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Save Energy, Save Money: Free Webinar on September 16, 2026

September 4, 2026

Free Webinar Makes Home Upgrades More Affordable

A free webinar on September 16th aims to help homeowners and renters lower energy bills, while making homes more comfortable. The free, one-hour webinar on saving energy, includes how to participate in EASE Home, a program that covers up to 80% of the cost of home energy upgrades for income-eligible households.

When: September 16, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific

Where: Virtual (online webinar)

Register: Sign up here!

What We’ll Cover During the Webinar

Practical energy-saving strategies, from DIY fixes to bigger upgrades
Available incentives and financing
How to participate in EASE Home, step by step

What Is EASE Home?

EASE Home (Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Home), offered by BayREN in partnership with SCTCA, helps mid- to low-income households in Sonoma County make home upgrades more affordable. Since nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. homes are under-insulated, most households can benefit often seeing 15% savings on heating and cooling, plus fewer drafts and better air quality. BayREN provides comprehensive assistance, including fixed pricing, direct installation, and step-by-step support.

The program covers 80% of project cost and you pay just 20% of the total project cost. For example, if a total project cost is $5,000 the customer can expect the maximum copay to be $1,000.

Upgrades can include:

Weatherization upgrades keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer—like improved insulation, duct sealing or replacement, and whole-home air sealing.
Energy efficiency upgrades such as smart thermostats and weatherstripping help reduce energy use and lower bills.
Induction cooking upgrades, including an induction stove or cooktop, compatible cookware, and some electrical upgrades needed for installation. *Must replace a gas appliance.
Health and safety upgrades that are necessary for completing weatherization upgrades and can include pest-related cleaning and sanitation.

EASE Home Energy Advisor inspects households for energy upgrades

Interested in adding additional measures to your scope? Ask your Energy Advisor! Our contractors can also support electrification installs, including heat pump HVAC, heat pump water heaters, high-efficiency electric clothes dryers or washer/dryer combo. A customer may have to pay for this equipment in full, however BayREN can provide rebate application assistance.

“The crews were wonderful. Everything seemed to be synced quickly and done professionally. This has been something on my wish list for a long time.”

— Homeowner in Sonoma

How It Works

1. Apply and confirm eligibility, then schedule a free site visit.

2. Site visit — an Energy Advisor will do an in person visit to confirm eligibility, assess your home, create a project Proposal with costs and rebates, and talk through the recommended upgrades plan and process. The project Proposal is valid for 15 days.

3. Installation — Once you’ve reviewed your personalized Proposal and signed the Participation Agreement, we’ll match you with one of our partner contractors to schedule the installation of your new upgrades. If applicable, your contractor will apply for permits and schedule inspections to ensure everything is compliant and up to code,

4. Enjoy your home — Pay your contractor the final costs after any applicable rebates. We’ll handle the rebate paperwork, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

Who’s Eligible?

Single-family home built before 2010.
PG&E or SCP customer (Healdsburg Electric customers need PG&E gas service).
Household income at or below 120% of area median income (up to $126,975 for one person, $181,350 for a family of four).
Homeowners and tenants (with landlord approval!) can both participate.

Learn more about program eligibility here: https://www.bayren.org/ease-home-income-guidelines

Spots Are Limited!

Register for the webinar

Questions? Email Energy@sonomacounty.gov or call (707) 565-6470.

About BayREN

The Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) is a collaboration of the nine counties that make up the San Francisco Bay Area. Led by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), BayREN provides regional-scale energy efficiency programs, services, and resources. BayREN is funded by utility ratepayer funds through the California Public Utilities Commission, as well as other sources, drawing on the expertise, knowledge, and proven track record of Bay Area local governments.

Green Real Estate is Good Business: Agents Earn National Association of REALTORS® Green Designation

June 30, 2026

BayREN, Franklin Energy, and Sonoma County partnered to bring nationally recognized green real estate training to Sonoma County — and the results speak for themselves

BayREN, Franklin Energy, and Sonoma County partnered to bring nationally recognized green real estate training to Sonoma County.

Ask any real estate agent in a room full of their peers: “Have you ever had a client ask about solar, energy bills, or what it would cost to upgrade a home — and you weren’t quite sure what to tell them?”

Almost every hand goes up.

That’s the gap BayREN is working to close. This past May, Sonoma County partnered with Franklin Energy and BayREN to host a two-day National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Green Designation training in Santa Rosa, bringing nationally recognized green real estate education directly to real estate professionals. It was free, it was practical, and it’s already changing how agents talk to their clients.

