Efficiency First California

TECH & ESMAC Heat Pump Water Heater Education
2024-03-27 07:00 - 09:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
The TECH & ESMAC (ENERGY STAR Heat Pump Water Heater Manufacturer Action Council) Heat Pump Water Heater Education includes a TECH overview, ENERGY STAR® overview, and a manufacturers heat pump water heater(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.
Attending the TECH & ESMAC training is required for upcoming HPWH funds.

For onboarding purposes, at least one individual from your organization must attend and complete the post-training survey.
All installers working on a project submitted to the program must also take either this training, or a program approved manufacturer training.

Topics Covered:

Key differences between standard gas and electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters
Benefits and value propositions of HPWHs
Installation best practices
Location options, space needs and considerations
How to size appropriately
Programming/operating modes
Time-of-use and demand response capabilities
Electrical requirements, electric panel considerations
Condensate management and drainage
Thermostatic mixing valves, recirculation pumps
Noise/vibration considerations
Guidance and best practices for warranty, service support, and maintenance
Customer education – how to use, what to expect, addressing common concerns
How to get further regional training and support

Learning Objectives:

Identify the key difference between standard water heaters and heat pump water heaters
Explain the features and benefits of heat pump water heaters
Identify dwelling and customer types that benefit the most from HPWH
Calculate appropriate tank size based on dwelling and occupancy
Describe installation best practices
Describe service and maintenance best practices
Demonstrate selling techniques and overcoming customer objections

Electrify Efficiently: Electrical Panel Assessments - Examples for Heat Pump Installers
2024-03-26 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
As more California homeowners begin electrifying their homes, heat pump installers will be faced with the challenge of navigating electrical panel challenges including condition, capacity, fitment, supply chain, etc. With panel and service upgrades being costly and complex, it’s important for practitioners to understand their options for running new circuits. In this session, you’ll hear from Electrify My Home discuss real-world electrical panel scenarios including visual assessments, electrical load calculations, and examples of different solutions to make it work.
Agenda:

Introduction and safety message
Good electrification and install small
Panel assessments and strategies for overcoming challenges
Performing a load calculation
Q&A

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

Explain why a full panel doesn’t necessarily mean no additional capacity is available
Name two reasons why upgrading a home’s electrical capacity may not be preferred
List two solutions to fitting new circuits into a panel where no physical space is available
Identify at least 2 or more critical components and variables of performing a load calculation in a residential home

High-Performance HVAC Design and Redesign for Electrification
2024-03-26 08:00 - 2024-03-28 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | NCI – Anaheim, 2050 S Santa Cruz St., Ste 1000,, Anaheim, California
In this three-day educational experience, TECH Clean CA-approved contractors will learn to accurately complete four stages of system design using NCI principles and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manuals J, S, D, and T using Elite RHVAC Software package for new and existing homes.
This class is for engineers, sales professionals, and in-house designers who own or plan to purchase Elite RHVAC software.
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.

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards: Envelope
2024-03-23 09:00 - 12:00, 2024-03-11 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
If you design, specify, construct, install or inspect the envelope components of Single-family building projects, this course is for you! In it, you’ll learn what ceiling/attic, wall and floor insulation is required by California’s 2022 Energy Code. You’ll also find out how fenestration products are certified and the effect of shading on fenestration efficiency. Also explore the envelope component requirements for an Accessory Dwelling Unit conversion.

Electric Heat Pumps for Water Heating
2024-03-21 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.

