City of Santa Rosa Climate Action Subcommittee
BayREN Overview
Anna Oliva, BayREN Local Government Liaison
Dori Estrella and Christine Condon, Climate Action and Resiliency Division Department Analysts April 3, 2024
Agenda
• BayREN Overview
• 2024 Program Offerings
• Services for Local
Government
• Outreach and Education
2 Overview
3 The Bay Area Regional Energy
Network (BayREN) is a coalition of
the Bay Area’s nine counties — a
network of local governments and
the Association of Bay Area
Governments (ABAG) partnering to
promote energy, water and
greenhouse gas reduction for
residents, small businesses and
local governments.
BayREN in Sonoma County
Lead by the Regional Climate
Protection Authority
• BayREN Local Government
Liaison
• County of Sonoma Climate
Action and Resiliency Division
4 BayREN Priorities
BayREN provides three main areas
of expertise and services:
• Promoting healthy and energy
efficient buildings for residents and
businesses
• Building capacity for local
governments to increase their impact
• Reducing carbon emissions by
catalyzing regional activities
5 Strategic Vision and
2024-2027 Budget
A significant 60% of the
forthcoming four-year budget of
$171 million will be allocated to
enhance equity initiatives for
underserved residents.
6 ABAG BayREN
Programs
Single Family Multifamily
Commercial Codes &
Standards
Green Label Water
Upgrades
Save
Refrigerant
Replacement
Targeted
Decarb (TDS)
Integrated
Energy (IES) Workforce
Members
Alameda
County
Contra Costa
County
Marin
County
Napa
County
San Francisco
County
San Mateo
County
Santa Clara
County
Solano
County
Sonoma
County
2022 BayREN Annual Report
BayREN Portfolio ― 2024 to 2027
2024 Program Offerings
8 9
Single Family Home+
Offering: Whole home upgrades for
households that wouldn’t be able to
access or afford it on their own.
Proposed key changes:
• Audience: moderate income
• Comprehensive concierge service
• Focused on energy efficiency:
weatherization and remediation
10 Residential
Currently undergoing redesign
Single Family Home+
Redesign Process
11 Residential
2022: New Program Goal Discussions
2023: Identify Gaps & Proposed Program Objectives
Q1 2024: Gather Community Feedback & Suggestions
Q2 2024: Share Program Proposal & Receive Feedback
Q3 2024: More Program Development
Q4 2024: Launch New Program Pilot!
Community Feedback and
Engagement Strategy
12 Residential
February through mid-March:
• Surveys (web survey to 1000+ HHs, phone survey to 500 HHs) • Contractor 1-1 interviews
• County-led focus group discussions
• Aiming for 3-5 discussions
• Goal is to include groups representative of target communities; can be community members or CBOs with the right expertise
Late March-Late April:
• Small group meetings with key stakeholders, contractors, and possible implementers
Green Labeling
The Green Labeling program oversees the
Home Energy Score (HES) offering, providing
residents with insights into their home’s
efficiency potential prior to undertaking home
upgrade projects. BayREN has been approved
to launch HES statewide.
• $200 assessment rebate for score
The program also provides training and
resources for real estate professionals to
become green home experts.
• NAR Green Designation Training April 17th and
18th in Santa Rosa at the Advanced Energy
Center
13 Residential
Bay Area Multifamily Building
Enhancements Program (BAMBE)
The program seeks to remove obstacles for improving
multifamily buildings, promoting energy savings, and
enhancing resident well-being.
Services:
• The program provides no-cost technical assistance and rebates ranging from $500 to over $6,000 per unit.
• Technical assistance includes personalized guidance
and referrals to contractors and incentive programs.
• To qualify for rebates, properties must install at least 2 upgrades reducing energy usage by 10% or more.
Audience: Multifamily property owners
14 Residential
Codes and Standards
The program supports local governments with
developing, adopting, and implementing energy
policies, including reach codes and the California
Energy Code.
Services :
• Open reach codes calls: offering assistance to develop and adopt local energy policies and building codes
• Providing training and resources for implementation and enforcement of the California Energy Code and local reach codes • Supplying no-cost technical assistance to help municipal buildings
• Organizing quarterly Bay Area Regional Forums on a variety of energy and emission reduction topics
Audience: Local government staff
15 Cross-Cutting
BayREN Business
The program supports local small, hard-to-reach
businesses through energy efficiency projects to
save energy and money.
Services:
• Free energy efficiency assessments
• Financial incentives
• Expert technical support
Audience: Hard-to-reach small businesses
Upgrades: Air conditioning, Energy Star® appliances,
LED lighting, refrigeration equipment, space and water
heating equipment
16 Commercial
Water Upgrades Save
The program is available in participating jurisdictions.
