Did Y'all Know? | October 2023

Did Y’all Know it is #WooHooWaterHeater season?!

In case you haven’t heard, the SJVCEO has been having the greatest time in our “Woo Hoo Water Heater Season!” The SJVCEO is celebrating 10,000,000 kwh saved with Willdan’s GK12 for Pacific Gas and Electric Company public agencies... all from heat pump water heaters! We have spent the last few weeks sharing and educating our community on all of the exciting ventures around heat pumps! From programs for public agencies, to podcasts episode (yes, it is just a water heater), and so much more- we wanted to bundle all of this content into one place for you all. Take a look now at all things #HPWH!

Did Y’all Know…

the SJVCEO has officially launched a new podcast series, “What’s That?” In our first episode in honor of #WooHooWeaterHeaters, we are of course talking about heat pump hot water heaters! Why? Because everyone is talking about heat pump water heaters! (#heatpumpnation) So let’s stop nodding along, pretending we know what they’re talking about, and do a quick crash course on the humble water heater. Courtney sat down with Patrick Burgess from Willdan to talk about HPHWH’s, what they are, where they work, what they cost, and why they’re such a smart choice to make now!

Did Y’all Know…

we sat down with Program Manager, Code Bruder to learn about SoCalREN’s HPWH Program? If you are interested in heat pump technology for your public agency- find out how you can take advantage of SoCalREN’s Heat Hump Hot Water Heater Program in this short 15-minute webisode. Code Bruder will dive into the eligibility, requirements, and additional details for those that participate in the program! Check out the eligibility requirements below:

  • Your facility must be serviced by SCE.

  • Your facility’s current water heater must exclusively use methane gas (natural gas) as its fuel source.

  • Existing water heaters that hold between 30 - 100 gallons are eligible to be replaced.

  • Existing water heaters with an efficiency rating of 0.81 or lower are eligible.


Did Y’all Know…

we have a new BONUS Fund-It Fast Chat ready for you in honor of WOoHoo Water Heater season of course. We are excited to celebrate our success with the Heat Pump Water Heaters and also excited to continue working with the amazing GK-12 team to deliver a quality program to our partners. We have reached over 10 million kWh saved through this effort, which is an amazing feat, but we are not done yet! We want all of our partners to take advantage of this opportunity and to get out ahead of impending statewide electrification initiatives while the incentives are hot!

Celebrate with us and get the inside scoop on heat pump water heaters!

Did Y’all Know…

Every few years, the world of energy efficiency brings forth an EE measure that checks all of the boxes. It has amazing energy savings, it is easy to install, and there are really great rebates for those that want to take advantage of the opportunity early. What is that measure today? You guessed it, heat pumps! Recently Willdan, PG&E’s implementer for the GK-12 program which offers the heat pump water heaters, invited Rochelle out into the field to get up close and personal with the heat pump water heaters we have been advocating to our partners to install. From delivery to the installation, there are a lot of details that occur that we do not see! As far as actual interaction with the equipment itself, crew leader Tom Kouris of Willdan did an amazing job of explaining, in detail, the innerworkings of the equipment. He made it very simple to understand how the crew determines that there is enough capacity in the electrical panel to accommodate the added load of the heat pump water heater. This is a matter of simple math and knowing a few tricks of the trade. Learn more about Rochelle’s experience in the field by visiting: https://www.sjvceo.com/blogee/technology-tuesdays-heat-pumps-in-the-wild

Prior to the installation, Rochelle shared a Tech Tuesdays article that helps folks get their feet wet in the realm of heat pumps. Anytime we are talking about inserting new technology into the market in an effort to make it the new normal, the folks that adopt the new technology first, most often get the most financial incentive. Speaking plainly, they get it at its cheapest. These folks are called “early adopters”. Many years later when the market shift is complete, prices will have fallen as a natural occurrence of supply and demand. At this point, it is too late to adopt this “new” technology because the market is already making way for what’s coming next. The cycle continues. check out the full article “Don’t Be Scared, They’re Just Heat Pumps” here: https://www.sjvceo.com/blogee/2023/tech-tuesday-hpwh10

Did Y’all Know…

Last October, the SJVCEO launched our monthly Spotify playlist covering (of course) heat pump hot water heaters! In honor of #WoohooWaterHeater season, we want to bring this playlist back around for y’all. Oh, the humble heat pump water heater (HPWH), once a novelty for the very early adopters is now the hero of electrification, and celebrated its very first “day” on October 26th of 2022.  #Heatpumpitup asked the world to share their love stories, insights on energy and carbon savings, cost information and so much more to build the community and celebrate this quiet, but powerful banner carrier for building electrification. Check out the full playlist here!

Did Y’all Know…

heat pumps don’t have to be just for public agencies! In a recent article from Southern California Edison and Edison International’s “Energized,” they shared the exciting things that are coming for residents and yes you guessed it. “Electric heat pumps and heat pump water heaters offer energy-efficient alternatives that are good for your wallet — and the planet. Heat pumps are also available at no cost- for qualified, low-income customers through SCE's Energy Savings Assistance program.”

You think we would leave out PG&E?! The Pacific Gas and Electric Company Energy Savings Assistance program is also all about heat pumps! ”Aiming to do more than just lower utility bills, qualified renters and homeowners can improve the comfort, health and safety of their homes with appliance upgrades and home repairs.” One of these said repairs is “upgrade or repair heat pump water heaters… at no charge!” Check out more here.

Kelsey Jones