Multifamily Electrification 101
2024-03-20 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Course Overview
Building electrification is advancing quickly with over 40 California jurisdictions adopting reach codes to advance electrification, which is critical to meet our local and state goals. In this class, we will discuss the benefits of electrification and the current policy and code considerations, provide an overview of what should be considered in an all-electric multifamily project (both new and retrofit), and explore technologies for electrification for all end uses, as well as the role of solar PV and electric vehicles. Come learn about what it takes to have a successful retrofit or new construction multifamily electrification project.
Instructors:

Amy Dryden is Director of Strategic Innovations at the Association for Energy Affordability, Inc. specializing in strategic initiatives, codes and standards, program design, training, and research and development projects. She brings more than 20 years of experience in residential green building design and construction, consulting, and planning, and works to advance the industry to deliver sustainable and healthy housing. Amy has developed training and delivered in-person, in field, and distance learning trainings to design professional, consultants, contractors, builders, building inspectors, and plan reviewers. She has contributed to national, state, and local auditing and green building standards, for DOE, California Low Income Housing Tax Credit Programs, GreenPoint Rated and Building Performance Institute. Amy works with diverse set of stakeholders to provide healthy affordable housing in a decarbonized future. On the side she has the pleasure of driving an all-electric 1946 Ford pick-up.

Nick Dirr has been at AEA since 2008. He is dedicated to making improvements in buildings to enable them to be healthy, affordable, resilient, and low carbon. He oversees AEA West’s various existing building and new construction programs, which enable participants to make actionable progress towards achieving climate friendly, healthy buildings. Nick also contributes to R&D efforts on zero-carbon building systems, workforce education and training, policy initiatives, and smart-grid solutions. His efforts are informed by years of practical experience, and has performed hundreds of energy audits, managed the development and execution of work scopes for low- and high-rise multifamily buildings, and developed and overseen multiple local, statewide, and national programs for utilities, CCAs, and local, state, and federal government entities. Nick holds an MS in Physics and Energy Studies from Otago University and a BS in Environmental Sciences from Ohio University.

AIRFLOW TESTING AND DIAGNOSTICS
2024-03-19 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | NCI – Anaheim, 2050 S Santa Cruz St., Ste 1000,, Anaheim, 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.

Overcoming Installation Challenges with Heat Pumps
2024-03-16 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Heat Pumps are a big part of the solution to meeting California’s climate goals in buildings. In plain terms, they’re reversible air conditioners and have been around for over 100 years. This session is designed for HVAC contractors, builders, and others who want to understand how to install heat pumps right. We will cover how heat pumps can add value to your business, how heat pumps work and various configurations, and how to overcome common installation hurdles. Hurdles covered include dealing with existing ductwork, filtration requirements, cold weather, sizing, and electrical requirements. We will also discuss first costs, operating costs, and incentives.
Learning Outcomes:

Understand how focusing on heat pumps can add value to your business
Learn what energy code requirements apply to heat pumps and how variable capacity heat pumps (VCHPs) qualify for a significant compliance credit
Study various installation hurdles and how to overcome them
Learn typical first costs and operating costs, as compared to gas furnace split systems

Learning Units:
1.5 AIA LU approved for this course0.15 ICC CEU approved for this course
Instructors:
Nick Brown, Build Smart Group
Bobby Hahn, Pacific Systems Group – Bobby is the principal at Pacific System Group with 32 years in the HVACR Industry. His experience includes VRF, Ductless, DX Systems, Chilled Water, Air Quality, Filtration and Controls. Bobby is a member of the CABEC, IHACI, ASHRAE, ACCA, MANNA and was a past board member of the Institute of Heating and Air Conditioning Industry.

Electric Heat Pumps for Space Heating and Cooling
2024-03-14 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | 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.

Agenda:

Introduction and safety announcement
Heat pumps for space heating
Case studies of zero net energy (ZNE) homes
Energy consumption of heating and cooling
Ducted vs. ductless heat pump systems
Indoor air quality (IAQ)
Refrigerant leaks and global warming potential
Performance of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems
Duct design and variable air flow systems
Electric resistance auxiliary heating in heat pumps
Q&A and course evaluation

Objectives

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

Identify the benefits of ducted and ductless space heating heat pump systems
Describe the potential benefits of HVAC-driven filtration and indoor air quality
Summarize the performance parameters for proper installation of electric heat pumps
Describe climate impacts from the release of refrigerants into the atmosphere and the procedures to ensure that systems don’t leak
Interpret energy savings comparisons among existing equipment types in order to determine the total annual energy consumption for the equipment under consideration