What BayREN Offers for Real Estate Agents

BayREN, the Bay Area Regional Energy Network, was created to help Bay Area residents and businesses reduce energy use and transition to cleaner, healthier homes and places of work. For real estate professionals, BayREN offers a unique set of resources: training programs, market insights, and direct connections to the contractors, incentives, and programs that can help clients make smarter home decisions.

When it comes to green real estate, BayREN’s role is to bridge the gap between the energy world and the real estate world, because those conversations are increasingly happening at the same table.

The NAR Green Designation: What It Is and Why It Matters

The NAR Green Designation is the only green real estate credential conferred by the National Association of REALTORS®. It’s not a course about environmental concepts in the abstract, it’s a focused, two-day training on real estate practice: how to market green homes, how to guide clients through upgrades and retrofits, and how to communicate the true cost of homeownership beyond just the mortgage payment.

Day 1 — The Resource-Efficient Home covers retrofits, remodels, renovations, and new construction. Agents learn why consumer demand for efficient homes is growing, how to advise clients on everything from low-cost DIY improvements to full system replacements, and how to add real value when working alongside builders and design teams.

Day 2 — Representing Buyers and Sellers of Resource-Efficient Homes shifts to the transaction itself. How do you price and market a home with green features? How do you help a buyer understand why lower utility bills and healthier air quality have real dollar value? How do you prepare clients for regulatory shifts, like Air District rulings, that are already beginning to reshape what buyers and sellers need to know?

Earning the designation also unlocks ongoing resources: a members-only marketing toolkit, access to green market research, curated social media content, exclusive industry webinars, a listing in the NAR GREEN directory, and a monthly newsletter from the GREEN REsource Council. It’s a credential that keeps delivering.

What Made the Sonoma Event Special

Congratulations to the eight agents that received their NAR Green Designation and participated in our May 2026 Sonoma training. From left to right: Shannon Deschler, Kristofer Chun, Shari Skaife, Drew Thomas, John Shipman (Trainer), Norma Gomez Tagle, Aquileo Leal, Molly Stokeld, Meera Borthwick.

Congratulations to the eight real estate agents that received their NAR Green Designation and participated in our May 2026 Sonoma training. From left to right: Shannon Deschler, Kristofer Chun, Shari Skaife, Drew Thomas, John Shipman (Trainer), Norma Gomez Tagle, Aquileo Leal, Molly Stokeld, Meera Borthwick. This was the third time Sonoma has hosted the training — and the community around it keeps growing.

Day 1 was held at the North Coast Builders Exchange, an ideal setting for conversations about construction, retrofits, and building science. Day 2 moved to the Sonoma Clean Power Customer Center, a space where real estate agents can actually see and interact with the technologies they’re learning to talk about.

The instructor brought something rare: he’s both a seasoned real estate agent and a high-performing contractor. That dual perspective made the training immediately practical. Agents weren’t just learning theory, they were getting real answers to the questions their clients are already asking.

Both days included breakfast and lunch. The entire two-day training was completely free, with 16 continuing education units from the California Department of Real Estate (CA DRE).

In Their Own Words: Agent Feedback

The best measure of a training is what agents take away from it. Here’s what two Sonoma agents had to say:

“The NAR Green Designation Training was inspiring and affirming. The concepts presented helped marry my knowledge and passion for permaculture design, sustainability, and non-toxic living with my career in real estate. I also really appreciated connecting with other like-minded agents in my community.” — Shannon Deschler

“One key takeaway was that high-performance and green homes are about more than features — they’re about understanding the science behind the home and being able to clearly communicate the real-life benefits to clients, such as comfort, efficiency, and healthier living. When we elevate the conversation with buyers and sellers and focus on value, not just upgrades, we position ourselves as true advisors and help clients make more informed, long-term decisions.” — Aquileo Leal

Stay Engaged: What’s Coming Next

The Sonoma event was a success — and it’s just one piece of a larger effort to build green real estate capacity across the Bay Area. Here’s how to stay involved:

Sonoma Green Home Tour — September 2026 This two-hour walkthrough of a fully transformed 1950s Santa Rosa home is designed specifically for real estate professionals — though clients are welcome too. You’ll walk through a home that’s been upgraded with solar panels, a heat pump HVAC system, heat pump water heater, induction range, blown-in insulation, drought-tolerant landscaping, and more. The goal: give agents a firsthand experience of these features so they can speak to their value with confidence. Location is shared after registration. Date to be announced, stay tuned!

Future NAR Green Designation Trainings BayREN and its partners are committed to bringing this training to more communities throughout the Bay Area. If you’re an agent, association, broker, or local partner interested in hosting a future event — or simply want to be notified when the next training comes to your area, get in touch.