Water Upgrades Save is an inclusive utility investment
program that enables customers to install water efficiency upgrades while using a portion of their utility bill savings to pay for the project over time.
It removes barriers to participation, such as upfront
cost, while providing affordable turnkey installation and QC service to support bill savings.
The program can easily integrate with existing City water programs and expand the City’s capacity to reach its
resource and equity goals. By serving renters, property owners, and all customers regardless of household
income, Water Upgrades Save is an effective equity
focused program.
17 Cross-Cutting
New BayREN Programs Launching in 2024
18 BayREN Refrigerant Replacement Program (BRRR)
Targeted Decarbonization Services (TDS)
Integrated Energy Services (IES)
Climate Careers
BayREN Refrigerant
Replacement Program (BRRR)
The program aims to replace environmentally
harmful refrigerants with eco-friendlier
options at low-to-no cost to food service
sector businesses.
Services:
Offering eco-friendly refrigerant replacements, leak
repairs, energy-efficient upgrades, and expert education on refrigeration system maintenance.
Audience: Small food-service businesses
• Cornerstones
• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
19 Commercial
NEW!
Targeted Decarbonization
Services (TDS)
The program will include a Decarbonization
Showcase and will provide training and
resources related to new equipment and
technologies for decarbonizing public
buildings.
Services:
• Decarbonization Showcase
• Decarbonization Education and Financing
Audience: Local Government
20 Public Program
NEW!
Integrated Energy
Services (IES)
The program will continue to be developed to
supplement existing resources provided by
the PG&E Local Government Partnership.
Services:
• Assist local governments and special districts with
finding and applying for funds to help improve their
public buildings
• Provide a service to develop roadmaps for public
building energy improvements
Audience: Local Government
21 Public Program
NEW!
Climate Careers
The program will create job training
opportunities in the green economy.
Through an existing partnership with
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity,
BayREN has already supported youth
with training and employment
opportunities since 2019.
• Energy Efficiency Kits
22 Cross-Cutting
NEW!
Building Local Government
Capacity
23 Resources and capacity building
for local government staff
Looking forward into 2024
Launch of the BayREN Data Aggregation and Reporting Tool (DART) • Digital dashboard designed to showcase and share BayREN program metrics at the local level • Currently developing county dashboards
BayREN Existing Building Study
• Collect, analyze and collate data on the existing building stock in the Bay Area • Develop detailed information and decarbonization pathways for a subset of building types 24 Resources and capacity building for
local government staff
BayREN Local Government Liaison Service
The service was introduced September 2023 and launched in January 2024. The service is designed to ensure city and county staff can take full advantage of BayREN’s extensive efficiency and energy services to benefit their residents and municipal operations.
Services include:
• Communications services ― Ready-to-post BayREN info for city channels • Climate policy support ― City-level BayREN reporting and analysis to support policy goals
• Equity policy support ― Equity-focused programs serving disadvantaged and hard to reach communities
25 Better Buildings – What We Do
26 • Site Visits and Audits
• Sustainability Workshops
• Individual Consultations
• Financing and Rebates
• Green Business Certification
• Qualified Contractor List
• Specialized Trainings
• Projects and Leads
Planning and Resources
We serve
Local Governments
Special Districts
K-12 Schools
Small/Medium Businesses
Services
• Evaluate energy use and building systems
• Create an Energy Efficiency Roadmap as a guide for upgrades and savings
• Connect client and contractors to match needs
27 NE!
Better Buildings
Solar and Battery Storage
• Provided at no cost
• Create a project plan
• Review improvement options
• Bid analysis
• Financing and incentives
28 NE!
Outreach and Education
29 In-person workshops, events and webinar series topics:
• Your Energy Efficient and Resilient Home
• Converting to Electricity at Home
• Healthy Homes – Why Indoor Air Quality Matters
• Assessing Your Home
• Understanding Residential Heat Pumps
• Heat Pumps for Domestic Water Heating
• Heat Pumps for Residential Heating and Cooling
• Electrification 101: Creating a Plan
• Electrical Panel Optimization
• Pre-electrification Considerations
• Solar, Storage, and Electrification – A Perfect Match • Saving Energy at Home
• Induction Cooking Expo
• Funding Your Improvements – Incentives and Financing
Educational materials provided in both English and Spanish Website Portal
Webinar Series
Training
Support
Contractor Outreach
Workshops
and Events
Better Buildings
Solar and Storage
Consultations
Video Library
Resources
Anna Oliva
BayREN Local Government Liaison
Regional Climate Protection Authority
[email protected]
main 707.565.5373 direct 707.565
Dori Estrella
Christine Condon
Department Analysts
County of Sonoma Climate
Action and Resiliency Division65-6470
[email protected]
[email protected]
.5378
30 Thank You!