Audience Level

Intermediate

Electrify Efficiently: Home Electrification Financial & Training Programs In Pg&E Territory
2024-03-12 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join Electrify My Home (EMH) in this lunchtime webinar series focused on home electrification. The Electrify Efficiently webinar series will highlight the tremendous business opportunities, vital role of efficiency, and lessons learned from the field.
The electrification movement is quickly gaining momentum. Over 60 cities in California have electrification ordinances and plans are in place to phase out new gas appliances in the next seven years. Incentives, financing, and training programs are essential for helping industry professionals and homeowners meet these goals.
In this session, EMH will host a panel of program and industry experts who will outline what funding and training is currently available, as well as what’s on the horizon. The discussion will focus on programs available to customers and contractors in PG&E service territory.
Agenda:

Introductions, PG&E safety message, and welcome
Overview of the Electrify My Home electrify efficiently webinar series
Introduction of the guest panel
Home electrification incentive and financing program details
Home electrification training program details
Class survey, closing and wrap up

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

Name three programs providing incentives in PG&E territory
Locate training opportunities
Identify at least one financing program customers can use to finance electrification projects
Describe the importance of heat pump water heaters and why they are being incentivized

Heat Pump Workshop for Space and Water Heating
2024-03-09 08:30 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | D Street Neighborhood Center, 1301 D Street, Arcata
RCEA is holding two expert presentations on heat pump space and water heating. Learn how heat pumps work, what the benefits are, about ducted and ductless systems, what various kinds of systems are, and what’s involved in installing and maintaining them. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and a chance to talk with local heat pump contractors. Attendees will learn about general federal, state, and local rebates and incentives that are available.
Schedule for the day:

8:30 Meet local heat pump contractors & enjoy refreshments
9:00-10:30 Presentation 1 – Heat Pump Space Heaters & Q&A
10:30-11:00 Refreshments and time with local contractors, our expert instructor Dan Perunko, and RCEA staff
11:00-12:15 Presentation 2 – Heat Pump Water Heaters & Q&A
12:15-1:00 More time with local contractors, instructor Dan Perunko, and RCEA staff

RSVPs are encouraged but not required by emailing info@RedwoodEnergy.org.

RCEA Rebates and Resources
RCEA Contractor & Vendor Network

High Performance Buildings & Careers – Class 1: High Performance Fundamentals Series
2024-03-07 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This is class 1 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.

Code compliance is a minimum standard for building performance; by contrast, “high performance” refers to buildings that are designed, built, and commissioned to exceed the performance of conventional buildings in energy efficiency, durability, comfort, safety, and indoor air quality. The magnitude of the opportunity to fill this gap cannot be over-emphasized. For example, field research found that a single-day high-performance retrofit can improve HVAC system performance in new homes by an average of 25%. While the mainstream building industry strives for code compliance, a small fraction of those in the industry adopt high-performance practices and produce homes and commercial facilities with lower energy use, greater resilience, exceptional durability, outstanding comfort, and low to zero onsite emissions. These individuals are consistently in demand, command higher wages, win awards, and have the satisfaction of building a better world for themselves, their families, and communities. The secret sauce? Setting quantitative goals, measuring performance, and marketing the superior outcomes.

This class – the first of six in 3C-REN’s High Performance Fundamentals Program – is an introduction to the opportunities presented by working in the realm of high-performance buildings, and how to create a place for yourself within that realm.
Learning Objectives
After attending this class, participants will be able to:

Explain the concept of high performance building and the roles of ‘building as a system,’ building science, and quantitative assessment in achieving high performance
Understand the connections between high performance building, human health, resiliency, climate change mitigation, and State energy and climate regulatory trends
Enumerate the benefits of high-performance building design, construction, and commissioning, including providing quantitative examples of improvements that can be achieved by adopting a high-performance approach
Begin transitioning to high-performance building practices

1.5 AIA|HSW LU’s available for this course
Instructors:

Ann Edminster, Design AVEnues LLC

Retrofitting Homes for Electrification and Decarbonization
2024-03-07 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
From alignment with California’s decarbonization goals and local ordinances prohibiting new gas installs, Dan Perunko of Balance Point Home Performance will outline the necessary steps to electrify an existing single-family home and how to manage whole house strategies for successful electrification retrofits. Case studies demonstrating successful electrification projects will highlight the opportunities to overcome challenges presented by existing infrastructure and planning for backup power during PSPS events.

Affordable & Equitable Home Electrification Retrofits: QuitCarbon's Lessons Learned from 1,500+ Homes
2024-03-05 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
QuitCarbon has been offering free, expert home electrification retrofit planning, contractor referrals, bid benchmarking, rebate optimization, and more to homes across California for nearly two years. In this dynamic, fast-paced session, you’ll learn many hard-won lessons from QuitCarbon’s collaborations with non-profits, governments, single-family homeowners, and the local small-business contractors that install heat pumps, do electrical work, insulate and weatherize, etc. This session is ideal for utility, government, non-profit, and program administrator organizations that have ambitious goals around residential decarbonization retrofits and are seeking state-of-the-art tactics for making electrification happen sooner, cheaper, and better.

Recovery Ventilators: Energy Savings and Compliance Credit in the 2022 Energy Code
2024-03-05 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Improved health and cognitive performance. Easier Title 24 compliance. Utility bill savings. These are the reasons to consider incorporating Heat Recovery Ventilators & Energy Recovery Ventilators (collectively Recovery Ventilators or RVs) into your next high-performance home project.
Nick Brown, the instructor installed his first RV in his home during COVID, when his daughter and two friends did their schoolwork from the office together. CO2 levels spiked in the early afternoon in that room, because only Title 24 minimum mechanical ventilation was designed into the house. He solved the problem by installing a Heat Recovery Ventilator and has advocated for these systems ever since. The new All-electric ADU he built has one, as well, and we will draw on these experiences and data gathered from these units to better understand these mechanical ventilation systems and their benefits.
We will also go over how to add an RV to a Title 24 compliance energy model and the change in energy use that results. We’ll present various configurations of RVs, including through-the-wall paired units, packaged HRVs and packaged ERVs, and various ducting options.
Learning Outcomes:

Understand the basics of how Recovery Ventilators (RVs) work to improve indoor air quality in homes and reduce heating and cooling energy use
Learn the energy code requirements for mechanical ventilation and how RVs produce a Title 24 compliance credit
Model a case study home using RVs and examine the energy use in various configurations
Hear best practices for specifying and installing RVs

Learning Units:
1.5 AIA HSW LU approved for this course
0.15 ICC CEU approved for this course
Instructor:
Nick Brown, Build Smart Group

High-Performance HVAC Design and Redesign for Electrification - Sacramento
2024-03-05 08:00 - 2024-03-07 17:00 UTC | Ferguson Sacramento, 5005 Raley Blvd Ste A, Sacramento, CA, 95838, United States
In this three-day educational experience, TECH Clean CA-approved contractors will learn to accurately complete four stages of system design using NCI principles and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manuals J, S, D, and T using Elite RHVAC Software package for new and existing homes.
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.

TECH & ESMAC Heat Pump Water Heater Education
2024-03-01 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Online
Topics Covered:

Key differences between standard gas and electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters
Benefits and value propositions of HPWHs
Installation best practices
Location options, space needs and considerations
How to size appropriately
Programming/operating modes
Time-of-use and demand response capabilities
Electrical requirements, electric panel considerations
Condensate management and drainage
Thermostatic mixing valves, recirculation pumps
Noise/vibration considerations
Guidance and best practices for warranty, service support, and maintenance
Customer education – how to use, what to expect, addressing common concerns
How to get further regional training and support

Learning Objectives:

Identify the key difference between standard water heaters and heat pump water heaters
Explain the features and benefits of heat pump water heaters
Identify dwelling and customer types that benefit the most from HPWH
Calculate appropriate tank size based on dwelling and occupancy
Describe installation best practices
Describe service and maintenance best practices
Demonstrate selling techniques and overcoming customer objections

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Nonresidential Standards: Introduction to the Performance Approach
2024-02-29 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this introductory course, explore the fundamentals of how “compliance tradeoffs” work and how this approach gives you flexibility in meeting the Nonresidential Energy Code. Learn how to get around Prescriptive requirements you want to avoid by using a combination of building features to balance your energy budget. Choose between a variety of options that are “better than and worse than Prescriptive” for envelope, mechanical, lighting and PV and battery systems to bring an example project into compliance with the Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6 or the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards) — without getting bogged down in the details.
This course does NOT address how to use the modeling software; rather it focuses on a high-level practical and conceptual look at how the Performance approach works with nonresidential projects.
COURSE OBJECTIVES

Compare the Prescriptive and Performance approaches to compliance with the 2022 Energy Code.
Describe, in general terms, how Performance modeling works and what it produces.
Use Joint Appendix 4 (JA4) to determine how alternative wall assemblies compare to nonresidential Prescriptive requirements of the 2022 Energy Code.
Given an example nonresidential project, identify a set of “tradeoffs” among measures that likely will comply with the 2022 Energy Code using the Performance Approach.
Summarize the commissioning requirements for nonresidential building projects.

Available CEUs:
AIA (2.0 LU | HSW); ICC (0.2 CEU); CABEC (2 CEUs)

Can ChatGPT Help Customers Find Quality Contractors?: A Live Walkthrough of AI Chatbots and Search Engines
2024-02-28 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
For a long time, Google has been the primary way for homeowners to learn more about the services that home contractors provide and to find a company to work on their home. But will 2024 be the year your customers start branching out and exploring other artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT or AI-assisted search engines like Perplexity? On Wednesday, February 28 at 5:00 PM EST, join Energy Circle CEO and founder Peter Troast as he conducts live walkthroughs of some of these new platforms to help contractors understand how these platforms work and how the differences could affect your marketing efforts.

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards: Solar & Battery Storage
2024-02-28 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Roll-up-your-sleeves and work with expert instructors and your colleagues to develop recommendations regarding solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery-storage systems that meet the Energy Code for single-family and low-rise multifamily buildings.

Prerequisites

This is an intermediate to advanced course. We strongly recommend you complete the following before attending this session:

Online Self-Study: 2019 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials on Demand — Residential Standards & Technology: Solar SystemsA new version of this online self-study course is currently under development, and should be available later this year.
In the meantime, the above course is a useful orientation to key concepts and terminology that will be used in the online live class.

Weigh the pros and cons of alternative approaches to achieving energy efficiency and meeting the California’s 2022 Single-family Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or the Energy Code). Select the approach that makes best sense given client preferences and other project parameters.
This course is desiged for Energy Consultants, Architects and Designers and focuses on how to apply the 2022 Energy Code specific to Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and battery-storage systems in single-family and low-rise multifamily new construction.
We’ll start with the basics and then explore key lessons from the field that you’ll likely encounter. Throughout the course you’ll be working with real life projects to determine the appropriate PV and battery requirements.
COURSE OBJECTIVES

Explain key Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage concepts
Determine the requirements for the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) area for a single family and low-rise multifamily new construction project
Determine how to use the battery storage credit to meet project requirements
Modify PV and battery requirements on a project given exceptions and real-life obstacles

Available CEUs:
AIA (3.0 LU | HSW); ICC (0.3 CEU); CABEC (3 CEUs)

CARB Public Workshop: Zero-Emission Space and Water Heater Standards
2024-02-28 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
CARB staff will share initial regulatory concepts, analysis methods, and public engagement updates.

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards: Analyzing the CF1R
2024-02-28 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Please join the Energy Code Ace team for this highly interactive vorkshop (virtual workshop), where you’ll have a chance to work in teams and with a whole group to do a “reality check” on the single-family Certificate of Compliance (CF1R) in the context of Title 24, Part 6.

Prerequisites

This is an intermediate to advanced course. We strongly recommend you have the following before attending this session:

Basic familiarity with Title 24, Part 6: Residential Building Energy Standards

Basic familiarity with the role of the CF1R and how it’s produced

If you don’t have these understandings, you can sign up for the following v-classes:

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards for Energy Consultants

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Compliance: Modeling

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Energy Consultants, learn to do a “reality check” on compliance results and troubleshoot common modeling errors as evidenced in the single-family CF1R (Residential Certificate of Compliance).
This highly interactive workshop gives everyone who models single-family projects to demonstrate compliance with California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or the Energy Code) a chance to work individually and in teams with the performance results from multiple single-family projects and develop an understanding of various project features that affect the overall compliance margin and identify results that are “red flags” for likely problems with the model.
COURSE OBJECTIVES

Describe the components of the CF1R and the information they convey.
Describe what influences the EDR scores.
Given a sample project, provide a rough estimate of what the total compliance margin and magnitude of components should look like.
Describe common “error identification” and “troubleshooting techniques” in regard to the CF1R.
Identify additional resources and tools provided by Energy Code Ace and the California Energy Commission.

Available CEUs:
AIA (3.0 LU | HSW); ICC (0.3 CEU); CABEC (3 CEUs)

Residential Space Conditioning and Water Heating
2024-02-28 08:00 - 2024-03-01 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Modesto, California (TBD)
Electrify My Home provides training based on real-world experience with residential electrification. With hundreds of high-performance projects completed to date, Electrify My Home shares its experience with others in a fast-paced training program that will benefit all parts of your company. We share principals of “Install Small” and “Good Electrification” processes that will keep your customers satisfied while simultaneously optimizing future grid reliability.
Only enrolled TECH Clean California Participating Contractor company staff may take this course. Course registration will be verified to ensure Participating Contractor company has completed a Trade Professional Participation Agreement (TPPA). Registration may be cancelled if a TPPA has not been completed prior to course start date.

Electrify Efficiently: Overcoming Heat Pump Objections
2024-02-27 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us as Electrify My Home continues this ‘lunch-and-learn’ webinar series focused on home electrification. The Electrify Efficiently webinar series will highlight the tremendous business opportunities, vital role of efficiency, and lessons learned from the field. Heat Pumps are quickly gaining traction as a preferred HVAC and water heating technology. California has a goal for 6 million installed heat pumps by 2030, and state plans indicate that new gas furnace and water heaters will not be permitted after 2030. While the path forward for heat pumps seems clear, the technology is still foreign to most homeowners. To meet the above-mentioned goals, contractors and other industry professionals must arm themselves with the knowledge (and sometimes the data) to dispel myths about heat pumps.
In this webinar, you’ll hear from Larry Waters, an HVAC industry veteran who switched his focus towards home performance in 2010 and towards inverter heat pumps in 2014. With over 400 heat pump installations under his belt, Larry’s heard just about every objection in the book and will relay best practices for responding to such objections.
Agenda:

Introduction and safety message
Overview of the Electrify My Home “Electrify Efficiently” webinar series
Approaching the house
Consultative questioning to identify needs
Common objections to heat pumps and sample responses
Class survey, closing and wrap up

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

Develop two consultative questions that will help prepare a response to a customer’s objection
Describe one reason why older vintage heat pumps spoiled the opinions of some customers & HVAC pros
Name three features of gas appliances that are disadvantageous
Explain why heat pumps are the perfect fit for California’s climate
List five reasons why heat pumps are better than gas furnaces

