ideas and information and setting priorities
Popular electric equipment options
Assembling and working with your team
Coordinating your team to access incentives

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: Fundamentals and System Types - Fall
2023-10-17 08:00 - 12:30
Part 1 of 5 – October 17, 2023 (8:30am – 12:30pm)
This training series will focus on the design, commissioning and operational issues associated with heat pumps and heat pump systems with a focus on how this type of equipment can facilitate electrification of buildings and building systems. The content will be divided into five half-day sessions. Each session will stand alone, but the different training modules will also be inter-related. Ideally people interested in using heat pumps as part of building electrification projects will attend all five sessions.
This session will provide an overview of the heat pump concept and contrast it with electric resistance and natural gas heating. The refrigeration cycle will be touched upon with resources provided for more in-depth self-study for those who are interested. Common heat pump configurations, system types and applications will be discussed and illustrated.

Electrify Efficiently: California’s Electrification Transition and What it Means for Your Home
2023-10-16 12:00 - 13:30
Part 1 of 5 – October 16, 2023 (12pm – 1:30pm)
Building electrification is rapidly accelerating in California and beyond. In 2022, for the first time, more electric heat pumps were sold than gas furnaces. It is important for homeowners, renters, real estate professionals, architects, and other professionals to be aware of these changes and prepare for future upgrades. In this webinar, Electrify My Home will describe what’s led to the electrification movement, why going electric is a wise choice for future resale, how to avoid costly mistakes, potential DIY options, and how rebates and financing make it easier.

ACEEE: Energy Efficiency as a Resource
2023-10-16 - 2023-10-18 | DoubleTree by Hilton, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Utility energy efficiency programs have a strong record of saving customers energy and money. But today’s urgent challenges—from climate change to inequitable energy burdens—demand that we ramp up these efficiency efforts and reimagine what these programs are capable of, building on the strong foundations in place. Join us at the Energy Efficiency as Resource (EER) conference in Philadelphia, October 16–18, 2023, to explore how efficiency efforts can expand and evolve amid a transforming utility industry.

Electric Home Tour
2023-10-14 10:00 - 16:00
Welcome to the Electric Home Tour! See homes throughout the Peninsula and South Bay who have switched from dirty methane (so-called “natural gas”) to clean electricity.
Talk with homeowners about how they chose energy-efficient water heaters, furnaces, dryers, induction cooktops, stoves and more. Learn about the cost — and the rebates you can get. Discuss whether to select a contractor — or do-it-yourself — and how to create a plan that fits your family’s finances while improving your home’s comfort and healthy, indoor air quality.
Visit the website — www.ElectricHomeTour.org — to see a brief description of each home. With 40+ homes on the Tour, you can pick a route based on how much time you have and which appliances you’d like to learn about. Award-winning homes from Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Peninsula Clean Energy will also be marked on the list of homes.
Addresses will be sent out a few days before the event to those who register. The registration includes a liability waiver (see text below), indicating that those who sign up will hold harmless all residents and the Tour organizers and sponsors.
You can also explore other “green” features in these homes, including native plants, electric garden tools, solar panels — and the electric vehicles displayed at some houses. In Palo Alto, the Kramer-Thesen home will feature an EV and E-Bike Expo with a variety of popular models. EV and E-bike owners will answer your questions as you walk among the various cars and bikes on display.

TECH Clean California Data Webinar
2023-10-12 10:00 - 23:00
We are excited to share an in-depth analysis of data collected by the TECH Clean California. Join TECH Clean California subject matter experts in a data deep-dive exploring topics including: – What are the key drivers of differences in heat pump HVAC project costs? – What is the frequency and cost of panel upgrades performed alongside TECH Clean California projects, and what affects this? – How is energy used in California homes? What does household energy use tell us about the opportunity for heat pump installations? – What are the electricity, gas, and greenhouse gas impacts from several hundred TECH Clean California projects? – What are the utility bill outcomes for recipients of TECH Clean California incentives? This Data Webinar will take place on October 12 at 10:00 a.m. PT. You will also receive updates on new data sources and upgrades to the public reporting site as we compile real data from the California heat pump market, TECH Clean California, and other building decarbonization programs.

EEBA High Performance Home Builder Summit
2023-10-10 - 2023-10-13 | Salt Palace Convention Center, 90 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, 84101, United States
EEBA’s High Performance Home BuilderSummit will focus on providing the tools and networking that builders, raters, analysts, and architects need to take high performance, healthy, resilient homes to new heights. Our annual High Performance Home BuilderSummit showcases cutting edge research and best practices of high performance housing. The time to dramatically accelerate the creation of high performance homes is now. EEBA can no longer be satisfied with (only) the dissemination of building science information. Through this Summit, EEBA will educate building professionals, with the goal that they leave our events inspired to effectively build and sell high performance homes at a far greater pace.

TECH & ESMAC Heat Pump Water Heater Education
2023-10-09 07:00 - 09:00
Manufacturers Heat Pump Water Heating (HPWH) Education session focused on technology features and benefits, appropriate applications, energy efficiency compared to other water heater types, installation techniques, and best practices, service support and warranty, proper maintenance, troubleshooting, and selling strategies.

