Climate Communist Brian Barnacle Paid to Lead TradePro Connect Project to Implement Distributed Energy Resource Programs & Enroll Service Providers
Petaluma Councilman Barnacle's programs included solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing, Southern California Edison Automated Demand Response and Thermostat Promotion
A potential conflict of interest arises from the acknowledgment of Petaluma Councilman Brian Barnacle in the final project report for his strategic leadership on the TradePro Connect Project while being employed as the Senior Manager at Energy Solutions.
On March 21, 2018, Cohen Ventures Inc. DBA Energy Solutions was present at the California Energy Commission’s Business Meeting to increase adoption of emerging clean energy technologies through procurement. The transcript detailed the following:
Good morning, Chair Weisenmiller and fellow Commissioners. My name is Nick Blair. I am with the Energy Employment and Market Facilitation Office in the R&D Division. I'm seeking Commission approval today for a resolution of four agreements resulting from GFO-17-301, increasing adoption of emerging clean energy technologies through procurement. In total, these agreements sum to about $17 million. And a fifth agreement, under this GFO, will be presented at a future business meeting.
Through an Energy Commission public meeting held in 2014, stakeholders from large procuring entities like military bases, ports, universities and the Department of General Services, collectively identified purchasing problems for adopting distributed energy resources such as energy efficiency, renewable generation and storage.
The problems identified were limited technical expertise with under-noise, (phonetic) a lack of unbiased objective information on technology performance, questions and concerns regarding regulatory issues, a need for additional tools to streamline procurement processes and a need to reduce the soft costs of purchasing energy technologies. So staff wrote this solicitation really seeking to address these identified problems.
So first, Energy Solutions is going to streamline procurement processes for buyers by developing and demonstrating the TradePro Connect online platform that will connect interested buyers with contractors who can meet their energy needs. Buyers will log onto the platform and supply green button data. Using the green button data, Energy Solutions will be able to suggest cost effective, personalized project options for the buyers. Key pieces of this platform will include the group purchasing option, which will coordinate the purchasing power of these members to negotiate industry discounts for large orders and also the large directory of contractors with whom buyers will be able to have access to.
The next group is Prospect Silicon Valley. They will be developing the California Opportunities and Procurement Program to provide technical assistance to buyers and technology developers to bridge the gap between them to spur greater adoption of technologies. The program will help buyers overcome structural barriers to adoption and help the technology developers navigate the complicated institutional procurement processes by developing services to provide handholding and matchmaking opportunities. Prospect Silicon Valley's program will include a new procurement portal for putting out RFPs, group purchasing opportunities to lower costs, RFP development assistance to help buyers get bids that meet their energy needs, and lastly networking and educational events for both buyers and technology developers.
In March 2024, the California Energy Commission’s Energy Research & Development Division provided a final project report, Connecting Customers and Service Providers: A Procurement Software Solution for California. Petaluma Councilman Brian Barnacle was acknowledged within the report for his strategic leadership on the TradePro Connect Project.
The primary authors of the Report were: Alanna Torres, Ryan Bird, Corissa Ng, Daniel Cornejo, Renee Lafrenz, Jennie Morris, Emma Thornton, and Energy Solutions. Mr. Barnacle has been employed as the Senior Manager, Energy Solutions.
PREFACE
The California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Research and Development Division supports energy research and development programs to spur innovation in energy efficiency, renewable energy and advanced clean generation, energy-related environmental protection, energy transmission, and distribution and transportation.
In 2012, the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) was established by the California Public Utilities Commission to fund public investments in research to create and advance new energy solutions, foster regional innovation, and bring ideas from the lab to the marketplace. The EPIC Program is funded by California utility customers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The CEC and the state’s three largest investor-owned utilities— Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Edison Company—were selected to administer the EPIC funds and advance novel technologies, tools, and strategies that provide benefits to their electric ratepayers.
The CEC is committed to ensuring public participation in its research and development programs that promote greater reliability, lower costs, and increase safety for the California electric ratepayer and include:
Providing societal benefits.
Reducing greenhouse gas emission in the electricity sector at the lowest possible cost.
Supporting California’s loading order to meet energy needs first with energy efficiency and demand response, next with renewable energy (distributed generation and utility scale), and finally with clean, conventional electricity supply.
Supporting low-emission vehicles and transportation.
Providing economic development.
Using ratepayer funds efficiently.
ABSTRACT
The TradePro Connect project conducted both a scaled demonstration and the deployment of an online procurement and energy service platform to spur the installation of distributed energy resources and energy management technologies. This project could ultimately drive widespread penetration of distributed energy resources in California and help meet the state’s aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Known barriers to procurement exist for customers and service providers are exacerbated by distributed energy resources and energy management technologies that require advanced knowledge and training. TradePro Connect was developed to reduce such barriers and result in more demand-side projects leading to lower project costs, more projects in underserved markets, increased safety, and greater reliability. The project achieved some of its goals, resulting in expanded understanding of the distributed energy resource program landscape and service provider business drivers. TradePro Connect implemented two distributed energy resource programs, enrolled 83 service providers, and completed 28 projects. However, known barriers proved difficult to overcome and new barriers emerged during the project execution related to program development, platform functionality, and service provider engagement. Key lessons learned include: focus on first-use case before scaling; be aware of interactions when growing both customer bases and service providers; focus on plug-and-play products rather than customized services; offer a compelling value proposition to engage service providers; consider contractor risk tolerance, which varies by project type; and use an upstream approach to access and engage contractor networks. The project identified specific factors and interactions that can inform future efforts to increase penetration of distributed energy resources.
Project Approach
The TradePro Connect project team, led by Energy Solutions as the primary contractor, included software companies; trade-ally leadership organizations; workforce training organizations; and legal, marketing, and graphic design teams. Key stakeholders included partners and subcontractors from two separate (but similar and related) projects through the Procurement Innovation Solicitation and the California Evaluation Hub and Empower Procurement, as well as a technical advisory committee.
Research consisted of the real-world deployment of the TradePro Connect procurement tool into the market to spur procurement of distributed energy resources and energy management technologies in California. Energy Solutions configured the TradePro Connect platform to integrate with four software applications that individually offer procurement solutions (Qmerit, ProQure, ecomedes, and Manage Your Power), which run as a single platform. The team identified institutions and utilities interested in using the platform for their individual procurement needs for real-world deployments and provided four types of programs based on customer bases to attract potential institutional or utility programs: small- and medium-sized businesses, institutional programs (local government, K-12, higher education), residential programs, and distributed energy resource enablement and optimization. The project addressed both customer and service provider barriers in the procurement processes by giving customers tools to find the best prices, products, and providers for their needs while still providing transparency into procurement-process resources.
TradePro Connect experienced significant challenges during real-world deployment related to program coordination, platform functionality, and service-provider engagement. Specifically, launching TradePro Connect with four programs while simultaneously trying to attract customers and service providers proved difficult and resulted in low numbers of customers, service providers, projects, and programs on the platform. Because of the lack of customers, the platform’s functionality was not fully realized.
One successful program, Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing, had dedicated contractor and customer marketing resources that drove participation and provided training on how to participate in TradePro Connect. This program proved that with good engagement and resources, even highly customized offerings such as solar can succeed over less complex plug-and-play offerings such as thermostats. It also highlighted the importance of utility engagement and commitment to offering trainings, marketing resources, and requirements to use the platform for potential programs.
Similarly, the project faced integration hurdles as it became apparent that it was necessary to simultaneously address multiple utility needs. Lastly, engaging service providers to join TradePro Connect without defined participating programs and customer project needs proved challenging. Once service providers were signed up, attempting to onboard service providers at scale required trial and error that was not anticipated in the original plan.
Many of these challenges were exacerbated by the lack of institutional and utility participation on the platform. In Fall 2019, the team decided to focus on small- and medium-sized businesses as a single-use case and used CEC funds to deploy a targeted smart thermostat promotion to help contribute to the project’s goals. To receive the offer, customers and service providers were required to sign up and use TradePro Connect. The promotion was marketed in service provider channels across California and contributed to the project’s service provider and project goals.
The project team formed a technical advisory committee to provide guidance on the real-world deployment of TradePro Connect. Committee members included companies that install and optimize adoption of electrification products, utilities, local and state government commissions and offices, and unions (whose feedback resulted in changes to the project’s performance goals and additional considerations from workforce training and leadership organizations about the emphasis on safety, contractor licensing standards, and insurance).
Project Results
A portion of the stated goals for this project were achieved, which expanded understanding of the distributed energy resource program landscape and service provider business drivers. However, platform deployment barriers that emerged during the execution of the project, including challenges in enrolling customers and service providers, made it difficult to meet the project objectives and address all procurement barriers.
A portion of the stated goals for this project was achieved through the roll-out of two distributed energy resource programs: Southern California Edison Auto-Demand Response/ Thermostats, and Center for Sustainable Energy—Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing. The team enrolled 83 service providers on the platform and completed 28 projects. These programs expanded understanding of the distributed energy resource program landscape and service provider business drivers. It became clear that service providers are driven by the potential for new business opportunities through increased market awareness. In the past, service providers were offered similar platforms and utility programs that did not meet their needs or expand market awareness, so they were hesitant to use TradePro Connect.
A prototype was executed with participation from service providers in two participating programs. However, known barriers proved difficult to overcome and significant new challenges emerged during the project execution. Specifically, the prototype system operated successfully only for use cases in which contractor credentials were easily defined and program managers were accountable for engaging customers and service providers, as seen in the Southern California Edison Auto-Demand Response/Thermostat and Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing program.
While the project was only partially successful, competitive advantages were achieved. Advantages included speed to market, proving that programs could be quickly made operational for customers and service providers to push distributed energy resources and energy management technologies projects forward, as well as proof to manage projects at volume. TradePro Connect included customer portfolios for multiple project sites and facilitated customers’ connections to a single vetted and quality service provider that could connect them to group purchasing organization resources and utility rebate programs. This connection benefits the customer, service provider, and utility by providing a streamlined project experience, increased awareness for project and program resources, and deployment of distributed energy resources and energy management technologies.
Major lessons learned that could be valuable for a future effort to address procurement challenges follow.
Focus on one technology, first-use case, and a single program before scaling.
Consider timing to optimize the engagement and coordination of customers and service providers. Focus on plug-and-play products rather than those requiring customization or engineering support.
Ensure that the value proposition for service providers to engage and participate is compelling.
Consider contractor risk tolerance that varies by project type.
Use an upstream approach to access and engage contractor networks.
Further research and experimentation are needed to understand whether these recommendations would be sufficient to meet the challenges associated with procurement barriers.
The information learned from this project can assist public organizations to encourage more distributed energy resource and energy management technology products by simplifying procurement, providing more information or training to both customers and service providers about procuring energy products, and updating existing procurement systems to further remove existing barriers for both customers and service providers.
Project Goals and Objectives
The goals of this project were to:
Accelerate adoption of DERs by using a qualified labor force to streamline customer procurement, program enrollment, and operations and maintenance services.
Reduce the capital cost of DER products and solutions by launching a DER group purchasing organization (GPO) that integrates the supply chain and facilitates healthy competition in the marketplace.
Maximize the performance of deployed DERs by offering performance-based incentives, conducting ongoing measurement and verification, offering education and training to the service network, and enforcing rigorous quality standards.
Manage the largest DER directory and the most competent network of DER service providers in California.
The objectives of this project were to:
Incorporate a DER product strategy in the recipient’s GPO to promote best-in-class DER solutions over standard practice items.
Configure, integrate, and deploy four DER programs on the TradePro Connect platform.
