Rising Sun Center for Opportunity

Overview

Rising Sun will bring room heat pumps to 30 households living in naturally occurring affordable housing in Stockton, with a focus on renters who are often left out of traditional electrification programs. The project will provide the equipment at no cost, along with installation support, in-language education, and follow-up assistance so residents can use the technology with confidence and get the most from it in their daily lives.

The effort builds on Rising Sun’s prior community electrification work and draws lessons from earlier Quick Start Grants to make adoption easier and more practical for renters. By pairing direct household support with the organization’s youth-led Climate Careers workforce program, the project creates a hands-on model that not only helps residents overcome common barriers to installation and use, but also shows how community-based support can make newer technologies more approachable, trusted, and easier to adopt.

Research Questions:

• How effectively do room heat pumps perform as a solution for income-qualified renters?
• What physical, electrical, or household-specific barriers prevent renters from installing room heat pumps on their own?
• How does pairing outreach with youth-led climate workforce participation increase resident trust, follow through, and correct equipment use?

Market Barrier

Renters are often unable to adopt heat pump technologies because installation decisions rest with landlords. Disadvantaged populations also have difficulty accessing subsidies, incentives, and other electrification benefits that could make the equipment affordable for them, especially when information is not presented in the appropriate languages. Although portable room heat pumps are marketed as easy to install, many households still face practical barriers. Older adults or residents with limited physical ability may not be able to lift, position, or secure the units on their own. Others live in homes with space constraints, nonstandard windows, or limited electrical outlets, all of which make “plug‑and‑play” installation unrealistic without professional input. And for households that have never had air conditioning or are unfamiliar with heat pump operation, it can be difficult to use the equipment in ways that maximize comfort and energy savings. These barriers mean that, in practice, many residents need hands‑on support to fully benefit from the technology.

Proposed Solution

Portable room heat pumps offer a low-barrier option for renters because they avoid major home modifications and remain the property of the tenant. This program provides equipment at no cost along with comprehensive, end‑to‑end support, so households can participate without facing cost, language, or technical hurdles. The approach is designed to meet renters where they are and ensure they can use the equipment confidently and effectively.

Theory of Change

By removing cost, language, and practical installation barriers, this project aims to make heat pump technology a realistic and accessible option for income-qualified renters who are often left out of traditional home electrification efforts. Providing direct support before, during, and after installation can help residents feel more confident using the equipment and increase the likelihood that they benefit from improved comfort and energy performance. At the same time, the project introduces an early-career workforce development element through Rising Sun’s youth-led Climate Careers program, showing how community-based support for adoption can also create a pathway into longer-term green workforce participation. Over time, the project will generate lessons about what renters need to successfully adopt room heat pumps and help inform more effective approaches to renter-focused electrification.

Project Status:

In Progress

Housing Type:

Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing

Technology:

Room Heat Pumps

Location:

Stockton