Workforce training for the home performance industry has been a mainstay of CCSE since 2012. Through the GETUP Energy Upgrade Internship Program, CCSE provides classroom and hands-on field training with the goal of providing the industry with trained entry-level professionals. With an average class size of 11 students, GETUP provides personalized training with CCSE’s home performance experts.
Loren Fink, a November 2013 GETUP graduate, is quite pleased with the training program.
Jesse and Andrea Ibanez know a thing or two about houses. They are real estate agents with training in sustainable building practices and energy efficiency. So when Andrea developed a constant cough after moving into their house in Pacific Beach, they knew their living environment could be the cause.
"Something did not feel right," Andrea recalls. "I was suspicious that the age and condition of the house may be a factor."
Maybe your guest bedroom is frigid and drafty in the winter, forcing Aunt Linda to layer on the blankets and run the space heater all night. Perhaps your south-facing rooms are unbearably hot in the summer, reducing your indoor comfort zone. Or you're simply tired of high energy bills — year-round or seasonally, or both.
You’re ready to fix these problems. But what’s your first step?
Mark Remy bought his 1960s era San Diego home in 2008 as a fixer-upper. But even after remodeling, with new windows, sliding doors, stucco, ceilings and more, it still wasn't as comfortable as he wanted.
"When I moved into my house, it was like camping out," Mark said. "In the winter, I could see my breath in the morning." He was also concerned about the safety of the natural gas-burning wall heater.
In early October, CCSE joined in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2013 Solar Decathlon at Orange County Great Park in Irvine. The international event drew tens of thousands of visitors to view 19 college teams design, build and operate homes powered by the sun.
Skip and Sandy Florey of Mira Mesa first learned about home energy upgrades by attending an energy efficiency home tour in 2012. "We wanted to find out what else we could do to save energy and make our home more comfortable," Sandy recalls.
At the tour, they signed up for an energy assessment and discovered their ducts were leaking 30 percent of the conditioned air and their water heater was generating unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.
Even a mild Oceanside winter can make a home uncomfortable if it's not properly insulated and sealed. That's what Mark and Jenny Zajac discovered after purchasing their 1970s split-level home last year.
"It was quite drafty and we had to use space heaters in our son's bedroom and in our home office," Jenny recalled. She said the summer was no better, reporting the house would get up to over 90 degrees.
When Michael and Jessica Wolf bought their 1911-built Craftsman home in the South Park area of San Diego, it came with the original furnace and a lot of air leakage. "The house was very drafty with air coming in through the windows and floors," recalls Michael.
To make the home more comfortable, the couple incorporated energy upgrades into their remodel plans. Improvements included new ducts, air sealing, attic and wall insulation and a tankless water heater. They also had dual-pane windows and ENERGY STAR appliances installed.
CCSE is now a member of the new Department of Energy Better Buildings Residential Network, which connects energy efficiency programs and partners to share best practices and learn from each other to increase the number of American homes that are energy efficient.
Effort to help increase energy efficiency of California homes and buildings
CCSE and CalCERTS, Inc. have entered into a partnership agreement to provide training for building science professionals and contractors in the San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego regions.
The training supports programs statewide to help homeowners and building owners understand and identify the most cost-effective and appropriate energy efficiency improvements. Residences and commercial buildings in the state account for about 65 percent of California’s total electrical consumption.
Higher California Solar Initiative rebates provide a greater value proposition
Owners and managers of multitenant housing developments know that each resident’s shower, load of laundry and sink full of dishes adds to the cost of heating water on their property’s ever-increasing utility bills.
Time is running out on the availability of special Cool Comfort Financing interest rates as low as 2% for home heating and cooling upgrades. The interest rate buy-down, funded by the California Energy Commission, will end on December 31 but Cool Comfort will continue to offer financing at 4.99% for five years and 5.99% APR for ten years.
In collaboration with CSE and The Energy Network, Matadors Community Credit Union offers eligible homeowners low-interest rate financing on high-efficiency heating and cooling systems.
Home buyers are increasingly seeking features that save energy and water in their next homes — a trend that reflects the growing desire for healthier, more sustainable lifestyles. Homes across California are starting to sprout solar photovoltaic panels and electric car chargers, as well as energy-efficient windows and water-conserving yards.
