Green Jobs in the Home Performance Industry:

The Industry’s Perspective on Workforce Development

Presented By: XX, XX, XX

Date

Prepared By:Efficiency First

www.efficiencyfirst.org

What is Home Performance? Looking at the whole home Systemic approach Identify and fix problems in a home Goals:

Comfort Durability Health/Safety Energy Efficiency

Home Performance: All the Components of a Home’s System are connected

Graphic courtesy of Rising Sun Energy Center

Who is Efficiency First?• National non-profit trade association• More than 750 Home Performance Contractors

across the US• Representing the Home Performance industry in

public policy discussions• State and national levels• Promoting the benefits of efficiency retrofitting• Helping grow the Home Performance industry• Key player in Home Star

The Current Home Performance Industry: Company Sizes

Majority are Small Companies Founder + a few employees & subs

Some Mid-sized Companies (10-75 employees) More of a corporate structure

Larger (75+ employees) Construction HVAC Insulation

Home Performance Only Single contractor

Construction + Home Performance Established companies adding Home

Performance as an additional division or service

Support service providers Training Consulting Marketing & customer outreach

The Current Home Performance Industry: Company Types

How do you do a Home Performance Retrofit?

Find the Problems Home Performance Evaluation/Assessment “Test in”

Fix the Problems Basic: Duct sealing, draft sealing, etc. Skilled Work: General Contractors, HVAC & Mechanical

Specialists, Window & Door Specialists, Electricians and Plumbers

Quality Assurance & Testing “Test Out”

Client Interaction Explaining the problems and the solutions Passing along energy efficiency & water

conservation information

Driving Demand for Home Performance

AB 758 (Skinner) PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing

California First/ AB 811 Utility rebate programs Home Star

Legislation currently being considered by Congress $6 Billion in incentives to homeowners for retrofits Expected to create 168,000 jobs

• Residential Energy Efficiency Performance (REEP) as passed in ACES

Insulation Installers Building Analysts

Quality Assurance Testers

Who does Home Performance Jobs?

Retrofit Technicians

Graphics courtesy of Rising Sun Energy Center & Greener Dawn

Promotional Jobs

Analysts/Auditors/Estimators Business Development Marketing & Customer Education Inside & Outside sales staff

Home Performance Job Requirements

Good interpersonal skills Previous sales experience a plus Home components & construction knowledge “Green” or sustainable life philosophy

Building Performance Field Jobs

Entry Level: Field Technician Minimum Training Required Crawl space & attic work Mostly Draft Sealing, Duct Sealing & Insulation Technicians

Intermediate/ Advanced Level: Crew Lead Additional Training Required Experienced Field Technicians Crew lead or construction manager (2-3 person crews)

Skilled labor Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Window Replacement

Home PerformanceField Job Requirements

Drug Fee No criminal background (or at

least no theft or violence) Reliable Transportation,

Drivers License, Clean Driving Record

Physically fit: able to lift 75 pounds, fits through minimum crawl space dimensions

Not claustrophobic – able to maneuver in tight, dark spaces

Willing to get dirty, doesn’t mind heat

Not afraid of heights: Able to climb ladders easily and confidently

Able to work on knees for long periods of time

Good attention to detail Able to accurately and legibly

write and interpret reports Good customer service,

interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written)

Problem-solving and critical thinking skills

Construction or trade background a plus

“Green” or sustainable life philosophy

Good Candidates for Home Performance Field Jobs

Construction workers Drywall or flooring Remodelers HVAC technicians Athletes Veterans Day laborers

Home Performance Office Jobs Managerial/ Administrative (i.e., HR, IT, etc.) Data Entry, Report Writing & Proposal

Development Customer Service Rebate Processing Financial Advising Purchasing/ Inventory Management Engineers Project Managers Construction Managers Trainers

Previous experience with: Construction-related industries Office administration Accounting: Quickbooks Engineers: Wrightsoft Suite Customer Service reps Warehouse Management

Good Candidates for Home Performance Office Jobs

Accreditation & Quality Control Jobs

Field certification/training (i.e., BPI, HERS, Build It Green, RESNet, CBPCA, etc.)

Third party verifiers & quality assurance inspectors (tied to incentive program requirements )

Third party verifiers & quality assurance inspectors (tied to certifications)

Written/field exam proctors

Home Performance Pay Scales

• Field Technicians (entry-level): $10 -$20/hr• Crew Leads: $14 -20/ hr• Building Analysts or Estimators: $15-22/hr• Mechanical systems & skilled: $25/hr & up• Sales jobs: generally flat fee plus commission

Standards & Certifications• Most common: BPI (5 types), HERS & HERS II• Will be required by many programs to qualify

for financing or incentives• Companies will need at least one certified

contractor to perform or oversee each job• Not yet generally required on hiring by

employers, but good investment in future• Independent 3rd party QC likely to rise – creates

business opportunities for experienced contractors

Industry Concerns

• Today: How can we hire people if we don’t first increase customer demand?

