Skip to main content
Energy.gov Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Residential Program Guide
  • About
  • Common Topics

Secondary

  • Explore Residential Guide
    • Handbook Index
    • Program Components
    • Program Design Phases
  • Resources
    • Quick Answers
    • Proven Practices
    • Energy Data Facts
    • Tips For Success
    • Resource Library
    • Glossary
  • Tech Solutions
    • About Tech Solutions
    • HVAC
    • Heat Pump Water Heater

Breadcrumbs

EERE » Residential Program Guide » Common Search Topics » Search by Topic

Page title

Search by Topic

Showing results 1 - 19 of 19

Adapt your business model to fit your external environment

To develop a successful business model, Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners found it critical to have a strong understanding of the external environment within which they operated. This included who their customers were, who their competitors and partners were, what key policies governed...
Tips for Success

Provide information to help customers pick the right contractor

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...
Tips for Success

Recognize customers who make improvements

Some programs provide customers with a “certificate of completion” to recognize and reward homeowners’ accomplishment in completing an upgrade. Visible awards or affirmation, such as yard signs, window stickers, or favorable comparisons to neighbors can motivate homeowners to undertake upgrades...
Tips for Success

Make upgrade options clear and concise for customers

Programs in many regions of the U.S. find that the concept of home performance is new to homeowners. Homeowners may not know how energy efficiency measures compare (e.g., energy savings benefits of insulation versus new windows) or have not heard about some effective measures, such as air sealing...
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

Engage with potential lending partners early, and make a clear business case for their involvement

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...
Tips for Success

Listening to Your Workforce: Lessons from Pilot Programs and Other Approaches For Workforce Feedback

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2011
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Long Island Green Homes

This peer exchange call summary focused on creating a dialogue between contractors, trainers and jobseekers about program design/implementation and results of workforce feedback.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Cost-Effective Modeling and Savings Projections for Multifamily Projects

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2014
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on energy modeling in multifamily homes.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Moving Multifamily Buildings From Assessments to Upgrades

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Maine

This peer exchange call summary focused on moving from assessments to upgrades in multifamily buildings.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Regional Energy Efficiency Database (REED): A New Source of Energy Efficiency Data and Resources

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
2011

REED serves as a dashboard for the consistent reporting of electric and natural gas energy efficiency program energy and demand savings and associated costs, avoided emissions and job impacts across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. REED is a project of NEEP's Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum (EM&V Forum) and is based on the EM&V Forum's Common Statewide Energy Efficiency Reporting Guidelines.

Resource - Tools & Calculators

Is Energy Efficiency Capitalized into Home Prices? Evidence from Three US Cities

Author(s)
Resources for the Future
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy

This study looks at evidence of capitalization of energy efficiency features in home prices using data from real estate multiple listing services (MLS) in three metropolitan areas: the Research Triangle region of North Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Portland, Oregon. These home listings include information on Energy Star certification and, in Portland and Austin, local green certifications. Our results suggest that Energy Star certification increases the sales prices of homes built between 1995 and 2006 but has no statistically significant effect on sales prices for newer homes.

Resource - Publications

A Changing Landscape: The Regional Roundup of Energy Efficiency Policy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
2015

This report represents NEEP’s annual assessment of the major policy developments of 2014, as well as its look into the immediate future, where NEEP gauge states’ progress toward capturing cost-effective energy efficiency as a first-order resource. While looking at the region as a whole, NEEP also provides summary and analysis of some of the biggest building energy efficiency successes and setbacks from Maine to Maryland — including significant energy efficiency legislation and regulations and changes in funding levels for energy efficiency programs.

Resource - Publications

Scoping Study to Evaluate Feasibility of National Databases for EM&V Documents and Measure Savings

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
2011

This report presents the results of a scoping study to assess the need for national databases that can support best practices in energy efficiency program evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V).

Resource - Publications

Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for Local Governments

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
2012

This report provides information on how access to energy use data can help local governments create policies for benchmarking and disclosing building energy performance for public and private sector buildings.

Resource - Publications

Eversource New Hampshire Home Energy Report Pilot Program Evaluation

Author(s)
Navigant Consulting, Inc.
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Eversource

This report includes evaluation analysis and findings from the Eversource New Hampshire Home Energy Report pilot program.

Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission Six-Year Evaluation Plan for Core Energy Efficiency Programs: Final Report

Author(s)
TecMarket Works
Publication Date
2014

This evaluation plan for the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission includes a market assessment framework which includes indicators of progress toward market transformation; evaluation recommendations for the 2015-2016 program implementation period; and a 6-year evaluation plan for each program or customer sector.

Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Collecting and Using Data to Improve the Program: Pecan Street Project

Author(s)
Suzanne Russo, Pecan Street Project Inc.
Publication Date
2011
Headquartered at The University of Texas at Austin, Pecan Street Inc. is a research and development organization focused on developing and testing advanced technology, business model and customer behavior surrounding advanced energy management systems. Their flagship effort is the Pecan Street Demonstration Project that began in an Austin community. This presentation discusses collecting and using data to assess and improve the Pecan Street Project.
Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Case Studies for Better Buildings New Hampshire

Author(s)
New Hampshire Better Buildings Program
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
New Hampshire Better Buildings Program
Collection of case studies from New Hampshire that highlight successful energy efficiency upgrades.
Resource - Case Studies

Spotlight on Austin, Texas: Let Your Contractor Be Your Guide for Big Rewards

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2011
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy
This case study discusses strategies that Austin Energy, a municipally owned utility, used to collaborate closely with building contractors to launch a new Best Offer Ever promotion quickly and effectively.
Resource - Case Studies

Content Type

  • Resource (13)
  • