The Climate Cooperative open source project is more than just software; it's a movement! We believe in the power of collaboration to tackle the monumental challenge of climate change. No single person, organization, or country can solve this crisis alone. It demands a global community of diverse backgrounds, ideas, and talents.

In particular, this project is dedicated to advancing carbon-neutral, sustainable energy solutions for homes. Residential energy use is estimated to account for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US. To meet the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement—a 45% emissions reduction by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050—eliminating these residential energy emissions will be crucial. And because home appliances often have lifespans of decades, this residential technology transition needs to begin immediately.

We believe that the technology exists today for the residential sector to meet those benchmarks on time, but several obstacles stand in the way of that transition. We have identified 3 major obstacles that we believe must be addressed to achieve those goals in time:

1. Education - Many are unaware of their home's impact on carbon emissions, and even those who are aware may not know the choices available to reduce that impact.
2. "The Green Premium" - Upgrading to electric and energy efficient alternatives often costs significantly more than like-for-like replacements of old appliances, which discourages adoption of cleaner technologies.
3. Workforce - Installation of newer appliances often requires special training and there currently are not enough trained installers to meet the demands of a worldwide residential energy transition over the next decade.

Through the Climate Cooperative, we aim to unite brilliant and passionate individuals from varying domains and backgrounds to collaborate on solutions to these problems and more.

Our mission is to foster the development of a collection of relevant data, technology solutions, tools, processes, hardware and software that will be open-source and available to any individual, company, organization, school or foundation who wishes to use these tools to further the goal of reducing carbon emissions or to explore learning, creativity, research or education relating to climate change. The Climate Cooperative is the platform to unite everyone—regardless of origin, belief, or experience—in making a significant, positive impact on our planet.

We firmly believe that the solutions to our shared future on this planet should also be shared and available to anyone or any group with the ingenuity, creativity and drive to improve them. Let’s succeed together.

We're just beginning to build our community, but we envision it becoming a vibrant and diverse hub of individuals who are deeply committed to fighting climate change. As a member of the Climate Cooperative, you'll have the chance to work alongside other dedicated and skilled individuals to pioneer the future of clean energy. Together, let’s create a dynamic resource of rich, educational, and useful software tools that anyone can use and enhance to reduce residential carbon emissions. Join us in making a real difference!

• Contribute to the Code: Help us develop innovative solutions or improve existing ones to make the project's tools more effective and user-friendly.
• Report an Issue: Found a glitch? Let us know! Your feedback is vital in helping us improve.
• Enhance Documentation: Whether you're a developer or an end-user, your insights can make our documentation clearer and more comprehensive.
• Share Ideas: Have a vision for new collaborations, features, or ways to improve our project? Add it to the repository!
• Join the Conversation: Participate in discussions, share your experiences, and connect with like-minded individuals dedicated to the transformation of residential home energy.

We believe in continuous improvement, learning and the power of collective effort to see large impact. This collection of software will grow and improve through ongoing collaboration and incremental improvement, so too will the skills of everyone involved: programmers, designers, and change-makers.

• Home Energy Assessment Database & API: The Home Energy Assessment Database & API consolidates diverse data into a unified platform for accurately calculating home carbon footprints, considering factors like local energy grids, local climate, and home appliances and attributes. A live proof-of-concept application can be found here: Home Energy Audit. The database and API aim to provide crucial data for energy savings tools, detailed analyses, and visualizations, empowering stakeholders to reduce residential energy consumption and promote sustainable solutions.

• Home Energy Audit App: A front end application of the database and API above. Allowing users to provide information about their entire home through a web questionairre and then leveraging the database to convert that into a detailed breakdown of their home energy consumption—highlighting the most impactful updates they can make to their home.

• HVAC CO2 & Savings Calculator: A fast, easy-to-use web app calculator that allows users to plug in basic details about their home and their heating and coolings systems and get immediate estimates of the carbon emissions of those systems, as well as recommendations for both reduced emissions and reduced energy costs.

• Water Heating CO2 & Cost Calculator: A fast, easy-to-use web app calculator that allows users to plug in basic details about their home and their water heating systems and get immediate estimates of the carbon emissions of their home’s water heating, as well as recommendations for both reduced emissions and reduced energy costs.

The goal is to develop solutions to support the transition to net zero carbon emissions from home energy consumption. There may be—and almost certainly are—many more great ideas not yet proposed here. If you've got an idea for a software application that could make an impact on that goal, make a new post in Ideas and let's get the community talking about it!

This movement is just getting started, and your input is invaluable in shaping the future of the Climate Cooperative. Connect with us through our forthcoming community platforms, such as forums, social media, and direct channels for communication. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference in the fight against climate change.

Our journey towards a sustainable future is paved with innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to our core values. Whether you’re contributing through coding, writing, designing, or simply spreading the word—we urge you to familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct. This reflects our dedication to fostering an open, inclusive, and respectful community, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background or experience, can contribute to making a significant, positive impact on our planet.

• Community Collaboration: Unity in diversity is our strength. We invite collaborators from all corners of the globe to join us in this urgent mission, believing that together, we can create innovative solutions to combat climate change.
• Openness and Transparency: We operate in the open, sharing our work and ideas freely to invite participation and improvement. This transparency is essential for fostering trust and collaboration among a worldwide community of contributors.
• Meritocracy and Excellence: Our community thrives on meritocracy, where contributions are valued based on quality and impact. We strive for excellence, knowing that the best solutions arise from a collective effort that recognizes and rewards outstanding contributions.
• Inclusivity and Accessibility: We are committed to inclusivity, ensuring our project is accessible to everyone. By breaking down barriers to participation, we can harness the full potential of our diverse global community to address climate change effectively.
• Ethical Responsibility: Acknowledging the weight of our responsibility, we pledge to use technology and innovation ethically, always considering the broader societal impact of our work and aiming for the public good.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: In the rapidly evolving field of climate science and technology, we embrace continuous learning and innovation. We are always on the lookout for better, more effective ways to meet our goals.
• Sustainability and Freedom: Our efforts are geared towards creating sustainable solutions that endure over time, ensuring that our contributions remain valuable for future generations while upholding the principles of freedom and open access.
• Security and Trust: Recognizing the importance of trust in our community, we prioritize the security and reliability of our work, striving to create a safe and supportive environment for all contributors.

Every contribution is a step towards a more sustainable future for all. By contributing to the Climate Cooperative, you become part of a global community united in the urgent mission to combat climate change. Together, we can create innovative solutions that not only address environmental challenges but also promote equity, inclusivity, and ethical responsibility.

Let's build a cleaner, greener world together. Welcome to The Climate Cooperative.