Efficiency First California

Electric Heat Pumps for Water Heating
2024-10-02 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
As our electricity supply becomes cleaner, due to an increased use of renewables for generation and 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.

Clean Energy Workforce Diversity: Access, Inclusion and Belonging
2024-10-02 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
The growing clean energy sector is creating significant job opportunities across the nation. Does that mean all individuals will have equal access to these opportunities, and will these opportunities result in a sense of acceptance and belonging in the workplace? Our roundtable will focus on strategies for building an equitable economy and clean energy workforce.

Market evolution, technological innovation, and policies focused on climate action have strengthened economic opportunities in the U.S. energy sector and driven workforce development. However, the clean energy labor pool needs more diversity, and vulnerable, marginalized communities face challenges accessing clean energy jobs and inclusion in decision-making processes.
This roundtable will discuss how the transition to clean energy can create equitable economic opportunities that value diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging.

Mechanical Rooms: Strategies for Electrification Retrofits in Homes
2024-10-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
For as long as we’ve built homes, we’ve been using some kind combustion appliance system to heat them. As a result, our buildings are designed and constructed to safely manage the operation of gas appliances. In this webinar, Dan Perunko of Balance Point Home Performance will look at mechanical rooms as we transition from gas appliances to electric appliances. There is an opportunity for contractors and designers to offer their clients additional efficiencies beyond those offered by the change to electric appliances. We will identify easily overlooked building enclosure and mechanical changes that can be incorporated into an electrification retrofit project. This three-hour webinar is based on completed projects and will have images of floor plans that illustrate the complexities of combustion appliance mechanical spaces and the opportunities available when they are electrified.

Leveraging Testimonials and Case Studies in Sales Conversations
2024-10-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Join us for an insightful webinar on how to effectively use testimonials and case studies to boost your sales conversations and close more deals. Learn from top industry experts as they share their experiences and strategies for turning customer success stories into powerful sales tools.
Speakers:

Dan Perunko:

Founder of Balance Point Home Performance, Dan runs all aspects of the business from consulting and design to installation and trouble-shooting. As one of the most technically competent Home Performance Contractors in the State of California, Dan is dedicated to continuous improvement in his design and understanding of building systems. Dan goes the extra mile to make sure that customers receive a lot of value for their investment.

Peter Troast:

Peter Troast is the founder and CEO of Energy Circle, the better building sector’s leading marketing firm. For more than 15 years, he and his 27-person team have been exploring, testing, and proving out successful demand generation for high-performance homes and retrofits. He is a high-ranking speaker and teacher who openly shares his knowledge in support of elevating the adoption of more efficient, healthy, and comfortable buildings.

Natalie Anderson:

Natalie Anderson is the Outreach Coordinator at EFCA. In her role, Natalie is responsible for creating awareness of the Contractor’s Network and the value it brings to contractors in the Sacramento area. Coming from a successful career recruiting candidates to be hired within the construction industry, Natalie has relied on networking and “word of mouth” advertising to enhance her company’s reputation and drive growth. She says WOM advertising is the best method she has found for growing business!

Kevin Beck:

Kevin Beck is a seasoned expert with over four decades of experience in residential construction and home performance. As the Director of Education for Efficiency First California, he has dedicated his career to advancing energy-efficient, healthy homes and making building science accessible to everyone.
This session is a must for contractors, sales professionals, and business owners looking to enhance their sales pitch with authentic success stories. Don’t miss out on these actionable strategies that can help you convert leads into loyal customers.

Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters: Technology, Sales and Installation Challenges - Part 1 (Webinar)
2024-10-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Online
Course Description:
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.Instructor Information: Tim Abshire
Tim Abshire is a Senior Account Manager and Certified Trainer for D+R International. Most recently he managed the Wholesale Distribution channel and was responsible for implementing Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (NEEA) Hot Water Solutions Program through the wholesale and installer supply chain. Hot Water Solutions is a market transformation effort designed to promote the replacement of standard efficiency electric water heaters to heat pump water heaters. Mr. Abshire provides education, training, and resources to both plumbing and HVAC regional distributors along with their installer trade networks. Mr. Abshire’s background, including utility management and wholesale distribution, provides him with extensive knowledge and understanding of distribution operational needs and requirements. Mr. Abshire is a State Certified Heat Pump Water Heater Continuing Education Instructor in Oregon and Washington and has conducted over 250 training courses to distributor branch and installer personnel.
Agenda:

HPWH Technology Overview
What is Driving the Market for HPWH’s
Planned Replacement Opportunities
HPWH Marketing & Consumer Awareness
Explain HPWH Benefits, Overcome Objection
HPWH Space and Location Considerations
Managing Condensate
Heat Pump Water Heater Sizing
Switching from Gas to a HPWH

Learning Outcomes:

Explore the technology of heat pump water heaters
Examine the value proposition for heat pump water heaters as replacements in a variety of residential scenarios
Walk through targeted sales training to assist in the process of identifying and qualifying customers
Understand the key challenges to installation of heat pump water heaters

Target Audience:

HVAC Installers
Sales Professionals
Homeowners
Designers
Plumbers
Energy Consultants
Building Contractors

Learning Units:

N/A

Learning Level:
Intermediate Class: Content is appropriate for individuals who possess a fundamental understanding of the topic and have familiarity with basic terminology and methodology of the subject matter. Attendees should have the capacity to participate in instructor-led exercises requiring synthesis and application of concepts.
Special Instructions:
This is a Webinar class and internet access is required. Customers will receive a link the Friday prior to the event.

Stand Out in a Crowded Market
2024-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Contractors doing truly quality work are hard to come by—but unfortunately, the reality is that many companies who do offer exceptional work and customer service struggle to convey through their marketing what makes them different.
Differentiating yourself from competitors (who come in all shapes and sizes these days, from fellow contractors to tech start-ups and lead sellers like Angi) is one of the most effective ways for home performance companies to thrive in today’s landscape, generating more quality leads and booking more jobs.
During this Goldstar webinar, host Peter Troast—CEO and founder of the marketing and website services company Energy Circle—will take a deep dive into the world of differentiation and how to create and run marketing and sales campaigns that put the spotlight on what sets you apart.
Learning Objectives

Learn about the expanding field of competition, identifying who they are and what their relation to you may be.
Review the numerous categories of differentiation tactics, from what your brand says about you as a company, to how you promote your use of cutting edge building science tools, and much more.
See examples of real-life marketing that target these different differentiation methods

Peter Troast is the founder and CEO of Energy Circle. Peter is recognized as one of the country’s foremost authorities on marketing for home performance, HVAC, and other efficiency-related contracting companies. He authors the widely-read Energy Circle blog and is a passionate advocate for the power of the whole-house home performance business model. He and his team work with over 350 companies in 49 states to grow their business through services like website design and development, search engine optimization, lead generation, and strategic content production. He is a popular and high-ranking speaker about marketing for contractors at HPC, RESNET, ACCA, BPI, and EGIA conferences and events. For 2015, he received the Tony Woods Award for excellence in advancing the home performance industry.

Electrification Training
2024-10-16 08:00 - 12:00 | Online
Integrate existing knowledge learned in previous NCI training to the unique circumstances surrounding every heat pump upgrade project you take on.
Attendees must have attended Residential System Performance from NCI to attend this half-day training.
Open to contractors and technicians in the state of California who are enrolled in TECH Clean California. Not enrolled yet? Click here (opens in new window) to learn more about the program and enroll.

Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters: Technology, Sales and Installation Challenges - Part 2 (Webinar)
2024-10-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Online
Course Description:
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.

Optimizing Residential Forced-Air HVAC Systems: Efficiency, Comfort and Low Loss Duct Systems
2024-10-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
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 CA 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. We have 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.

Cutting Edge Ventilation to Improve IAQ Even With Tight Air Sealing
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
A home today must not only be high performing, resilient and built using sustainable methods, the home must provide the individuals living within it a healthy environment. There are many factors that contribute to the overall healthy environment we provide our homeowners, but one of the most critical is the quality of the air they breathe. This webinar will briefly cover some ventilation basics before delving into the pros and cons of the various system types. Particular focus will be placed on the efficiency and indoor air quality advantages of balanced ventilation systems with recovery (HRVs/ERVs) and how indoor air quality automation will shape the future.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand why tighter homes without good ventilation can be problematic for indoor air quality
2. Understand the basics of quality ventilation including product certification and airflow optimization and verification
3. Understand the options for whole home ventilation along with the pros and cons of each
4. Understand in particular the health and efficiency benefits and installation options of balanced ventilation with recovery (HRVs and ERVs).

Building the Future: Electrification Strategies for Electricians
2024-10-18 08:00 - 09:30 | Online
Electrification is taking form in California – over 70 municipalities have policies phasing out gas appliances and the state aims to have 6 million heat pumps installed by 2030. The massive infrastructure transition from gas to electric will “spark” giant demand for skilled electricians and presents a unique business opportunity. In this session, Electrify My Home will introduce these business opportunities and cover some of the most important electrical best practices for long-term home electrical planning.