Heat Pump Fundamentals: Space Conditioning and Water Heating – Class 4: High Performance Fundamentals Series
2023-10-04 15:00 - 17:00
This is class 4 of 6 in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals Certificate series. Earn a 3C-REN certificate of completion after finishing the series and passing short quizzes at the end of each class. This series will be hosted twice throughout 2023.
Having gained a solid understanding of high-performance building enclosures from classes 1 through 3 in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals series, participants are well-prepared for this class, which will provide a foundation in the use of heat pumps for both space conditioning (heating and cooling) and water heating. The class will cover what a heat pump is and explain why heat pumps are essential elements of high performance buildings. Special attention will be paid to refrigerants: how heat pumps use them, how to avoid leaks through proper installation, and why it’s important to avoid leaks due to the damage they can cause to contractor profitability and the planet. An overview will be provided to aid in selecting, sizing, installing, and commissioning heat pump equipment, so that it performs as intended.

Benefits and Installation of Heat Pump Water Heaters
2023-10-04 10:00 - 12:00
The material covers the move to water heating electrification and focuses on the basic questions surrounding the transition in electric residences. Includes several studies and myths and methods for new construction and retrofits. California code issues are covered for both new construction and retrofits. A Webcast with a sample HPWH covering the various features and design elements.

Crafting High Performance Enclosures: Roofs, Walls, and Floors – Class 3 High Performance Fundamentals Series
2023-09-28 15:00 - 17:00
This is class 3 of 6 in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals Certificate series. Earn a 3C-REN certificate of completion after finishing the series and passing short quizzes at the end of each class.
Building enclosures – the roof, walls, and floor – are the first line of defense between nature and people. Enclosure performance is optimized when air sealing and insulation – two underappreciated and typically underperforming features – are done to high-performance standards rather than the status quo. The preceding class in our High Performance Fundamentals program (How Buildings Work; Science and Buildings and Science in Buildings) covered the scientific principles needed to effectively design high-performance buildings. This class covers installation — the practical application of those principles on the job site – the hands-on activities that differentiate ‘business-as-usual’ from high-performance construction. These include best practices for air sealing, insulation installation, and window installation, along with the tools and methods (e.g., blower door testing) used to measure the quality of work, and the metrics against which the work can be evaluated.

Virtual Selling Mini-Boot Camp
2023-09-22 08:30 - 12:00
Selling Energy’s new Virtual Selling Mini-Boot Camp is optimized for busy energy professionals. This sponsored training package consists of: two half-day live/online webinars; access to the webinar recordings for a full year; free access to Segment Guides™; and, ongoing live/virtual coaching with instructor Mark Jewell, an award-winning sales trainer and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with 30 years of experience selling energy projects.

Join us for the encore of the Virtual Selling Mini-Boot Camp on September 22, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon Pacific, live online.

Electric Heat Pumps for Water Heating
2023-09-21 09:00 - 12:00
As our electricity supply becomes cleaner due to an increased use of renewables for generation, along with a growing number of local ordinances prohibiting gas installs in new homes, electricity becomes an attractive fuel source to designers and builders interested in reducing residential greenhouse gas emissions and creating zero carbon homes.
Dan Perunko of Balance Point Home Performance will present on efficiency gains, and overcoming common installation pitfalls from electric heat pump water heaters in new and existing buildings. Class discussion will cover the advantages and limitations of these systems, the available technology and refrigerant types, as well as features like load flexing.

Scaling Heat Pump Adoption: BlocPower’s Electrification Journey
2023-09-20 12:00 - 13:30
BlocPower is a national climate technology company partnered with municipalities and utilities to deliver end-to-end decarbonization retrofits at scale. In this webinar, you’ll hear BlocPower’s approach to stakeholder alignment, community engagement and building long-term, high-value contractor partnerships. Head of Project Operations Leia Sims will walk you through BlocPower’s toolkit for driving decarbonization projects for customers of all income levels and at every stage of the electrification journey—including for buildings that require remediation. You’ll also virtually tour a featured BlocPower electrification project in PG&E service territory.

Building Resilience: Keeping the Lights on in an All-Electric Future
2023-09-20 09:00 - 12:00 | Yerba Buena Room (Bay Area Metro Center), 375 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, United States
State and local policies are pushing our built environment toward all-electric buildings in order to save energy and reduce climate impacts, and at the same time we are experiencing challenges such as wildfires, heat events, and brownouts. Join us to hear about building and community scale solutions that can help create a resilient built environment for everyone, including energy efficiency, load shifting, demand response strategies, and more. This Forum is free and open to all, and will be in a hybrid format with options to attend in person or virtually.
Yerba Buena Room (Bay Area Metro Center)
375 Beale Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Technology, Sales and Installation Challenges Part 2
2023-09-20 09:00 - 11:00
This course establishes a clear value proposition for residential heat pump water heater scenarios, while addressing key barriers to their adoption. It also provides targeted sales training to identify customers and opportunities for client-facing staff and stakeholders while delving into key installation considerations including space limitations, noise, condensate management, sizing, operational modes, and error codes.

Residential Heat Pump Water Heater Technology, Sales and Installation Challenges Part 1
2023-09-19 13:00 - 15:00

Regenerative Design in Practice: Zero Net Carbon Design Series
2023-09-19 12:00 - 13:30
The Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) Series, will begin with the background and an overview of carbon in the building industry, then focus content on energy performance and renewable energy, water-savings as energy-savings, embodied carbon, and finally regenerative design.
The courses have been developed to fulfill the new California requirement for architects to have five hours of ZNCD education as part of their license renewal. Although created with architects in mind, the content is broadly applicable across the building industry.
There are 1.0 HSW|LUs available per class, we encourage you to register for the rest of the series for the full 5 hours of learning units.
Class 5: Regenerative Design in Practice
