Energy Trust of Oregon has historically recognized outstanding Residential, Multifamily and Existing Buildings trade allies through an awards ceremony at its annual Trade Ally Forums. Categories have changed over time to best recognize the accomplishments of trade allies who go above and beyond to serve our shared customers. Please note, this year’s Forum awards will focus on Residential and Solar programs. The Multifamily and Existing Building’s awards will be distributed at the Commercial Forum in 2027.
Based on trade ally feedback and internal discussion at Energy Trust, Trade Ally Forum planning committee members will highlight the following award categories to showcase trade allies who set a high bar when delivering Energy Trust’s offers to customers.
The data used for the categories will be from July 2025 – July 2026 to highlight more recently completed projects.
The new award categories are:
| Program | Award category | Award criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | Highest volume – Weatherization | Project count (projects completed July 2025 – July 2026) |
| Residential | Highest volume – HVAC | Project count (projects completed July 2025 – July 2026) |
| Residential | Greatest increase in project volume - Weatherizatoin | Year over year comparison |
| Residential | Greatest increase in project volume - HVAC | Year over year comparison |
| Solar + Storage | Energy Resilience Leader | Percentage of installations that include battery storage (projects completed July 2025 – July 2026) |
| Solar + Storage | Gold Standard | Highest customer satisfaction and verification score |
| Solar + Storage | Commercial Solar Impact Leader | Highest commercial volume (projects completed July 2025 – July 2026) |
| All Programs | Community Impact Award | Recognizes a trade ally whose work demonstrates meaningful positive impact in the communities they serve, particularly through Community Partner Funding, inclusive service delivery, rural reach, trusted local relationships, or support for customers who may face barriers to accessing energy efficiency services. |
| All programs | Emerging/New Trade Ally Award | This award recognizes a newer or emerging trade ally that demonstrates strong growth potential, meaningful engagement with Energy Trust programs, and a commitment to serving customers and communities with professionalism and care. An emerging/new trade ally has been enrolled less than 12–18 months during the award evaluation period, or that has limited participation history compared with established trade allies. |
| All Programs | Established Trade Ally Award | This award recognizes an established trade ally with a strong track record of program participation, high-quality work, reliable project delivery, and positive collaboration with customers, program staff, and partners. An established trade ally is a trade ally has been enrolled for a sustained period, such as at least 24 months, and has enough project history to assess consistency, quality, and reliability over time. |
The awards are an important way Energy Trust recognizes the accomplishments and partnership of its trade allies in reaching and assisting customers throughout its service areas. Trade allies are a key part of our success, and we look forward to highlighting your success at the forums and throughout each year.
If you have questions about the awards or annual Trade Ally Forums, please reach out to your account manager or Joy Turtola.