The Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura are partnering to offer a portfolio of regional energy efficiency programs on the Central Coast. These programs will serve hard to reach residential customers and all building professionals in the residential and commercial construction industries.
In an effort to reduce utility costs and energy use, some homeowners have taken advantage of utility programs and rebates to upgrade their homes with energy efficient appliances and construction. These offerings, however, were often difficult to use and not available to many residents.
Similarly, some building professionals have taken advantage of utility programs to get trained on building applications, home performance practices, and California’s ever-changing and complex energy code. Until now, however, architects, contractors and building department staff needed to travel several hours and incur significant costs to receive training.
These challenges created gaps on the Central Coast where ratepayers did not have equitable access to energy efficiency resources available elsewhere.
The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) is a collaboration among the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. These three local government agencies are working together to design and deliver ratepayer-funded, energy efficiency programs across the Central Coast that are intended to address the needs and challenges of residents and building professionals.
3C-REN will administer three programs: Workforce Education and Training; Codes and Standards; and Residential Direct Install. The Residential Direct Install Program will serve Hard to Reach customers – those that meet state criteria related to geography, language, income, and housing type, or who live in a disadvantaged community. The Workforce Education and Training and Codes and Standards Programs are designed to address the needs and challenges of all building professionals in the tri-county region.
In an effort to reduce utility costs and energy use, some homeowners have taken advantage of utility programs and rebates to upgrade their homes with energy efficient appliances and construction. These offerings, however, were often difficult to use and not available to many residents.
Similarly, some building professionals have taken advantage of utility programs to get trained on building applications, home performance practices, and California’s ever-changing and complex energy code. Until now, however, architects, contractors and building department staff needed to travel several hours and incur significant costs to receive training.
These challenges created gaps on the Central Coast where ratepayers did not have equitable access to energy efficiency resources available elsewhere.
The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) is a collaboration among the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. These three local government agencies are working together to design and deliver ratepayer-funded, energy efficiency programs across the Central Coast that are intended to address the needs and challenges of residents and building professionals.
3C-REN will administer three programs: Workforce Education and Training; Codes and Standards; and Residential Direct Install. The Residential Direct Install Program will serve Hard to Reach customers – those that meet state criteria related to geography, language, income, and housing type, or who live in a disadvantaged community. The Workforce Education and Training and Codes and Standards Programs are designed to address the needs and challenges of all building professionals in the tri-county region.
Residential Direct Install Program
3C-REN’s Residential Direct Install Program will help “Hard-to-Reach” residents who are underserved by existing utility programs make free and low-cost energy efficiency upgrades to their homes.
These improvements will not only help residents save money and energy, but also improve the health, safety, comfort, and durability of their homes, and reduce carbon emissions. Examples of upgrades available to eligible residents through 3C-REN’s Residential Direct Install Program will be attic insulation, duct sealing, LED lighting, EnergyStar appliances, and heat pump hot water heaters.
To qualify as Hard to Reach, residents must meet state criteria related to geography, language, income, and housing type, or live in a disadvantaged community. In San Luis Obispo County, if you meet two of the criteria, you can qualify.
3C-REN’s Residential Direct Install Program will help “Hard-to-Reach” residents who are underserved by existing utility programs make free and low-cost energy efficiency upgrades to their homes.
These improvements will not only help residents save money and energy, but also improve the health, safety, comfort, and durability of their homes, and reduce carbon emissions. Examples of upgrades available to eligible residents through 3C-REN’s Residential Direct Install Program will be attic insulation, duct sealing, LED lighting, EnergyStar appliances, and heat pump hot water heaters.
To qualify as Hard to Reach, residents must meet state criteria related to geography, language, income, and housing type, or live in a disadvantaged community. In San Luis Obispo County, if you meet two of the criteria, you can qualify.
Workforce Education and Training Program
The Workforce Education and Training Program serves all building professionals - including contractors, architects, raters, realtors, plans examiners, and building inspectors.
In partnership with existing educational providers, such as the investor-owned utilities, Build It Green, and local community colleges, the Workforce Education and Training Program will bring new opportunities to Central Coast building professionals.
These will include:
The Workforce Education and Training Program serves all building professionals - including contractors, architects, raters, realtors, plans examiners, and building inspectors.
In partnership with existing educational providers, such as the investor-owned utilities, Build It Green, and local community colleges, the Workforce Education and Training Program will bring new opportunities to Central Coast building professionals.
These will include:
- Technical energy efficiency trainings and certifications focused on building science and home performance practices. An example of this is how to design and build a high-performance wall.
- In-Field Training and Installation Support: Local, in-person and onsite mentorship opportunities that provide building professionals with the hands-on experience to incorporate energy efficiency practices into their businesses. An example of this is how to perform a blower door test.
- “Soft Skills” Trainings designed to facilitate better communications, sales and marketing. An example of this is the National Association of Realtor’s Green Homes training.
Codes and Standards Program
The Codes and Standards Program will serve all building professionals and offer regional services, resources, and trainings focused on California’s Energy Code and designed to increase comprehension, compliance, and enforcement.
The Codes and Standards Program will deliver technical resources and code trainings designed to meet building departments’ challenging schedules and capacity limitations.
The key resources offered by the Codes and Standards Program include an energy code coach service, energy code trainings, and compliance resources. The Code Coach Service will provide over-the-counter, on-call, and in-the-field service to building professionals - at no cost - for technical questions and compliance needs.
In partnership with existing educational providers, such as International Code Council (ICC), CalCERTS, and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Codes and Standards Program will also offer regional energy code trainings and resources intended to increase comprehension and improve compliance with an ever-changing and complex energy code.
These can include compliance forms, checklists, software support, Home Energy Rating System (HERS) verification, and much more.
For more information about 3C-REN or any of its programs , please visit www.ventura.org/environment/tricountyren.
The Codes and Standards Program will serve all building professionals and offer regional services, resources, and trainings focused on California’s Energy Code and designed to increase comprehension, compliance, and enforcement.
The Codes and Standards Program will deliver technical resources and code trainings designed to meet building departments’ challenging schedules and capacity limitations.
The key resources offered by the Codes and Standards Program include an energy code coach service, energy code trainings, and compliance resources. The Code Coach Service will provide over-the-counter, on-call, and in-the-field service to building professionals - at no cost - for technical questions and compliance needs.
In partnership with existing educational providers, such as International Code Council (ICC), CalCERTS, and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the Codes and Standards Program will also offer regional energy code trainings and resources intended to increase comprehension and improve compliance with an ever-changing and complex energy code.
These can include compliance forms, checklists, software support, Home Energy Rating System (HERS) verification, and much more.
For more information about 3C-REN or any of its programs , please visit www.ventura.org/environment/tricountyren.