Building Electrification Fundamentals 4 – The Financial Costs & Benefits of the BE transition
2024-02-22 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Course Description:
Interested in transforming your building to a clean, safe, and healthy all-electric structure but hesitant due to the cost? What are the costs to install and operate this equipment? Are there incentives available to aid in this transition? What are the benefits both financial and non-financial? Do you need a new electric panel? This workshop will address all those questions covering the general cost of equipment, how to think incrementally as you transition and the benefits of planning out your transition regardless of where you are in the process, utility rates and rebates available to help pay for the changes.
Instructor Information: Scott Blunk
Scott is a Strategic Planner of Electrification and Energy Efficiency where he creates utility wide electrification strategies. He is an Adjunct Professor of Building Science at Cosumnes River College where he has taught courses on the energy codes and mechanical codes, energy auditing and energy modeling.
Scott received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Marquette University. Scott has worked in the field of green building and energy efficiency for 20 years in many different rolls including: building contractor, energy consultant, new construction residential program administrator, existing building program manager, mechanical engineer, energy rater, trainer, and real estate broker.
Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this class participants will be able to:

How to plan out your electrification project(s)
Learn about the costs you can expect to pay for each project
Understand utility rates and changes to your energy bills
Find out about SCE and statewide rebates

Target Audience:

General Audience
Homeowners
Residential Installers
Designers

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 the Friday prior to the event.

Bay Area E-Contractor Academy
2024-02-15 15:00 - 2024-03-21 18:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | SFPUC Contractors Assistance Center, 150 Executive Park Blvd #1300, San Francisco, CA, 94134, United States
Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) Bay Area is pleased to invite you to apply to our Spring 2024 E-Contractor Academy, a FREE in-person workshop series focused on building technical, economic and operational capacity with small, minority/BIPOC, women, veteran-owned and/or disadvantaged local construction businesses (MWVDBEs) to successfully do business in climate-critical decarbonization fields such as building electrification, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and more.
ECC provides services for tailored entrepreneurial support throughout and beyond this academy via its E-Contractor network and community partners, including but not limited to:

Cohort-based multiweek training and education program
Clean energy/building decarbonization workshops
Resources for continued education
One-on-one business and construction topic advising (strategic plans, project delivery, bidding, HR, etc)
Peer learning opportunities
Networking
Free and reduced-cost access to professional services
Connection to project opportunities
Connection to financing opportunities including loans and grants. While access to capital is not guaranteed ECC does have connections with lenders that specialize in funding construction companies and MWVDBEs.

This FREE six week series will be held Thursdays 3-6:30 PM from February 15 to March 21 2024 at the SFPUC’s Contractors Assistance Center in San Francisco, CA. Free light meal provided.
Visit our website for more info. Complete this form by 11:59 PM Sunday Jan 28, 2024 to apply. Takes approximately 5-10 minutes.

2022 Title 24, Part 6 Essentials — Single-family Standards: Introduction to the Performance Approach
2024-02-14 13:00 - 2024-03-15 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
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.

Electrify Efficiently: Home Electrification Product Overview
2024-02-13 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us as Electrify My Home (EMH) in this lunch time introductory level webinar series focused on home electrification. The Electrify Efficiently webinar series will highlight the tremendous business opportunities, vital role of efficiency, and lessons learned from the field.
Homeowners around the world are beginning to embrace electrification (the switch from gas-fired appliances to electric-powered appliances). In this webinar, EMH will introduce and provide an overview of home electrification products to aid in the transition away from gas. This includes at least two electric options for each common gas appliance (e.g., HVAC, water heating, cooking, clothes drying, and fireplaces) as well as advanced electrical products that solve challenging load capacity issues.
Agenda:

Introduction and safety message
Overview of the Electrify My Home “Electrify Efficiently” webinar series
Product/manufacturer disclaimer
Electric options for HVAC and water heating
Electric options for other home appliances
Products that solve common electrification challenges
Class survey, closing and wrap up

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

Name at least two electric options for each typical gas appliance in a home
Identify two types of heat pumps
Describe a scenario where a split heat pump water heater is advantageous
Explain how a circuit splitter can help avoid costly panel upgrades
