ENERGY COACHING

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Energy Coaching--A Way to Help Your Neighbors

The Energy Coach initiative is a two-year pilot that targets the #1 source of emissions in midcoast Maine: our buildings.  

The program’s primary purpose is to demonstrate that personal assistance can increase acceptance of carbon-cutting actions by looking at the whole house and making the process easier for consumers. The program will assess best practices, focus on the challenges faced by Rockport and Camden’s underserved populations, and help demonstrate how the program is scalable for other Maine communities. 

Energy Coaches are a free person-to-person service to Camden and Rockport residents.  

Coaches are volunteers whose role is to facilitate the process of home energy updates by helping residents take the first step and by making it easier to take a project all the way to completion. Coaches are trained by industry professionals such as All Around Home Performance, Efficiency Maine, HeatSmart Alliance of Massachusetts, and local professionals in the field. 

Coaches are backed up by expert sources for questions outside of the coaches’ training. They share knowledge in a peer learning approach. In addition, the program is developing a trusted list of local professionals, based on our experiences with them, that we can share with our clients. 

What a Coach Does 

  • Reviews options and translates terms that are unfamiliar, including information on energy saving strategies such as energy audits, weatherization, heat pumps, and solar;
  • Provides information on financial incentives; 
  • Guides a resident through the energy and building review process, sets expectations, and follows up at each stage; 
  • Writes a comprehensive visit report;
  • Collects data on coach-assisted actions taken; 
  • Engages in ongoing training and information sharing with other coaches; 
  • Follows up as needed to assist in plan implementation.

Volunteer