The field of HVAC/R is experiencing a regional worker shortage affecting residential indoor comfort companies, commercial mechanical companies, property managers, and other firms that employ HVAC/R technicians/mechanics and building engineers. Meanwhile, the HVAC/R field generally lacks significant gender and racial diversity. The ECC HVAC/R Training & Career Preparation Academy creates opportunities in the HVAC/R trade for women, veterans, low-income individuals and BIPOC community members.  The academy, designed to fit in with full time work, is a 12 week program consisting of evening lectures and weekend laboratory sessions.  It is ideal for those looking to start a new career in residential and small commercial HVAC, or building operations, to support growth within an HVAC/R or maintenance job, to introduce HVAC as a potential business start-up, and to provide a path to apprenticeship.

Current Program Offerings

Program Manager:  Winnie Wakaba

Emerald Cities’ road-tested E-Contractor Academy has helped dozens of Women-and Minority-owned (WMBE) firms gain millions of dollars in new business throughout the nation. The Puget Sound Academy positions WMBE firms to secure new work in the clean energy, infrastrucuture and housing sectors.The Academy delivers skill building, networking, technical training, and introductions to projects that involve new clean energy and construction technologies. The Minority Business Accelerator provides individualized support and instruction for E-Contractor Academy graduates and also introduces WMBE firms to business opportunities.

Current Program Offerings 

Program Manager: Monica Guevara

ECC collaborates in an effort to stand up community voices for equitable building electrification through outreach, listening, coalition building and capacity building to put community voices in the position to provide leadership in building electrification and equity.  We seek to support the movements for workers rights, civil rights, economic rights, advancing healthcare and education with Climate and Environmental Justice efforts, providing collaboration and capacity.  In Washington State, Emerald Cities has been a leader in Shift Zero, an alliance of zero carbon buildings advocates with a focus on building electrification.  ECC leads the Equity First Team along with other organizations that work at the intersection of equity and the environment.  Our work includes being a voice for economic inclusion in City of Seattle’s Building Performance Standards efforts, ensuring that affordable housing is not burdened in the transition off of fossil fuels, and working with Seattle City Light on equitably planning for its electricity needs. ECC Northwest aligns its efforts with the national Centering Equity in Building Electrification efforts and encourages participation by organizations based in Washington state. 

Contacts: Steve Gelb, Dewi Ali

Low-Income Weatherization programs have been instrumental in improving lives and meeting energy efficiency goals in WA and throughout the county.  They need to play a central role in ensuring that low-income communities are included in building electrification and decarbonization efforts. ECC NorthWest is working to innovate these programs in order to respond to the enormity of the climate challenge with more resources, collaboration with frontline communities, and the inclusion of BIPOC communities in the workforce and contractors needed to implement the work. Through a DOE Innovation Grant, we will pilot a program to reach a majority of eligible low-income residents in a hard-to-reach frontline community. To do this, we are in partnership with community-based organizations. Furthermore, we are learning about and taking steps to remove structural barriers to weatherization services.

Program Manager: Dewi Ali

RENEW is a service of Emerald Cities Collaborative to support water conservation, and energy efficiency retrofits in non-profit owned multi-family affordable housing. It brings the additional resources, expertise, financing, and energy efficiency program knowledge needed to streamline efficiency projects and deliver much needed financial benefits to affordable housing owners and residents. Building efficiency projects result in reduced operating costs, improved comfort, health and safety of residents and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. RENEW assists building owners with all aspects of project implementation, including strategy, development, financing, contractor selection and post-completion performance monitoring.
Interested in learning more about RENEW Multi-Family Housing or retrofitting your affordable housing property?

Contact:  Steve Gelb

Our communities are ready to imagine a brighter future. A future where anchor institutions – healthcare, education, and governments collaborate with their communities. Solutions that build communities resilient to climate change and other crises. Solutions that restore shared prosperity and well-being to all. Together with Healthcare Without Harm, ECC NorthWest is working in Tacoma with the Tacoma Anchor Network to introduce our Anchors in Resilient Communities (ARC) model in which community-based partnerships leverage the purchasing and investment power of anchor institutions to bolster the communities they serve.

Program Manager: Dewi Ali