The importance of volunteering as an energy efficiency professional

Volunteering is a tool that can provide improvements in mental and physical health, as well as a sense of purpose and a way to nurture new relationships.?When most people think of volunteering, they picture one of the following:

·??????A teambuilding activity that brings colleagues out of a normal routine?

·??????Doing good as part of a faith-based organization

·??????A seasonal volunteering event that helps those in need

·??????A personal passion project that helps the community

All of these are good frameworks to help give back while providing positive outcomes for the community and the volunteer.?However, there are added benefits for energy efficiency experts that volunteer in areas where their expertise can be applied and grow.?By seeking out volunteering opportunities that allow them to leverage their expertise, energy efficiency professionals can provide even greater benefits to themselves and others.

What are the benefits of volunteering to the energy efficiency expert?

Volunteering can help professionals gain perspective: Most people working on energy efficiency programs or providing energy services have incomes that are relatively high compared to low to moderate income (LMI) families and are likely to have little exposure to LMI lifestyles.?This lack of economic diversity amongst energy efficiency professionals and policy makers can be especially problematic because it’s easy to misunderstand challenges and needs of groups that are underrepresented amongst decision makers. For instance, “no-cost” services and measures can be very expensive to customers who need to take unpaid time off of work to participate.?Speaking with homeowners and renters about the challenges they experience in meeting with HVAC contractors, gathering data, and ensuring their systems are able to handle upgrades associated with energy efficiency measures can create real empathy that leads to the development of better programs and processes.

Energy efficiency professionals can gain valuable experience that goes beyond a traditional education while providing expert services as a volunteer.?Operation Weatherize Albany, a volunteer-led effort created by the State University of New York at Albany, was providing light weatherization services and other small energy efficiency in many homes in the Albany, NY area.?In one home, there were significant issues related to temperature control.?Though the thermostat was set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature would routinely go above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.?Some brief investigation led to the conclusion that a recently installed boiler had a water temperature setting that was too high.?Volunteers without professional expertise are unlikely to discover what is wrong in these kinds of circumstances. ?Without an expert present members of the community would not receive solutions to their problems that they otherwise could. ?In addition, experts are unlikely to come across challenges like this in official trainings or textbooks- energy efficiency professionals therefore can carry learnings like these into their careers.

Volunteering helps build relationships in general by facilitating common activity.?This is especially beneficial when volunteering in one’s area of expertise.?The connections developed with other energy efficiency experts and with community leaders can empower a professional to become more accomplished in their career.

Energy efficiency professionals work in a variety of ways; many of us are a step or two removed from the implementation of energy efficiency measures.?By getting more directly involved through a volunteering role, we can develop feelings of pride and a deeper connection to our work.?Designing programs and achieving quantitative savings through analysis may not always be as satisfying as personally implementing physical measures.?This pride can sustain an energy efficiency professional during the inevitable doldrums that exist in every career.

What are the benefits to the energy efficiency field in general?

It’s important for the field that the ivory tower perception be eliminated through real connections with real people.?Climate change and by extension energy efficiency has been highly politicized.?Most people find climate science somewhat inaccessible and have a hard time understanding what they can reasonably do, especially when more pressing concerns and costs are pushing away thoughts of energy efficiency and fighting climate change.?Conversations about their home, or homes in general, are much more accessible and have direct benefits for energy users.

Seeing and speaking with energy experts can build positive affinity in the communities served, which will encourage support for energy efficiency programs and portfolios in general.?Political support for these programs and initiatives has a positive trickle-down effect for all areas of the energy efficiency field.

Volunteering can lead to collaborative opportunities for programs.?For example, Efficiency Vermont has a DIY Weatherization Program which allows for rebates for WindowDressers interior storm windows.?WindowDressers is a non-profit organization that produces inexpensive interior storm windows in collaboration with small volunteer groups throughout New England.?This effort compliments Efficiency Vermont’s DIY Weatherization rebate program, which provides up to $100 for Do It Yourselfers to purchase select weatherization materials. ?

What are the added benefits to the community?

Volunteering programs and associated groups are difficult to sustain over time.?Frequently the organization and work behind these volunteering groups falls upon retirees and university students.?These groups are motivated and bring a passion to their projects, but by their nature are only able to take on these roles for a limited period of time.?Professionals who work in the region they serve may be very busy, but can assist by streamlining processes and maintaining the continuity necessary to grow volunteering efforts year over year.

When volunteering as an energy efficiency expert, you will have direct contact with energy users- either those you assist directly or a rotating array of fellow volunteers.?This facilitates communication around energy that empowers energy users to manage their energy use much more effectively.?For example, one of the homeowners assisted through Operation Weatherize Albany had a balance of system issue where rooms over the garage received inadequate ventilation and were very cold during winter months.?The homeowner’s contractor suggested a very expensive solution that would have required opening walls to replace ductwork and would not be possible for months.?An on-site expert volunteer made the homeowner aware of register boosters and ductless heat pumps.?The register booster immediately fixed the problem at a small fraction of the cost of new ductwork, and the heat pumps will eventually help the homeowner meet their goal of being carbon neutral.

Having energy efficiency professionals involved in volunteer activities can ensure high-quality feedback on volunteer program design.??Energy efficiency experts need to know about much more than energy to be effective; they routinely design processes and energy efficiency programs in a professional atmosphere.?Experience with more rigorous standards and streamlined approaches to business can translate well in a volunteer environment.

Energy experts in the volunteer community can provide a lot of information to a passionate group of volunteers.?Volunteers believe in what they are doing, but may benefit from some fact-checking on their beliefs around energy efficiency and sustainability.?Volunteers can be connected with high-quality resources they may not be aware of, such as specific third-party databases like AHRI.?There are also many tools like the EPA Portfolio Manager that volunteers may be unaware of but could promote, use as a volunteer, or even use for their own home. Volunteers will have more confidence that their actions are in line with best practices if they see energy efficiency professionals working alongside them.

How can I find volunteering opportunities where I would use my expertise?

Local colleges and universities frequently have community activities that tie into their sustainability clubs.?Reaching out in advance can help you be aware of what activities are open to the larger community and involve energy efficiency.

Habitat for Humanity build days are a great way to learn handyperson skills while getting to see the inside of buildings.?Habitat tends to use high energy standards when building their homes; it is very interesting to see how each building component is layered on the last one to produce a very efficient home.

For those of us with tight schedules, limited ability to travel, or limited mobility, there are many opportunities to get engaged with volunteering remotely through citizen science initiatives.?

Firefighting may not appear to tie in closely with energy efficiency, but through firefighting there is an obligation to study building science and an opportunity to enter a very large number of homes.?A significant proportion of fires are caused by problems with energy-using systems and equipment and each call can be a learning opportunity.

It's always good to look locally- there are frequently municipal or county-based subcommittees that can connect you with local opportunities to volunteer.?

Here are some helpful links to organizations where you can get started volunteering:

·??????https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/our_regional_environment.shtml

·??????www.windowdressers.org?

·??????https://energizevermont.org/the-window-project

·??????https://www.habitat.org/

·??????https://www.citizenscience.gov/catalog/#

·??????Find Fire Service Volunteer Opportunities (makemeafirefighter.org)