Rising Sun Energy Center

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

Rising Sun Energy Center pictures a world in which all communities thrive socially, economically, and ecologically; where jobs become healthy, rewarding careers. We see young people as the key to this, and we believe that if they can enter adulthood with the same opportunities, then they can become leaders within their own communities. We believe that we all have the right to meaningful and viable employment and that disenfranchised communities have access to these jobs. We believe that we are all stewards of the planet, and we encourage others to take up the duty and privilege of this stewardship in the spirit of life-long learning and growth.

California Youth Energy Services (CYES)
California Youth Energy Services (CYES) is a summer youth employment and energy-efficiency retrofit program with a long history of partnership with local government bodies, community-based groups, and water & power utilities. CYES hires young people (15-22 years of age) and trains them to become Energy Specialists, serving their communities with free 'green house calls'. At each of these 'house calls' the Energy Specialists educate residents about sustainability, install free equipment that saves energy and water, and provide personalized recommendations for further energy savings in the home. CYES is an outstanding example of a successful community-based energy services program, having coordinated with multiple local programs to increase wraparound services and program referrals. Local partnerships include the East Bay Energy Watch and Marin Energy Watch, as well as many of the water utility districts and municipalities in which we operate.

The CYES program was designed to serve hard-to-reach clients, defined as a) non-English speaking households that often do not receive services due to language barriers, b) renters, and c) low-moderate income households. CYES brings services directly to these clients via renter-specific marketing and bilingual employees. And due to language and residency barriers, opportunities for employment training or meaningful employment often are not adequately available for underserved youth. These youth are also beneficiaries of the CYES program, receiving basic employability training, paid summer employment, and the foundation for a green career.

Since 2000, CYES has addressed the residential market needs for energy efficiency while implementing a program that provides on-the-job training to prepare youth for green careers. Over the past nine years we have trained more than 400 young people and provided over 9,000 homes with residential energy audits and energy saving materials, delivering a total of 2,500,000 kWh and 31,220 Therms of residential energy savings.

Leaders-in-Field-Training (LIFT) Program
The LIFT program is designed to create more pathways of employment within the Rising Sun Energy Center umbrella. We have always employed resilient youth as Energy Specialists, but each year we have more youth returning to our programs to develop their skills, advance their opportunities, and serve their community in new ways. Recently we have realized the need to create a green career ladder within our own organization, and have decided to expand our programs and the ways that we serve young people. And with more requests each year from youth wanting to return to Rising Sun Energy Center each summer, we wanted to offer our exceptional youth something exciting. The LIFT program provides alumni and highly skilled youth with the opportunity to return to our programs in a position of increased responsibility, while also developing their leadership skills in a nurturing environment. LIFT hires will learn how to supervise staff, facilitate trainings and attend to administrative duties, while role-modeling for their peers. Our goal is to employ and empower young people by providing a platform for the development of the leadership skills necessary to support the organization’s seasonal management staff. It is our intention to use the LIFT program as a stepping stone for exceptional youth in their personal and professional development.

Green Energy Training Services (GETS)                          
Building on our experience training individuals in energy efficiency and water conservation, we look forward to expanding our impact and meeting emerging needs in the area of energy efficiency workforce development with the introduction of the Green Energy Training Services (GETS) curriculum. This sector will be experiencing significant growth in the coming years due to pressures by city, state, and federal mandates for reducing energy consumption.  The GETS curriculum is an 80 hour training module consisting of classroom and lab training designed to prepare individuals with barriers to employment for entry-level jobs in the Energy Efficiency industry. The GETS curriculum covers a wide range of energy efficiency topics but focuses primarily on residential home performance testing and commonly used retrofitting practices including:

•    Home depressurization testing (Blower Door®)
•    Duct testing and repair
•    Insulation installation
•    Envelope sealing

The GETS curriculum is most effective when implemented in conjunction with an existing construction skills training program.  For this reason, Rising Sun Energy Center will pilot the GETS curriculum in May 2009 in collaboration with the City of Richmond’s RichmondBUILD construction skills training program. Existing programs can either partner with Rising Sun Energy Center to implement a GETS program or license the GETS curriculum and implement on their own. In the partnership program format, the GETS program has three distinct components:  classroom training in technical skills training and soft skills, On-the-Job training with home performance testing equipment, and job placement assistance.

We recognize the vital role that employers will play in the success of GETS, which is why we have created the GETS Employer Council.  This advisory body is comprised of representatives from home performance and general contractors, trade associations, partner organizations, government representatives (city, county, state and federal), and others.  The GETS Employer Council meets quarterly to give employers an opportunity to shape the GETS technical and soft skills curriculum, network and learn about energy efficiency industry trends.  By giving employers the forum to add their input, Rising Sun Energy Center is ensuring GETS graduates will have the necessary skills to meet the professional standards of today’s industry.