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Energy.gov Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Residential Program Guide
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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

Incentivize the action you want your customer to take

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...
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

Consider tiered financing or rebates to encourage deeper upgrades

Without an incentive, homeowners and contractors may limit themselves to smaller upgrade projects. Programs in search of more energy savings have found that some homeowners already interested in an upgrade are amenable to a bigger upgrade when coupled with better financing terms or larger rebates...
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

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

Better Buildings Residential Network Social Media Toolkit

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2015
Organizations or Programs
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
Enhabit,
EnergyFit Nevada

The Better Buildings Residential Network Social Media toolkit can be used to help residential energy efficiency programs learn to engage potential customers through social media. Social media can build brand awareness concerning home energy upgrades and the entities working on them, which can lead to more energy upgrade projects taking place in the long run. This toolkit will help program managers and their staff with decisions like what social media works best for various program needs. When aligned with other marketing and outreach efforts, social media can be a useful tool in attracting home energy upgrade customers. Note that social media changes constantly, so users of this toolkit need to regularly reassess their methods and review results to ensure goals are being met.

Resource - Tools & Calculators

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

Content Type

  • Tips for Success (6)
  • Resource (2)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Program Design & Customer Experience (3)
  • Marketing & Outreach (2)
  • Financing (4)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (1)

Program Design Phases

  • Overview (3)
  • Strategy Development (7)
  • Planning (6)
  • Implementation (5)
  • Evaluation (3)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (1)
  • Arizona (2)
  • California (4)
  • Colorado (6)
  • Connecticut (1)
  • Florida (3)
  • Georgia (1)
  • Louisiana (3)
  • Maine (2)
  • Maryland (1)
  • Michigan (5)
  • Nevada (1)
  • New York (1)
  • Ohio (18)
  • (-) Oregon (8)
  • Pennsylvania (18)
  • South Carolina (1)
  • Texas (3)
  • Vermont (1)
  • Virginia (4)
  • Washington (1)

Organizations or Programs

  • Enhabit (51)
  • Austin Energy (10)
  • EnergySmart (9)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (7)
  • Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (7)
  • Michigan Saves (6)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (6)
  • (-) Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (5)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (5)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (5)
  • Community Power Works (4)
  • Efficiency Maine (4)
  • Elevate Energy (4)
  • Focus on Energy (4)
  • Be SMART (3)
  • Efficiency Vermont (3)
  • (-) EnergyWorks (3)
  • NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (3)
  • RePower Bainbridge (3)
  • Arizona Public Service (APS) (2)
  • Bend Energy Challenge (2)
  • Build It Green (2)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (2)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (2)
  • EnergyWorks KC (2)
  • Long Island Green Homes (2)
  • Mass Save (2)
  • RePower Kitsap (2)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (2)
  • BetterBuildings for Michigan (1)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (1)
  • Denver Energy Challenge (1)
  • (-) emPowerSBC (1)
  • Energize Bedford (1)
  • Energize Connecticut (1)
  • Energize New York (1)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (1)
  • Energy Upgrade California (1)
  • Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star (1)
  • Indianapolis Better Buildings Program (1)
  • Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) (1)
  • MPower Oregon (1)
  • New Mexico Energy$mart (1)
  • Public Service of New Hampshire (1)
  • reEnergize (1)
  • RePower Bremerton (1)
  • SaveGreen Project (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
  • Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) (1)
  • Texas LoanSTAR (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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