Early on, many Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners focused on providing customers with a range of contractors to choose from, while providing contractors with access to customers. Customer feedback received by some programs, however, indicated that customers were confused or overwhelmed...
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Successful programs know that it is not enough to get customers interested in their services. They know that homeowners that receive assessments but don’t undertake upgrades don’t receive the benefits of energy efficiency—and programs don’t get credit for energy savings. Instead of emphasizing...
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...
Some lenders perceive home energy lending to be too risky or not profitable enough for them to get involved. Programs have found that engaging potential lending partners early in the program design process, especially in face-to-face meetings, helped them understand both lender needs and the risks...
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...
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light's Power Wise,
GreenFaith,
Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
PSE&G Whole House Energy Efficiency Program
This webcast explores how faith-based organizations and their partners have used energy efficiency as an organizing motivator to upgrade the institutional building and then members' homes.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
SaveGreen Project,
Enhabit
This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on changing an organization's home performance business model and expanding the services offered.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
BetterBuildings for Michigan
This peer exchange call summary focused on how programs are devising plans for creating a contractor revenue stream and potential fee structures.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy,
Austin Energy,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Mass Save,
City of New York’s Retrofit Accelerator,
Seattle RENEW Multi-Family Housing Program
This report explores how governments and energy efficiency implementers could help stakeholders better analyze and act upon building performance data to unlock savings.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Long Island Green Homes,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit
This paper, which is based on detailed case studies of nine existing state and local programs, presents recommendations for energy upgrade programs to facilitate industry growth and support contractor business models.