Enroll a minimum of 100 contractor organizations on the platform, directing at least 30 jobs to small, disabled veteran, minority, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and/or female business enterprises.
Implement at least 50 projects during the 18-month project period, generating $2 million of lifetime energy savings across a multitude of sectors, end uses, and services.
Achieve an average customer satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Demonstrate and document methods that use utility advanced metering infrastructure and manufacturer monitoring, fault detection, and diagnostics to optimize operations and right-time maintenance.
Team and Stakeholders
The project team was comprised of Energy Solutions as the prime contractor, software companies, trade ally leadership organizations, workforce training organizations, and legal, marketing, and graphic design teams. The project team and roles are listed in Table 1.
Other groups of stakeholders included two separate (but similar and related) projects through the Procurement Innovation Solicitation, the California Evaluation Hub, and Empower Procurement. The California Evaluation Hub evaluated selected DER products, provided direct comparisons among those products, and shared results with large commercial and institutional customers that use formal procurement processes. This project continued through 2022. While this project is on a different timeline than TradePro Connect, its results could inform future programs and TradePro Connect use cases. The project is led by the Energy and Efficiency Institute at the University of California, Davis, and key partners include Energy Solutions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of California, Berkeley Center for the Built Environment. Empower Procurement helps organizations reach their clean energy and GHG reduction goals by improving the procurement process through tailored initiatives known as procurement initiatives. Procurement initiatives are designed to provide the opportunity for institutional entities—including local governments, school districts, and public higher education institutions—to leverage complementary assistance to troubleshoot products and service contract procurement, electrification strategic planning, or other procurement-related challenges. This project will also continue through 2022 and while on a different timeline than TradePro Connect, has worked with the TradePro Connect team to understand the trials and errors associated with procurement program development. Technology solutions like TradePro Connect may be considered as one type of recommendation for institutions that enroll in the initiatives. The project is led by Prospect Silicon Valley, and key partners include Energy Solutions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the ZNE Alliance. Minor partners include the Local Government Commission, among others.
Lastly, the project’s technical advisory committee (TAC) represented a stakeholder group that provided guidance on scope and recommendations on information dissemination, market pathways, and commercialization strategies. Members of the TAC are listed in the Technical Advisory Committee section at the end of this chapter.
Petaluma Councilman Brian Barnacle is seeking re-election in the November 5, 2024 General Election. When he initially ran for Council in 2020, his Form 700 (statement of economic interest) was received by the City of Petaluma’s Clerk on August 6, 2020.
He indicated that his only source of reportable financial interest for the time period was Outthink, LLC, a consulting firm. His main clients were Prospect Silicon Valley & Building Decarbonization Coalition. He failed to disclose Energy Solutions as a source of income from 2020-present.
On January 24, 2022, Petaluma City Council Adopted Resolution No. 2022-17 N.C.S. to oppose Net Energy Metering 3.0 proposed decision from the California Public Utilities Commission. Mr. Barnacle voted in favor of the Resolution.
DISCUSSION
If adopted, the PD would reduce the value of solar energy sold back to the grid and would impose a $8/kW/month grid participation charge on all residential and commercial solar systems. Each utility would provide a different “market transition credit” to that monthly charge - $1.62/kW for PG&E, $3.59/kW for Southern California Edison, and $0/kW for San Diego Gas and Electric residential customers, low-income customers would receive a greater benefit. The net effect of these changes has been estimated to reduce the cost-effectiveness for residential solar systems in PG&E territory by as much as 75%, and greatly extend the payback period for residential systems.
Proposals to the CPUC from SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and the Sierra Club make recommendations to take the carbon intensity of energy sources into account in this rulemaking, but the CPUC largely dismisses this premise stating “the proposed societal benefits of an updated social cost of carbon metric, land conservation, a reduced methane leakage multiplier, and avoided transmission costs are not solely applicable to net energy metering.” In other words, the PD is focused on changes to net energy metering, and since the carbon intensity of energy sources are beyond the scope of solely net energy metering, they will not be considered. Staff believes that in failing to take the societal costs of carbon into account for this PD allows the CPUC to focus on the disadvantages of surplus solar energy and negate the benefits of a very low carbon intensity energy source, and that in doing so has created a PD that seeks to radically reduce incentives for distributed solar energy.
