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Set realistic expectations for launching and scaling up your program

Many program administrators have found that launching and scaling up a program often takes longer than planned for, especially when forming partnerships with contractors and lenders. New energy efficiency programs often need at least 2-3 years to launch and become fully operational. Across programs...
Tips for Success

Tap into secondary market investors to provide lending capital

Historically, energy efficiency financing have required two sources of funding: credit enhancement funds to mitigate risk and support attractive financing, and senior capital to fund the majority of the loan principal. Some residential energy efficiency programs have successfully assembled loan...
Tips for Success

Speak about financing in ways that resonate with homeowners

Many programs struggle with communicating the value of financing to homeowners. Financing can be a complicated topic, and ensuring that homeowners understand how their loans work and the benefits they will realize is important for converting interest into action. Many Better Buildings Neighborhood...
Tips for Success

Streamline the financing process with easy loan applications and quick approvals

Complicated loan and program application processes have deterred many potential customers from following through with an upgrade. Delays and overly burdensome requirements raise barriers to participation. Many programs have successfully employed strategies to reduce the number of requirements that...
Tips for Success

Green for All Energy Efficiency Toolkit

Author(s)
Green For All
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC),
EnergyWorks KC,
Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge,
BetterBuildings for Greensboro,
Green and Healthy Homes Initiative,
Working Partnerships USA,
NYC Apollo Alliance,
Community Power Works,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
RePower Bremerton,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
RePower Bainbridge,
Better Buildings Near Eastside Neighborhood Sweeps Program,
RePower Kitsap,
Michigan Saves,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
EnergySmart,
Efficiency Vermont,
Long Island Green Homes,
Energy Impact Illinois,
Energize Bedford,
reEnergize

This practitioner-focused Toolkit for Residential Energy Efficiency Upgrade Programs was created by Green For All to assist new, established, and future energy efficiency programs launch and scale initiatives that can deliver the full promise of the green economy. It is intended as a practical resource that offers examples, tools, and templates that a program manager can deploy to implement a variety of aspects of their program including best practice briefs and summary documents, RFPs, contracts, and other program design and implementation templates that communities nationwide have used to create their own efficiency programs.

Resource - Tools & Calculators

Current Practices in Efficiency Financing: An Overview for State and Local Governments

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Kansas How$mart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Michigan Saves,
Texas LoanSTAR,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Nebraska Dollar and Energy Savings Program

This report is a guide to all customer-facing financing products—products offered by a lender directly to a borrower—used to pay for energy efficiency. Intended for state and local governments that are deciding whether to start a new program, tune up and existing program, or create a Green Bank, it provides information on the full range of financing product options for target participants, the tradeoffs of various products, and potential advantages and disadvantages for different types of customers.

Resource - Publications

A Policymaker’s Guide to Scaling Home Energy Upgrades

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
2015
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit,
Mass Save,
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Manitoba Hydro,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermot,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star,
Build It Green,
Earth Advantage,
Elevate Energy,
Arizona Public Service (APS),
Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This Guide is designed to help state and local policymakers to take full advantage of new policy developments by providing them with a comprehensive set of tools to support launching or accelerating residential energy efficiency programs. The Guide focuses on four categories of policies that have proven particularly effective in providing a framework within which residential energy efficiency programs can thrive: incentives and financing, making the value of energy efficiency visible in the real estate market, data access and standardization, and supporting utility system procurement of energy efficiency.

Resource - Publications

Reactions to the Residential Retrofit Roundtable Recommendations

Author(s)
Richard Faesy and Chris Kramer, Energy Futures Group (Prepared for the Energy Foundation)
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Michigan Saves,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
Energy Works,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Efficiency Maine,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA)

This report explores the approaches and research needs identified in the Building Retrofit Industry and Market (BRIM) Initiative through in-depth discussion with residential energy upgrade experts including a discussion of Marketing & Outreach and the program/contractor interface.

Resource - Publications

Energy Efficiency Financing: Models and Strategies

Author(s)
The Energy Foundation
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Maryland Clean Energy Center Home Owner Loan Program,
Texas LoanSTAR,
Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Energy Efficient Mortgage Program,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) PowerSaver,
Community Preservation Corporation Green Financing Initiative,
New Resource Bank,
Sempra Utilities,
United Illuminating

Reviews and summarize energy efficiency financing models and strategies. Models are analyzed according to funding sources, program structures, limits to scale, repayment vehicles, and project risks. Strategies consider applicable building sectors, models, levels of establishment, growth potential, advantages, and disadvantages.

Resource - Publications

Content Type

  • Resource (5)
  • Tips for Success (4)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Program Design & Customer Experience (2)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (1)
  • Marketing & Outreach (2)
  • Financing (6)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (2)

Program Design Phases

  • Strategy Development (6)
  • Planning (5)
  • Implementation (6)
  • Evaluation (1)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (3)
  • Alaska (1)
  • Alberta (1)
  • Arizona (2)
  • Arkansas (2)
  • California (6)
  • Colorado (3)
  • Connecticut (2)
  • Delaware (1)
  • Florida (2)
  • Georgia (2)
  • Hawaii (2)
  • Illinois (2)
  • Kansas (2)
  • Kentucky (1)
  • Manitoba (1)
  • Maryland (2)
  • Massachusetts (2)
  • Michigan (2)
  • Minnesota (1)
  • Mississippi (1)
  • Missouri (1)
  • Montana (1)
  • Nebraska (1)
  • New Hampshire (1)
  • New Jersey (1)
  • New York (2)
  • Ohio (1)
  • Oklahoma (1)
  • (-) Oregon (8)
  • Pennsylvania (6)
  • Rhode Island (1)
  • South Dakota (1)
  • Texas (2)
  • Utah (1)
  • Vermont (1)
  • (-) Virginia (3)
  • Washington (1)
  • Washington DC (1)
  • Wisconsin (2)

Organizations or Programs

  • Enhabit (51)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (19)
  • Austin Energy (11)
  • EnergySmart (11)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (9)
  • (-) Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (8)
  • Michigan Saves (8)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (7)
  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (6)
  • Elevate Energy (5)
  • EnergyWorks (5)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (5)
  • Community Power Works (4)
  • Efficiency Maine (4)
  • Efficiency Vermont (4)
  • Focus on Energy (4)
  • Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) (4)
  • Be SMART (3)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (3)
  • NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (3)
  • RePower Bainbridge (3)
  • RePower Kitsap (3)
  • Arizona Public Service (APS) (2)
  • Beacon Communities Project (2)
  • Bend Energy Challenge (2)
  • BetterBuildings for Michigan (2)
  • Build It Green (2)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (2)
  • Energize New York (2)
  • Energy Upgrade California (2)
  • EnergyWorks KC (2)
  • Long Island Green Homes (2)
  • Mass Save (2)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (2)
  • Texas LoanSTAR (2)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (1)
  • Denver Energy Challenge (1)
  • (-) emPowerSBC (1)
  • Energize Bedford (1)
  • Energize Phoenix (1)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (1)
  • Kansas How$mart (1)
  • Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) (1)
  • MPower Oregon (1)
  • NOLA WISE (1)
  • Public Service of New Hampshire (1)
  • reEnergize (1)
  • RePower Bremerton (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
  • Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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