Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is the combined natural gas and electric utility that serves more than 16 million people across Northern and Central California. It is perhaps best known for its consumer services. Last month, for example, PG&E encouraged customers to call and schedule a free in-home safety inspection of water heaters, furnaces, ovens, and other gas appliances to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Hacienda tenants and residents might be surprised to discover that PG&E also offers a range of free educational programs that benefit business owners, professionals, and students.

The company strives to help students, educators, contractors and design professionals learn about designing, building, and operating better buildings by offering “professional training, a robust tool-lending library, on-demand courses, and real-time access to industry experts, all at no cost,” according to company officials. Much of that training is available, upon registration, as on-demand webinars. Courses cover a variety of energy-related areas, including agriculture and industrial; electrification; food service; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; home performance; lighting; water energy efficiency; and more.

Resiliency Training, a three-part webinar series, is among the many offerings. Resiliency Training provides an in-depth look at how to plan for resiliency in buildings, multifamily complexes, and critical facilities. Induction Cooking and Holding - Energy Efficiency and Performance for Commercial Kitchens covers the basics of induction cooking and holding for commercial foodservice applications “including both the energy-related and non-energy benefits of this disruptive technology,” according to its description. Agricultural Industrial Refrigeration Systems Efficiency is a four-hour, on-demand webinar designed to provide the “basic knowledge to be able to identify and quantify energy efficiency opportunities for industrial and refrigerated warehouse refrigeration systems.”

While most of the courses provide professional-level training, several webinars benefit a larger audience. A 75-minute class called Electric Vehicles (EVs): What you need to know, for example, would be a helpful introduction to the topic for anyone considering the purchase of one or more EVs. It covers the history and background of gasoline and electric-powered vehicles, explains how EVs work, outlines the key advantages of EVs, and discusses some concerns and obstacles facing the use of EVs.

Moreover, a tool lending library is available at PG&E’s Energy Center in San Ramon. “PG&E's free tool lending program provides a wide selection of energy and building measurement tools to customers and professionals working on energy efficiency, demand reduction, demand response, and electrification projects in California,” company officials note. Nearly 400 devices are available through the library, including a Hart Handheld Dry-Well Calibrator 9102, which is a portable dry-well temperature calibrator; a FLIR Infrared Camera B400, suitable for insulation, HVAC, and building applications; and a Forensic Detectors Formaldehyde Detector FD-90A, which is a single gas detector used to measure formaldehyde in air using an electrochemical sensor.

Use of the library requires registering for an account on the PG&E website and creating a project description that explains why the tool is needed. Remarkably, those unsure of which tools are needed for a project can contact PG&E’s tool lending team directly. The team can “offer guidance on the right measurement tools for your project, step-by-step instructions for each tool, and assist you with your data analysis.”

For more information about PG&E training resources, please visit www.pge.com/en_US/small-medium-business/business-resource-center/training-and-education/energy-centers.page