Building Relationships: Community Ambassadors and Advisors

Research has shown that solar adoption in a neighborhood spurs more solar adoption. Conversely, if clean energy adoption is not seeded in other communities, these communities lose out on the benefits of clean energy. This panel will provide lessons learned and best practices for using the community coach/ambassador/advisor model to promote clean energy in underserved communities. Speakers will talk about addressing language barriers and building trust. Panelists will also discuss how their programs comprehensively address barriers to clean energy adoption, for example by providing rehabilitation grants or helping residents access discounted electricity rates.

Session Chair(s): 

Event Time: 

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - 10:30am to 12:00pm

Room / Location:
Marina 1

CEU Information: 

Approved for 1.5 credit hours toward AIA (LU|HSW), BOC, BPI, and NARI certification. Credit is offered for each full conference day toward MA CSL, PHI, Phius, and RESNET certification.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify successful strategies to leverage community ambassadors/coaches/advisors to promote access to the benefits of clean energy in underserved communities
  • Name common barriers to the adoption of clean energy and approaches to overcome those barriers
  • Describe approaches to overcome language barriers
  • Implement strategies to build trust in communities that have previously been the target of predatory practices

Session ID: 

BOS23-502

Session Documents: