Supporting Local, Diverse Contractor Training Programs

July 22, 2024

A TECH Clean California Quick Start Grant provided support to Revalue.io as they rehabilitated and electrified 65 multifamily homes. In addition, the Revalue.io team designed and led targeted, inclusive training on electrification for more than 26 contractors and 46 electrification trainees.

Revlaue.io, aimed to address three major barriers to the decarbonization of low-income housing with their “Alameda County Green and Healthy Homes” project.

  • The first barrier is that the outreach tactics and main messaging about home electrification is not persuasive to low- and moderate-income households.
  • The second barrier is that low- and moderate-income homes are often not prepared to directly install heat pump technology due to significantly deferred maintenance.
  • And, finally, the lack of diversity in the construction industry means there are few contractors committed to serving this market segment or who can engage with low- and moderate-income communities in a culturally relevant way.

Revalue.io’s Quick Start Grant project developed an innovative approach to pair home electrification in low- and moderate-income communities while simultaneously repairing home health hazards. The project also included novel financing approaches and supported existing local diverse contractor training programs in collaboration with the Cypress Mandela Training Center. In these training courses, Revalue.io engaged in training over 70 contractors and electricians in installing heat pump technology.

The project team collaborated with other home rehabilitation programs to identify targeted properties based on their existing code complaints, age, or operating expenses. It then layered different program funds to perform needed repairs and remediation and electrify water heating, space heating and cooling, and cooking. The overall learnings from this project included:

  • aligning low- to middle- income household communication strategies about electrification with immediate interests addressing comfort and home health hazards,
  • coordinating resources and layering among housing rehabilitation and other residential incentive programs to provide comprehensive electrification solutions to low-to moderate income communities, and making existing electrification training more accessible to local minority contractors

can help address barriers with Californians in low-income housing and disadvantaged communities.

Revalue.io plans to continue expanding the reach of electrification training to similar programs and partnerships because partnerships with community organizations are key to accomplishing pre-electrification and rehabilitation needs and accelerating electrification efforts in these communities.

To learn more about this Quick Start Grant, visit techcleanca.com/quick-start-grants/2021-quick-start-grant-recipients/revalue/ to read the full report.

The TECH Clean California initiative is funded by California ratepayers and taxpayers and administered by Southern California Edison Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The TECH Clean California team is led by Energy Solutions and partners with Anchor Blue Consulting, Ardenna Energy, Association of Energy Affordability, Building Decarbonization Coalition, Central Coast Energy Services, Inc., Electrify My Home, Frontier Energy, National Comfort Institute, Energy Outlet, Recurve Analytics, The Ortiz Group, Tre’ Laine Associates, and VEIC.