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Make upgrade benefits visible by showcasing completed projects and actual results

Unlike remodeling projects, home energy upgrade benefits are generally not immediately visible to the casual observer. Strategies that demonstrate tangible benefits from upgrades can help increase understanding and motivation with potential customers. To help energy efficiency become real, some...
Tips for Success

Peer Diffusion: A Promising Way for Service Providers to Unlock Investments in Home Energy Upgrades

Author(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Energy Impact Illinois,
Renovate America’s HERO program

This report, informed by leading research and real-world examples, highlights practical online and in-person tactics that contractors can use to promote social interaction and social comparison among homeowners to make energy upgrades a "must-have" in U.S. homes.

Resource - Publications

Green with Envy: Neighbor Comparisons and Social Norms in Five Home Energy Report Programs

Author(s)
Kira Ashby and Hilary Forster, Consortium for Energy Efficiency,
Bruce Ceniceros, Sacramento Municipal Utility District,
Bobbi Wilhelm, Puget Sound Energy,
Kim Friebel, Commonwealth Edison,
Rachel Henschel, National Grid,
Shahana Samiullah, Southern California Edison
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
National Grid,
Southern California Edison,
Puget Sound Energy,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComED)

This paper explores ways in which program administrators are using social norms to spur behavior change and, as a result, curb energy use. In recent years, home energy reports (HER) programs have applied the concept of social norms to the energy efficiency context. These feedback programs inform customers of how their energy consumption compares to their neighbors' and provide other information about their usage, with the goal of enticing customers to change their energy use behavior to improve their relative neighborhood ranking.

Resource - Publications

Reaching More Residents: Opportunities for Increasing Participation in Multifamily Energy Efficiency Programs

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Focus on Energy,
National Grid Rhode Island,
DC Sustainable Energy Utility Low-Income Multifamily Initiative,
Bay Area Regional Energy Network Multifamily Building Enhancements,
Con Edison Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program,
Con Edison Multifamily Low Income Program,
Puget Sound Energy,
Xcel Energy,
Elevate Energy,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Public Service Electric and Gas Multifamily Program,
Pacific Gas & Electric Company,
Arizona Public Service (APS) Company,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermont,
CenterPoint Energy,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

The multifamily sector can be hard to reach when it comes to energy efficiency programs. Besides being diverse and complex, the sector presents a unique set of challenges to efficiency investments. The result is that multifamily customers are often underserved by energy efficiency programs. Drawing on data requests and interviews with program administrators, this report summarizes the challenges to program participation and identifies best practices that programs can use to reach and retain large numbers of multifamily participants.

Resource - Publications

Home Energy Makeover Contests: Who Are the Winners and Losers in Motivating Existing Homeowners to Make "Whole House" Energy Saving Improvements

Author(s)
UtilityExchange.org,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
DecaturWISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Energy Upgrade California,
Help My House,
FirstEnergy,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
NOLA WISE

This paper first details industry best practices for contest administration, including tips for developing an overall contest plan and timeline, product sponsor recruitment, building a dynamic informational website, maximizing customer participation, selecting the winning home, seamless installation management, capturing and documenting project results, conducting a high profile media open house and facilitating customer workshops that educate homeowners and strengthen trade ally relationships. This paper then presents results and key lessons learned from more than 20 contests supported with funds from local community sustainability programs, utility energy efficiency programs, and U.S. Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds between 2008 and 2012.

Resource - Publications

Marketing & Outreach Strategy Research

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2010
Organizations or Programs
Cambridge Energy Alliance,
Energy Impact Illinois,
Enhabit,
Energy Upgrade California

This presentation summarizes the market research that was performed by various Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.

Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Content Type

  • Resource (5)
  • Tips for Success (1)

Resource Type

Program Components

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

Program Design Phases

  • Strategy Development (5)
  • Planning (4)
  • Implementation (4)
  • Evaluation (3)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (1)
  • Arizona (2)
  • (-) California (6)
  • Colorado (2)
  • Illinois (22)
  • Louisiana (1)
  • Maine (2)
  • Maryland (2)
  • Massachusetts (4)
  • Michigan (1)
  • Minnesota (1)
  • Missouri (1)
  • New Hampshire (1)
  • New York (4)
  • Ohio (3)
  • Oregon (3)
  • Rhode Island (3)
  • South Carolina (2)
  • Tennessee (1)
  • Texas (2)
  • Vermont (1)
  • Virginia (1)
  • Washington (5)
  • Washington DC (1)
  • Wisconsin (2)

Organizations or Programs

  • Energy Upgrade California (44)
  • Enhabit (13)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (10)
  • Efficiency Vermont (8)
  • Austin Energy (7)
  • Elevate Energy (7)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) (7)
  • EnergySmart (5)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (5)
  • Michigan Saves (5)
  • Build It Green (4)
  • Focus on Energy (4)
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) (4)
  • Better Buildings Program San Jose (3)
  • emPowerSBC (3)
  • (-) Energy Impact Illinois (3)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (3)
  • Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (3)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (3)
  • Low Income Energy Efficiency (LIEE) Program (3)
  • Mass Save (3)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (3)
  • Windsor Efficiency PAYS (3)
  • Bend Energy Challenge (2)
  • California Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE) Program (2)
  • ClimateSmart Initiative (2)
  • Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes (2)
  • Commonwealth Edison Company (ComED) (2)
  • Community Power Works (2)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (2)
  • Efficiency Maine (2)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (2)
  • Energize Phoenix (2)
  • Kansas How$mart (2)
  • NOLA WISE (2)
  • (-) Puget Sound Energy (2)
  • RePower Bainbridge (2)
  • RePower Bremerton (2)
  • Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (2)
  • Southern California Edison (2)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (2)
  • Texas LoanSTAR (2)
  • California Community Savings Initiative (1)
  • (-) CharlestonWISE (1)
  • EnergyWorks (1)
  • Green Works Orlando (1)
  • Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL) (1)
  • MPower Oregon (1)
  • RePower Kitsap (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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