Connect with BayREN Visit bayren.org to explore resources for real estate professionals, find upcoming events, and learn more about how BayREN supports energy-efficient homes across the region.

About BayREN

BayREN provides trainings specifically for real estate professionals to enable market recognition of the value of a green home during real estate transactions. Trainings also help real estate professionals understand the basics of an energy efficient home and available resources, such as incentives for upgrades and assessments offered through BayREN.

Sebastopol Adopts Climate Action Framework, Project Supported by RCPA in alignment with Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy

October 5, 2022

On July 19th, 2022, the Sebastopol City Council unanimously adopted the Sebastopol Climate Action Framework, a document that will guide the City as it works to address the climate emergency. The Climate Action Framework provides Sebastopol with the next steps towards reaching the goals of the Climate Emergency Resolution adopted in 2019, which included a goal of reducing emissions to net zero by 2030, sequestering additional carbon from the atmosphere, preparing for current and future climate impacts, and centering equity and community engagement in the City’s ongoing climate actions.

Sebastopol’s CivicSpark Fellow, Phoebe Goulden, led the development of the Sebastopol Climate Action Framework beginning in Fall 2021 and worked closely with the Sebastopol Climate Action Committee, Sebastopol Planning Department staff, and the Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) to assemble the plan. The Framework development process included comprehensive community engagement activities to understand better the concerns and priorities of Sebastopol community members in relation to climate change. These engagement activities included presentations to community-based organizations, holding a community workshop, soliciting input through a resident survey, and tabling at community events. This outreach was guided by a Community Engagement Strategy that was adopted in December 2021 to ensure that vulnerable populations were included throughout the effort.

Figure 1. Framework development process. More detail on the engagement process is available in Appendix C of the Framework.

What is the Climate Action Framework?

The Sebastopol Climate Action Framework is a key tool to aid the City and its residents in addressing the climate emergency. The Framework provides an overview of Sebastopol’s climate progress so far and sets community-driven goals for additional action in six areas: Transportation, Sustainable Land Use, Buildings and Clean Energy, Consumption and Waste, Community, and City Operations and Leadership.

Unlike a “climate action plan”, the Framework does not include specific actions that Sebastopol will take and is not certified under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City of Petaluma adopted a similar approach in developing its Climate Emergency Framework in January 2021.

RCPA’s Role

RCPA was a key partner in the development of Sebastopol’s Climate Action Framework, hosting CivicSpark Fellow Phoebe Goulden in its Santa Rosa office for the 11-month CivicSpark service year. The Framework shares many of the goals of RCPA’s Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy, which was an important reference document throughout the Framework’s development. The four major areas of the Mobilization Strategy are Decarbonization, Carbon Sequestration and Ecosystem Services, Resilience and Adaptation, and Equity and Community Engagement. To better integrate Sebastopol’s goals with regional efforts, in Appendix A of the Framework: Actions for Future Consideration, each potential action is matched to one of the Climate Mobilization Strategy initiative areas. \

It is our hope that Sebastopol’s Climate Action Framework can serve as a model for other jurisdictions that are committed to climate action but face the challenge of limited resources to address climate change. A Climate Action Framework or similar document can provide direction and momentum for action while requiring a fraction of the time and funding that a formal Climate Action Plan can take to complete. The Community Engagement Strategy and other resources from Sebastopol’s Climate Action Framework can also serve as a reference for other jurisdictions embarking on a similar process.

Next Steps

The Framework does not commit the City of Sebastopol to specific climate actions but instead provides the process and principles by which to evaluate potential actions. Therefore, an important next step is to determine priority actions for the City to take on moving forward. An initial list of actions that could help Sebastopol achieve the Framework’s goals is included in Appendix A of the Framework: Actions for Future Consideration. Over the next few months, Sebastopol’s Climate Action Committee (CAC) will evaluate and prioritize emission-reduction and preparedness strategies, including those in Appendix A. The CAC’s recommendations will be brought to the Sebastopol City Council for approval and appropriation of funds.

The Framework also recognizes the need for continued regional collaboration to address cross-jurisdictional topics such as county traffic patterns, emissions from the consumption of goods and services, watershed-level issues that cut across city boundaries, and more. As the regional organization dedicated to climate efforts, RCPA will continue to facilitate this collaboration through its jurisdictional members, agency partners, citizen involvement committees, and coordinated work with the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. As part of this broader effort, the Sebastopol Climate Action Framework will allow the City, its residents, and its local community-based organizations to be leaders in combating climate change both within the city boundaries and across the entire county.