The CPUC’s PD conflicts with the Climate Emergency Framework in many areas related to Mitigation, as well as Council Goal 49: “Install solar panels on city-owned properties where appropriate and work with Sonoma Clean Power on a solar program for potential revenue generation” as the PD, if approved would significantly decrease the financial viability of such projects.
Staff recommends changes to the PD be made as follows:
Strengthen NEM to expand access to all households, particularly of low-and-moderate income
Expand access to other clean energy technologies that pair with solar, such as batteries
Ensure that the solar installations continue to grow in order to meet City and State climate goals
Exclude provisions set forth in the Proposed Decision such has high monthly fixed fees and reducing or eliminating credits for sharing electricity with the power grid.
CLIMATE ACTION
Continued promotion of local rooftop and commercial solar installations would reduce carbon intensity of energy and is consistent with Mitigation goals listed in the Climate Emergency Framework.
On August 7, 2023, the City of Petaluma Council unanimously voted to approve the following item under the consent calendar:
2023-122 N.C.S. Accepting a Grant Award from the California Energy Commission to Automate Small Residential Solar Permits
Vote: Carried 7-0 Yes: Mayor McDonnell, Councilmember Barnacle, Vice Mayor Cader Thompson, Councilmember Healy, Councilmember Nau, Councilmember Pocekay, Councilmember Shribbs No: None Absent: None Recused: None
According to Rewiring America’s Electrification Policy Menu for Local Leaders:
SolarAPP+ is an online web portal that streamlines the permitting process to install code-compliant residential photovoltaic (PV) systems. It automates the plan review process and performs a compliance check based on inputs provided by the contractor, ensuring that the proposed system is safe and meets the requirements of model building, electrical, and fire codes. After the system is installed, the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) conducts inspections to verify adherence to the approved design and installation practices. SolarAPP+ has been adopted by 34 communities, resulting in over 15,000 permits issued,100,000 kilowatts approved, and an estimated 15,000 hours of review time saved. SolarAPP+ communities tend to be more racially diverse, have less owner-occupied housing, and have greater median home values than non-SolarAPP+ communities.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) SolSmart program is now endorsing SolarApp+, a user-friendly tool that assists local governments in streamlining the solar permitting process. SolSmart offers step-by-step guidance and provides technical assistance to help communities adopt SolarApp+.
SolSmart is led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office.
The SolSmart program has two key parts. First, the program provides no-cost technical assistance to help local governments follow national best practices to expand solar energy use in their jurisdictions. Second, it recognizes and celebrates these communities with SolSmart designations of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
To date, 531 local governments in 43 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have achieved SolSmart designation, representing over 117 million people.
A cornerstone of SolSmart’s efforts will be to further the goals of the federal Justice40 initiative to provide equitable opportunities for underserved communities that face barriers including fossil dependence, energy burden, environmental and climate hazards, and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
Per the City’s website:
Why are we incorporating SolarAPP+ in our solar permit process?
In 2022, California passed SB 379 which “requires most California cities and counties to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits in real-time or allows the city, county, or city and county to issue permits in real time for a residential solar energy system.”
Through Mr. Barnacle’s liberal dictatorship, are these decisions being made in our best interest or rather providing funding to the consultants, providers, and contractors hired to navigate these projects?
“White liberals are those who have perfected the art of selling themselves to the black man as our ‘friend’ to get our sympathy, our allegiance and our minds. The white liberal attempts to use us politically against white conservatives, so that anything the black man does is never for his own good, never for his advancement, never for his own progress, he’s only a pawn in the hands of the white liberal.”
-Malcolm X