By Media Office Staff
SANTA ROSA —A new California Energy Commission-funded marketplace in Santa Rosa allows people to see and test clean energy technologies for their homes and businesses.
Sonoma Clean Power’s Advanced Energy Center features a large demonstration area displaying products such as all-electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, induction stovetops, electric water heaters, battery storage, and electric vehicle chargers.
“Energy efficiency and electrification retrofits are important tools in helping California meet its energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals and reduce indoor air pollution,” said CEC Chair David Hochschild. “This project will help accelerate their adoption by increasing customer awareness of the many products available today.”
The center is part of a $9 million grant Sonoma Clean Power received from the CEC’s Electric Program Investment Charge program in 2018. Under the grant, Sonoma Clean Power was required to develop market strategies to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency upgrades and streamline access to financing and incentives for energy efficiency projects.
Sonoma Clean Power customers can take advantage of financing and rebates directly at the center, a potential model for others. Educational events and demonstrations are open to all.
A celebration for the center’s opening was held on October 7.
“With multiple innovative energy and money-saving technologies to choose from, customers can find the best fit for their home and budget,” said Geof Syphers, Sonoma Clean Power CEO. “The unique hub of products will allow the public to feel and examine these emerging technologies, see the measurable energy-saving and financial benefits, ask questions to qualified staff, and quickly schedule an installation appointment with a certified contractor.”
Sonoma Clean Power is a Community Choice Energy (CCE) provider serving Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The CCE program allows local governments to buy or generate electricity for residents and businesses within their communities while receiving transmission and distribution services from their existing utility provider.
EPIC is California’s premier clean energy research and development program. It invests more than $160 million a year to drive clean energy innovation and entrepreneurship and improve the resiliency of the electricity system as climate impacts accelerate.