• As demand grows: How quickly will we be able to scale and find qualified workforce?

• When economy rebounds: Will we be able to keep good employees in this industry when other construction jobs provide more pleasant working environments?

Recommendations for Workforce and

Training Organizations

Pre-Screen Candidates Candidates must meet minimum training and

occupational requirements Clean driving record (no DUI’s, moving

violations, etc.) US Employability (SSN, Green Card, etc.) Minimum reading/writing/math ability English fluency Interest in Home Performance Physical requirements

Conduct Training in the Field

Classroom learning is not sufficient No house or project is the same – no substitute for

experience Most successful programs include fast-transition field

work, internships, apprenticeships, or other “on-the-job” (OJT) training

Subsidies for taking on apprentices/ trainees are optimal

Emphasize Soft Skills

The home performance industry operates in people’s most intimate spaces: their homes.

It is essential that the workforce have good interpersonal skills, dress appropriately, be articulate, and respect people’s space at all times

Keenly aware of safety and comfort and willing to take responsibility for decisions

Teach Additional Relevant Skills

Familiarity, experience and expertise with energy efficiency modeling software

Specifics of local home performance incentive programs

Rebate processing & paperwork Reading drawings Following installation manuals Understanding safety procedures

Follow Industry Standards

• Teach to BPI, Home Performance w/ Energy Star, or other industry-accepted standards

• Training is good, but following professional certification program standards offers consistency & quality assurance

• BPI’s new “Field Technician” certification will be helpful for training consistency for entry level positions

• Prepare workers for written and field tests

Develop Employer Relationships

Advisory council, etc. to advise on changing standards, what’s working/what’s not, etc.

Understand range of company sizes and how to work with each

Work with industry associations to reach multiple employers

Offer Benefits to Employers Give employers marketing & name recognition Use trainees to do customer outreach & homeowner

education to build client base Assist employers with business growth issues

Screen candidates effectively and quickly Cover training costs on the job Provide financial incentives for mentoring interns or

apprentices Have snacks at meetings!

Track Participants After Training

Trainers should develop a systems of communications with trainees

Follow up with program participants to: Know who has found work Who is still looking for work Those companies looking for additional staff Starting wages, benefits, etc.

Identify effective mentors at companies, subsidize companies at higher rates if training effectively

Scenario 1: Training Within Industry Fast ramp up for entry level workers

Screen for physical & mental aptitude

Basic short course – safety, equipment, entry level work procedures

Subsidize employers for hands-on component

Track & follow up Test frequently and certify

ascending levels of experience & expertise

Scenario 2: Adapt existing training & education programs to teach home performance

framework and job-specific skills Lab training, models training, and theory (more

time in classroom than scenario 1) And Targeted Training for Specific Job Function

Building Analyst or Auditor (BPI or HERS) Sales, Marketing & Homeowner Outreach Project/ Construction Business Management Field Supervisor Financial management (Rebate Processing, Loans) CAD design or engineering (ACCA Manual J,D,S,T,

hydronics and piping layout) Inventory & Materials Management

Home Performance Training: Best Practices

ISLES in New Jersey subsidizes 50% of trainee’s wages for 6 months

Rising Sun Energy Center “Green Energy Training Services” (GETS) Building Performance Grade 1 Designed for individuals with barriers to

employment, displaced/transitioning construction workers, etc.

Curriculum available for licensing

Recommendations for Policymakers

Drive Demand First

We’ve “put the cart before the horse” Most companies are more concerned about

customer demand than worker supply Few are having trouble finding qualified people right

now

Match Supply & Demand Link training funds to demand creation legislation

(i.e., incentive programs, homeowner outreach) California SEP Funding from ARRA:

$226 million Demand Side: California Comprehensive Residential

Building Retrofit Program $ 50,212,451

Supply Side: California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program $75 million

Offer Funding Consistency

ARRA funds over large infusion of cash for a short period, then funds will drop off

Training funds should be consistent over several years or escalated in response to increases in program scale or customer demand

Build in Quality Assurance

Incentive programs should be tied to third party quality control assurance (ie. BPI or HERS)

Give Contractors Options

Make sure training subsidies can be received through multiple certified providers

Clearly define “grace periods” before mandated certifications begin

Other Recommendations

Be sensitive to cash-flow issues created for contractors- paying up front is difficult.

TWI would alleviate this through subsidized training and employment

Other Recommendations

Provide funds to offset hands-on training/ mentoring (offer subsidized/free labor)

Conclusions

Once demand grows, how quickly the industry can grow depends on how much training is done in classrooms vs. OJT

Important to lay the groundwork now and get the infrastructure right

Target the support of Home Performance companies when designing training

Use established standards and partnerships between training providers & employers to support quick industry scaling

Green Jobs in the Home Performance Industry:

The Industry’s Perspective on Workforce Development

Prepared By:Elizabeth Redman,

Efficiency Firstelizabeth@efficiencyfirst.org

www.efficiencyfirst.org