Gopal Shanker has always been willing to use himself as a guinea pig. He’ll test out something himself before he tells other people it’s worthwhile.

The latest project of this Napa-based renewable energy consultant has been to get a free home energy upgrade offered by MCE, Napa County’s renewable electricity provider.

Home energy upgrades are programs offered for free or as rebates by agencies (PG&E, MCE, and BayREN) to help homeowners and renters reduce energy use and utility bills. They include an energy audit detailing what actions would be most feasible and effective. Upgrades range from installing LED light bulbs and insulation to installing new water heaters and heating systems.

The entire community benefits because the less energy used means less fossil fuels burned and less greenhouse gas emissions.  The new appliances installed are usually electric and can be powered by renewable resources.

Gopal Shanker has helped move Napa County in the direction of renewables since 2007. With MCE as our electricity provider, we are 60% renewable with the ability to opt up to 100% renewable through the Deep Green program.

He has also worked on electrifying transportation by partnering with the Napa Sierra Club to organize the local Electric Mobility event as part of Drive Electric Week. And he introduced the streamlined EV charging station permitting process now available countywide.

Shanker explained his goal, “If I can do something but it’s difficult, I try to remove those obstacles for others.”

The next transition he’s targeted is to move away from using natural gas for heating homes and water. The Home Energy Upgrades can help with this by replacing natural gas appliances (hot water heaters and furnaces) with electric heat pump versions which use less power and cost less to run.

The first requirement was to qualify for the MCE program targeted toward “middle income” families ($53,000-$106,000 for a family of 4). Then it took a year for the contractor to come out, evaluate his home for applicable upgrades, and make measurements. A few months later, attic insulation was installed, and heating ductwork was sealed.  Much later the electric heat pump water heater was installed. Shanker’s 40-gallon gas water heater was replaced with a 50-gallon heat pump water heater. “It works beautifully," Shanker says, “and the attic insulation really makes a difference in how warm the house stays and how much we need to use the furnace. But the process took two years.”

“If we want others to participate in these programs, we need a much easier process”, he explains, “a one-stop shop. Installing upgrades should be as easy as ordering on Amazon. Another issue is that older homes may not be able to deal with the increased electricity demand. There are some solutions that can be implemented without upgrading a home’s electrical panel. But if the panel does need to be upgraded, the Inflation Reduction Act provides a tax credit to offset the cost. All this information, along with a list of qualified local contractors should be available and easily accessed by homeowners.”

Based on Shanker’s success and persistence in the past, we can look forward to—and ask our elected officials for—an easier process for transitioning our homes from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.