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Design a program that provides value for contractors and considers their seasonal business cycles

Many residential energy efficiency programs run into challenges maintaining an appropriately sized, well-trained workforce from program launch through maturity, as well as through the fluctuating demand of the seasons of the year. Some programs found that their contractors preferred a smooth annual...
Tips for Success

Establish a clear system and process for ensuring quality work

A residential energy efficiency program’s success is dependent on the quality of work that contractors conduct in customers’ homes. Indeed, an in-depth examination of selected program strategies found that effective quality assurance and quality control programs provided a foundation for quality...
Tips for Success

Establish collaborative partnerships with contractors and communicate with them early and often

Contractors are more likely to serve as program champions when the program engages with them throughout program design, delivery, and improvement. Your contractors are the primary contact points with your customers, and the quality of their interactions and services strongly influences how customers...
Tips for Success

Aim for early wins that give the program experience and showcase upgrades as a way to attract customers

Several residential energy efficiency programs have successfully launched their efforts by focusing on completing early upgrades that build visibility for their program, create momentum, and allow programs to learn how to reach homeowners effectively. This early success provides results that the...
Tips for Success

Provide customers with a single point of contact to help them through the upgrade process

While homeowners may be interested in the benefits of an energy upgrade, many are deterred from completing an upgrade project because of the complex and unknown process. Often, a significant portion of homeowners who receive energy assessments do not continue with the upgrades. As part of the Better...
Tips for Success

Help contractors understand the program’s financing options and benefits, so they can communicate to homeowners

Homeowners do not benefit from access to financing if they don’t know about or understand options available to them. Contractors are often the primary transaction point for selling upgrades, and many programs have found that ongoing collaboration with contractors through sales training, regular...
Tips for Success

Adapt messages to your primary target audience’s needs

Many programs found that market research can help identify, segment, and characterize audiences to understand how to prioritize them. A comprehensive evaluation of over 140 programs across the United States found that programs had greater success when they identified specific target populations...
Tips for Success

Motivate action through financial incentives and time-limited offers

Incentives can be the easiest approach to overcome motivation barriers and attract customers’ and contractors’ attention, as long as the upgrade and reimbursement processes are kept simple and easy to follow. Successful programs have found incentives help entice customers to complete upgrades...
Tips for Success

Partner with organizations or individuals that customers already trust

Many programs found it useful to partner with a range of trusted organizations or individuals to market program offerings to their constituencies or followers. Better Buildings Neighborhood Program participants enhanced their marketing and outreach efforts by partnering with trusted local groups...
Tips for Success

Better Buildings Neighborhood Program Grantee Incentives

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
Be SMART,
Beacon Communities Project,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
BetterBuildings for Greensboro,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Camden POWER - A Better Buildings Initiative,
CarrboroWISE,
City of Indianapolis Better Buildings Program,
Chapel Hill WISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Alliance for Energy Efficiency (Cafe2),
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
DecaturWISE,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergyFit Nevada,
Energy Impact Illinois,
EnergySmart,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Huntsville WISE,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
Michigan Saves,
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Richmond Regional Energy Alliance (RREA),
ShopSmart with JEA,
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF),
Small Town Energy Program (STEP),
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC),
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)

This publication summarizes some of the incentives offered by Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.

Resource - Publications

Custom Messages for Specific Markets: Examples From JEA

Author(s)
JEA
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
ShopSmart with JEA
This presentation describes JEA's program and lessons learned about designing custom messages for specific markets.
Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

JEA Bill Insert

Author(s)
JEA
Publication Date
2014
Organizations or Programs
ShopSmart with JEA

Bill insert used by JEA to advertise their energy efficiency program.

Resource - Program Materials

Building Relationships with Financial Institutions

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
ShopSmart with JEA

In this video interview segment, Bruce Doeuck of JEA ShopSmart in Jacksonville, Florida, discusses the importance of building relationships with financial institutions.

Resource - Case Studies

Energy Efficiency Finance: New Horizons in the Southeast

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
ShopSmart with JEA
Case study highlighting the home performance lending program spearheaded by local utility JEA and JaxMetro Credit Union in Jacksonville, Florida. This program is one of the most successful in the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance's Community Consortium.
Resource - Case Studies

Strategic Financing Partnerships Help Jacksonville Program Take Loans From Buydown to Uptake

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
ShopSmart with JEA
Find out how JEA successfully increased interest in its low-interest loan program beyond a short-term incentive.
Resource - Case Studies

Content Type

  • Tips for Success (9)
  • Resource (6)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Market Position & Business Model (1)
  • Program Design & Customer Experience (3)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (1)
  • Marketing & Outreach (6)
  • Financing (3)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (3)

Program Design Phases

  • Overview (5)
  • Strategy Development (11)
  • Planning (8)
  • Implementation (12)
  • Evaluation (5)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (1)
  • California (2)
  • Colorado (1)
  • Florida (7)
  • Maine (2)
  • Maryland (2)
  • Michigan (1)
  • New York (2)
  • Ohio (2)
  • Oregon (4)
  • Pennsylvania (1)
  • Texas (3)
  • Vermont (7)
  • Washington (3)

Organizations or Programs

  • Enhabit (64)
  • Energy Upgrade California (49)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (45)
  • Efficiency Maine (37)
  • Austin Energy (34)
  • Michigan Saves (28)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (26)
  • RePower Bainbridge (25)
  • Efficiency Vermont (24)
  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (24)
  • Elevate Energy (23)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (23)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (23)
  • RePower Kitsap (22)
  • Community Power Works (21)
  • RePower Bremerton (21)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (20)
  • EnergySmart (20)
  • EnergyWorks (20)
  • Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) (16)
  • Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (15)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (15)
  • BetterBuildings for Michigan (13)
  • Focus on Energy (12)
  • Energize Phoenix (11)
  • Energize Connecticut (9)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (9)
  • Mass Save (9)
  • BetterBuildings for Greensboro (8)
  • Denver Energy Challenge (8)
  • NOLA WISE (8)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) (8)
  • (-) ShopSmart with JEA (8)
  • Arizona Public Service (APS) (7)
  • Be SMART (7)
  • Long Island Green Homes (7)
  • Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) (7)
  • National Grid (7)
  • (-) NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (7)
  • Texas LoanSTAR (7)
  • CharlestonWISE (6)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (6)
  • Energy Outreach Colorado (6)
  • New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (6)
  • reEnergize (6)
  • Build It Green (5)
  • Cambridge Energy Alliance (5)
  • Community Energy Challenge (5)
  • emPowerSBC (5)
  • Energize New York (5)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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