Learning Objectives:

Explain the importance of comprehensive electrification planning.
Name two technologies that help avoid panel upgrades.
Explain why electrification presents unique business opportunities for electricians

E-CONTRACTOR ACADEMY - Bay Area Fall 2024
2024-10-22 15:00 - 2024-11-12 18:30 | San Jose Environmental Innovation Center, 1608 Las Plumas Ave, San Jose, California
E-Contractor Academy is a FREE weekly workshop series building technical, financial, and operational capacity with small minority/BIPOC, women, veteran-owned and/or disadvantaged (MWVDBE construction businesses to successfully do business in climate-critical decarbonization fields such as building electrification, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
Emerald Cities Collaborative’s E-Contractor Academy is a FREE weekly workshop series that builds technical, financial, and operational capacity with small minority/BIPOC, women, veteran-owned and/or disadvantaged (MWVDBE) construction businesses to successfully do business in climate-critical decarbonization fields such as building electrification, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
Priority will be given to firms with the following characteristics:

Licensed contractors in or seeking to expand into electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades
MWVDBEs: Minority/BIPOC-owned, Women-owned, Veteran-owned and/or Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (certification not required)
Business revenue $25K – $3M
Project scopes up to $1M
Owners seeking to grow their residential decarbonization business!

Fall 2024 E-Contractor Academy_Flyer

Heat Pump Water Heater Day
2024-10-23 | Online
An entire day dedicated to heat pump water heater (HPWH) education and awareness. We know that collectively we have the power to create a clean energy, low-carbon future. On HPWH Day we connect with advocates, manufacturers, installers, homebuilders, and HPWH owners to showcase ENERGY STAR certified HPWHs and the ways they help create a better future. Your ticket gives you full free access to the day of online events.

BayREN and Energy Code Ace C&S Training: 2022 Single-family Standards HERS-Verified Quality Insulation Installation (QII)
2024-10-24 09:00 - 10:30 | Online
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on prescriptive quality insulation installation (QII) requirements in the 2022 Energy Code for new single-family buildings of any size and additions greater than 700 ft².
This presentation helps:

Designers and architects create projects that meet QII
Energy consultants clarify the minimum requirements and schedule of inspections the team needs to succeed when the Certificate of Compliance (CF1R) calls for QII
Contractors coordinate with HERS raters and subcontractors on inspection dates and other QII requirements
Building departments support QII projects at plan check and inspection to ensure the QII process goes smoothly
HERS raters communicate with the construction team on how to prepare a project to meet QII requirements during HERS inspections

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Identify quality insulation installation (QII) requirements that may be unique or atypical for single-family construction
Recognize how a project should start off on the right foot with good documentation in the design drawings to support QII
Organize construction team for the QII construction inspection schedule and understand what the HERS rater will evaluate
Discover additional resources available to learn more about QII (HERS providers, HERS raters, Energy Code Ace)

Available CEUs:
AIA (1.5 LU), ICC (0.15 CEU) and CABEC (1.5 LU)

Airflow Testing & Diagnostics
2024-10-29 08:00 - 16:30 | PG&E Stockton Conference Center, 3136 Boeing Way, Stockton, California
Learn the basics of Static Pressure and Airflow and prepare yourself for more advanced training in the NCI TECH training series with NCI’s simple Air Upgrade approach. This class provides technical training on performing static pressure testing, how to properly install static pressure test ports, and how to measure and interpret static pressures.
This FREE training is open to contractors and technicians in the state of California who are enrolled in TECH Clean California. Not enrolled yet? Click here (opens in new window) to learn more about the program and enroll.

Residential Electrification and Decarbonization with the Passive House Standard
2024-10-29 09:00 - 11:30 | Online
The Passive House Standard encourages all-electric building design and construction in homes and buildings, which can help achieve the widescale decarbonization required for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Passive House Network will demonstrate how Passive House principles align with the California’s decarbonization goals. This session will cover the technology options for all-electric homes and outline the many reasons to electrify with the Passive House Standard for better health, comfort, and cost benefits.

TECH & ESMAC Heat Pump Water Heater Education
2024-10-30 07:00 - 09:00 | Online
Manufacturers Heat Pump Water Heating (HPWH) Education session focused on technology features and benefits, appropriate applications, energy efficiency comparison to other water heater types, installation techniques, and best practices, service support and warranty, proper maintenance, troubleshooting, and selling strategies

Refrigerant-Side Performance
2024-10-30 08:00 - 2024-10-31 16:30 | PG&E Stockton Conference Center, 3136 Boeing Way, Stockton, California
Learn to improve heat pump refrigeration cycle performance through both air and refrigerant-side diagnostic approaches. This National Comfort Institute two-day advanced certification class provides you with real-world lessons and hands-on training. It’s based on proven techniques on how to best approach refrigeration-side issues.
This FREE training is open to contractors and technicians in the state of California who are enrolled in TECH Clean California. Not enrolled yet? Click here (opens in new window) to learn more about the program and enroll.

Heat Pump Water Heater: Installation, Decision Guidance, and Load Shifting
2024-10-30 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
Presented by Nick Brown and Gary Klein, this webinar will look at the best practices for installing a heat pump water in residential homes. This course will help plumbers, builders, architects, homeowners, and home energy consultants understand what is different about heat pump water heaters from the water heaters they are more familiar with, so that installations get done correctly. We’ll provide a quick recap of heat pump water heater basics and then explore the retrofit process, beginning from site preparation and installation considerations at the home, to operation and grid flexibility that heat pump water heaters can provide.

Commissioning Heat Pump Systems: Fundamentals and System Types
2024-10-30 09:30 - 13:30 | Online
Part 1 of 5 – October 30, 2024 (9:30am – 1:30pm)
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 interrelated. 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.
Register HERE for the entire Commissioning Heat Pump Systems (5 Part Series).
Agenda:

Introduction and safety message
How buildings use heat
Heat pumps, electrification, and the fundamental goals of HVAC
Fundamental heat pump concepts
Heat pump system types

The objective of this training series is that at the conclusion, participants will be able to:

Discuss some of opportunities associated with applying heat pumps as a source of heating and cooling for buildings as we move towards electrification
Describe how buildings use heat and how heat pumps can be used to meet this need along with the fundamental goals associated with building HVAC systems
Recognize the typical components of the vapor-compression (refrigeration) cycle
Identify the common heat pump system types and describe their general characteristics (ground source, air source, water source, variable flow refrigeration, etc.)

Optimizing Residential Forced-Air HVAC Systems: Load Calculations, Equipment Selection, System Airflow and Layout
2024-10-31 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
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.

Residential Solar PV, Energy Storage and Microgrid Technologies (Webinar)
2024-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
Course Description:
Home renewable energy systems including solar, energy storage and microgrids, have been growing at the speed of light! Now is the time to learn how these systems are put together. In this class we will learn about the basics, including application, safety, electricity, solar energy, PV modules (aka solar panels), batteries, system components, maintenance, performance, industry ethics, mechanical and electrical design.
Taught by Sean White this class is geared to include homeowners and will provide attendees with a basic technical knowledge of these types of systems. This class will also provide prerequisite and continuing education credit for NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certifications. There is no better class to get a head start into the fastest growing industry.
Instructor Information:
Sean White
Sean White teaches customized solar PV courses for NABCEP credit globally. He is a NABCEP Associate Provider and a NABCEP Registered Continuing Education provider. Sean has authored 8 Solar PV and Energy Storage books and is always working on more. He teaches course for various entities. Sean teaches NEC workshops at SPI and Intersolar. Sean was the 2014 IREC Trainer of the year and the SNEC Online Trainer of the Decade in 2020.
Agenda:

Markets and Applications
Safety Basics
Electricity Basics
Solar Energy and Storage Fundamentals
PV Module and Battery Fundamentals
System Components
PV and ESS Sizing Principles
PV and ESS Electrical Design
PV and ESS Mechanical Design
Performance Analysis, Maintenance and Troubleshooting
How to Identify an Ethical Installer

Learning Outcomes:

Explain the basics of how residential solar and storage work.
Discuss how electricity goes from the sun, to a solar PV system, an energy storage system and to utilization circuits in a home

Target Audience:

General Audience
Homeowners

Learning Units:

This class will also provide prerequisite and continuing education credit for NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certifications

Learning Level:
Basic Class: Content is introductory in nature and requires no prerequisite knowledge or experience to grasp the concepts or participate in exercises. Basic educational activities and materials are meant to establish a foundation of knowledge and competence that will be expanded upon in practice or in higher level seminars and workshops.

Special Instructions:
This is a Webinar class and internet access is required. Customers will receive a link to the webinar the Friday prior to the event.

Residential HVAC System Performance & Electrification
2024-11-05 - 2024-11-07 | PG&E Stockton Conference Center, 3136 Boeing Way, Stockton, California
Learn to apply ASHRAE 221-compliant testing to heat pump systems and qualify for Enhanced TECH Incentives. This National Comfort Institute training package includes a two-day advanced certification in Residential System Performance and a special half-day training focused on applying your knowledge and skills to residential HVAC electrification. This training program provides the keys to delivering true system performance with real-world lessons and hands-on training.
Open to contractors and technicians in the state of California who are enrolled in TECH Clean California.
Training Schedule:
November 5: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
November 6: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
November 7: 8:00 AM – Noon
Held at PG&E Stockton Conference Center. Includes lunch, beverages, and snacks.

2025 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Residential Standards: What’s New
2024-11-05 08:30 - 11:00 | Online
This online live event summarizes the new and revised requirements in the 2025 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or Energy Code) for single-family and multifamily buildings, and directs participants to informational resources and training that provide more in-depth information on the Energy Code. Join us to begin learning what the 2025 code means to you and your customers.

Heat Pump Water Heaters for Building Departments
2024-11-07 09:30 - 10:30 | Online
Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are an increasingly popular technology that are a highly efficient means of providing hot water to houses. This training will describe HPWHs, code requirements for HPWHs, resources for permitting and compliance, and best practices for enforcement. Topics Covered: Overview of water heater technologies and trends, identifying HPWHs in the field, Energy Code requirements for HPWH installations and replacements, Energy Code compliance forms, and requirements specific to HPWHs.

High Performance Homes Valuation 2 Parts 1-3
2024-11-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Online
For RE Appraisers This is #3 of a 3-Course Series.
Those who complete the series will earn a Special Certificate.
1. Solar PV: Technology and Valuation ( agents, appraisers) Held 10/28/2024
2. Carbon Free Homes: Features, Benefits, Valuation ( agents, appraisers) (Held 11/4/2024)
3. High Performance Homes Valuation 2 (This Webinar) Classes will be delivered in 3 segments on the same morning. 9am-12:20pm PST 3 hrs CE: BREA, BOE
Topics covered:
– Client’s Journey. We consider 4 different scenarios related to buyers and sellers, their various motivations and the connections to the benefits of higher performance homes.
– How & why HP homes can be superior to code-built. We examine 12 distinct benefits.
– Advancing knowledge of building science: orientation, enclosures, mechanical systems, solar and storage. We refer to a real project in-progress of construction, a Passive House zero-emissions home.
– Recognize features during inspections, understand their benefits, and be equipped with key questions to ask about subject homes and comparables. – Review the three standard valuation approaches and discuss a key challenge to completing an appraisal; what questions to ask about comparables.
– Class exercise: Appraisers will gain practice in application as they consider a real, in-progress of construction, zero-emissions home. The ensuing group discussion of valuation approaches and challenges is a highlight of this session and of the entire 3-course series.

Nov 12, 2024 09:00 AM
Nov 12, 2024 10:10 AM
Nov 12, 2024 11:20 AM

Practical Efficient Hot Water Delivery: Structured Plumbing Applied in Retrofit and New Construction
2024-11-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
On the average Californians consume less water than the residents of other states. Even so there is a need for us to conserve even more water. The construction community has an opportunity to further reduce residential water use in ways that do not feel like conservation to our customers. In this class, Dan Perunko of Balance Point Home Performance looks at changing the way hot water is stored and delivered to the tap in residential buildings. The theory behind our approach is called “Structured Plumbing”. This will be a practical class focusing on how to install or modify hot water plumbing following the principles of “Structured Plumbing”. The presentation is based on completed projects including retrofits and new construction.

Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Roundtable
2024-11-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
New heat pumps remedy this issue largely with a technology called variable speed compressors. This type of compressor adjusts its speed based on outdoor conditions, improving efficiency and cold climate performance in the process.
Today’s top-of-the-line cold climate heat pumps maintain their output at 5°F and can keep your house warm well into the negatives. Join us on December 4th at 10am Pacific to learn more about this exciting technology from leading industry experts.
Samuel Beeson is a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience in the commercial refrigeration and air conditioning industry. He joined LG’s Utilities Team as a Senior Business Development Manager in March of 2024 and works on heat pump focused electrification activities and incentive programs at the federal, state and utility level. Sam primarily covers the western states for LG and lives in the Pacific Northwest in an all-electric home that he constructed in 2022 with his wife of 43 years.
Jonathan Moscatello, Business Development Manager, Daikin North America | Jonathan is a nationally regarded expert in residential contracting and heat pumps and a co-owner of The Heat Pump Store, a heat pump only contracting business based in Oregon that has installed heat pumps in over 20,000 homes. Sarah, his wife, runs the contracting business while Jonathan consults with utility programs, contractors, and distributors to help them grow their heat pump business. In 2021, Jonathan joined Daikin to help the company participate more fully in electrification initiatives.
Sam Lamos, Public Policy Manager at Gradient. She is deeply passionate about environmental justice and energy equity, which has directed her focus toward evaluation research in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Previously working in EM&V, she established herself as a successful project manager and data analyst, delivering actionable insights to utility and regulatory clients. Sam has evaluated and consulted state and utility programs that prioritize end-users
experiences, particularly those residing in disadvantaged areas. With a strong focus on decarbonization programs for residential and commercial buildings and extensive expertise in the HVAC and heat pump markets, Sam now assists Gradient in establishing policy goals and expanding into new areas.

Modeling All-Electric Homes in the 2022 Energy Code
2024-11-14 09:00 - 10:30 | Online
All-Electric Homes are having their moment, with state policies, incentives, and energy code providing builders, homeowners, and energy consultants a strong nudge toward all-electric designs. We will go over how to model all-electric homes (single family and multifamily) for maximum compliance benefit, including the Variable Capacity Heat Pump (VCHP) compliance credit and Heat Pump Water Heaters. We’ll also cover PV sizing and how that may differ for all-electric homes and mixed-fuel homes. Retrofits and new construction will also be covered with examples using tri-county climate zones.
Learning Outcomes:

Understand why all-electric homes are important
Learn the energy code requirements for heating and cooling, water heating, cooking, and laundry
Understand how electric systems perform under the performance method for Title 24 compliance
Hear best practices for modeling all-electric homes

Target Audience:

Energy consultants
Homeowners
General contractors
Subcontractors
Architects

Learning Units:
1.5 AIA LU approved for this course0.15 ICC CEU approved for this course
Instructor:
Nick Brown, Build Smart Group

Building Electrification: Lessons from the Field (Part 1 of 2)
2024-11-14 09:00 - 12:30 | Online
California is going through one of its most seismic shifts in building energy policy and design. The move towards full decarbonization of the building stock has started and the policy, technical and financial implications are being developed under our feet. We will share how heat pumps and other forms of electric heating can displace our long time carbon sources of heat. These systems are already available and many are cost effective today. Come discuss this shift and how it will impact your building or construction project with one of the industry’s leading experts.
This seminar will include details of how heat pump systems work and how to design residential and commercial buildings to take advantage of currently available heat pump systems. We will include case studies of heat pump systems and how they can fit into low energy buildings. We will also cover how to recognize opportunities for application of heat pump systems.
Instructor Bios:
Avril Levasseur
Avril is a Senior Associate at Point Energy Innovations, an MEP consulting firm specializing in highly cost-effective net-zero energy and sustainable buildings. She is a registered Professional Engineer who completed her graduate education at Stanford University. She strives to enable more efficient buildings through creative design and rigorous analysis. As the Program Manager for the Stanford Building Decarbonization Accelerator, she employs her passion for teaching to promote decarbonization education. She has collaborated in teaching several courses and is the co-author of multiple papers on the topic. In 2023, Avril was named the Association of Energy Engineers Young Energy Professional of the Year for the Western US.
Rami Moussa, P.E.
Rami Moussa, P.E. is a Managing Principal at Point Energy Innovations, an industry leading MEP consulting firm that specializes in the design of low cost high performance buildings for design-build project delivery. Rami is passionate about working with architects, building owners, contractors, facility engineers, and end users to create tailored solutions that are low energy, low carbon, and provide the best value. His pioneering work includes the design of the zero embodied and operational carbon AIA HQ renovation in Washington, D.C., and the fast-tracked developer-led zero operating carbon office headquarters of Exelixis in Alameda, CA. Decarbonization of the country’s real estate is Rami’s primary motivator. In 2022 he led decarbonization assessments for an existing real estate portfolio of over five million square feet across 30 buildings.
The objective of this course is that at the conclusion, participants will be able to:

Identify heat pump components and system types
Recognize appropriate heat pump applications and constraints in both new construction and existing building projects
Acknowledge how heat pump applications in buildings are beneficial in the California regulatory context
Apply lessons learned from recently-completed decarbonized projects that leverage heat pumps and other forms of electric heating
