RISING SUN ENERGY CENTER
Building Healthy Communities through Climate Solutions and Green Career Pathways Partnering with: THE CITY OF RICHMOND
The GETS ENERGY SERVICES program is a subsidized “Building Performance” program offered to moderate income Richmond residents through a partnership between the City of Richmond and Rising Sun Energy Center, a 501(c)3 non‐profit organization. Funding for the rebates and incentives for this program are provided by the City of Richmond (through the Department of Energy’s “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant” funds made available through the AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT) with additional funding by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, (PG&E) under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The City of Richmond is providing a maximum subsidy of $5,000.00 to program participants to cover energy efficiency testing and work. This means that the first $5,000.00 worth of project costs is covered by the City of Richmond. You are only responsible for co‐pay if you elect to end your participation in the program after the audit has been performed but before work has commenced on your home (in which case, you are responsible for the $300 co‐pay to cover the partial cost of the audit) OR if you have more than $5,000.00 worth of testing and work performed on your home.
GETS & GETS ENERGY SERVICES The Green Energy Training Services (GETS) and GETS Energy Service programs were developed by Rising Sun Energy Center to prepare displaced construction workers and adults with barriers to employment for entry‐level jobs leading to careers in the Energy Efficiency and Building Performance industries. GETS and GETS Energy Services are filling the need for the trained and experienced workforce necessary to help communities reach their energy use reduction goals. For many unemployed, under‐
employed and displaced workers, the GETS programs provide a crucial first step on the pathway towards a green career. GETS PROGRAM MODEL
GETS is designed as a two step model for program participants. The first step is to attend and graduate from the 100‐hour Green Energy Training Services (GETS) program. The next step for some of these graduates is to become GETS Energy Services Crew Members.
STEP 1: GETS
The GETS program uses classroom, lab and field settings to produce graduates who have the theoretical understanding, technical skills and industry‐specific vocabulary required to assess, evaluate, record, and fix energy‐related problems in residential and small commercial buildings. Participants also work on improving their applied math and employability skills. By the end of this 100‐hour course, participants will:  Understand the importance of a career geared toward  Have a firm understanding of how energy moves into, reducing carbon emissions out of, and through a building  Be familiar with basic job‐site safety practices  Be familiar with the basics of natural gas appliance testing  Understand the four goals of Whole Home Performance:  Understand how to read and interpret utility bill comfort, efficiency, durability, and safety information  Have had experience collecting and presenting data from  Understand and have hands‐on experience with an actual in‐field Building Performance assessment of a real common Building Performance assessment tools and home practices including the Blower Door and Duct Blaster  Have hands‐on experience with the most common and  Have been introduced to the basic components of current retrofitting and remediating techniques heating and ventilation systems STEP 2: GETS ENERGY SERVICES
GETS Energy Services offers transitional work experience that provides GETS graduates with the opportunity to put their training into practice through paid employment with our own Building Performance social enterprise. The on‐the‐job experience GETS Energy Services Crew Members gain through auditing and retrofitting homes makes them much more attractive to potential employers. GETS Energy Services Crew Members are employed by Rising Sun Energy Center on a part‐time basis for a period of three months, and are paid $15 per hour. The GETS Energy Services program goals are: 
To provide GETS graduates the opportunity to conduct home performance testing and remediation work to hone the Rising Sun Energy Center • 1900 Addison St., Ste. 100, Berkeley, CA 94704 • 510‐665‐1501 • www.risingsunenergy.org © 2010 Rising Sun Energy Center 
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technical and professional skills gained in their GETS training; To assist GETS graduates by giving them “bridge employment” until they can be permanently placed; To provide moderate income homeowners with the opportunity to receive deep energy and water efficiency improvements at significantly reduced costs; To improve the efficiency, durability, health, safety, and comfort of qualified moderate‐income homes; To stimulate interest and demand for energy efficiency work to encourage the creation of more jobs
ENERGY SERVICES LEADERSHIP The GETS Energy Services Crew Members work on a team under the supervision of two full‐time Rising Sun Energy Center employees, the GETS Energy Services Director and the GETS Energy Services Crew Chief. Both are professionals with many years experience in construction and Building Performance, and with the following qualifications:  Class B General Contractor License  HERS Rater  BPI Building Analyst  BPI Envelope Professional RECIPIENT OF SERVICES
Rising Sun Energy Center has worked closely with the city governments of Richmond and Berkeley to ensure the GETS Energy Services program will not compete with the same employers Rising Sun Energy Center wants to hire our GETS graduates. For this reason, the GETS Energy Services program is aimed at providing Building Performance and Energy Efficiency services only to moderate income homes in Berkeley and Richmond. If a homeowner wishes to have their home served by the GETS Energy Services program, they must prove they do not qualify for low‐income energy assistance programs (like PG&E’s Energy Partners) but do not make so much money as to be able to afford the services of a Building Performance contractor on their own. Financial assistance in the form of subsidies for qualified homeowners are currently supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and PG&E’s public benefits fund. SERVICES OFFERED
The GETS Energy Services program can offer the following services to qualified homeowners:  Attic Insulation  Retractable clotheslines  Duct sealing and insulation  Water heater blanket  Crawlspace vapor barrier  Vent repair  Air sealing  Baseload analysis  Furnace filter cleaning/replacement  Bill analysis and explanation  Combustion Appliance Safety Check  Efficient flow showerheads and faucet aerators  1.2 GPF (or less) or dual‐flush toilets  CVA (Combustion Ventilation Air Assessment)  Compact Florescent Lamps (CFLs)  Energy Education  Pipe Wrap  Lead poisoning prevention check  Programmable thermostats  Refrigerator coil cleaning RISING SUN ENERGY CENTER MISSION
Rising Sun Energy Center’s mission is to create a society that uses water and energy responsibly and equitably. We do this by:  Educating the public about sustainable behaviors and technologies  Offering free residential audits and services that lower energy and water usage  Providing workforce development training that creates green career pathways for youth and adults with barriers to employment QUALIFICATIONS
 15 years of energy efficiency and water conservation training, education, and direct services  10 years running CYES program, a nationally recognized green job training and employment program, in the Bay Area  Over 675 trained and hired young adults between the ages of 15‐22  Provided more than 13,000 homes with water and energy mini‐retrofits and audits  Experience running utility sponsored Weatherization Program  Strong relationships with utilities, municipalities, government agencies, and community‐based organizations If you are interested in learning more about GETS Energy Services, please contact Khaia McGill, GETS Energy Services Director, at [email protected]. Rising Sun Energy Center • 1900 Addison St., Ste. 100,. Berkeley, CA 94704 • 510‐665‐1501 • www.risingsunenergy.org © 2010 Rising Sun Energy Center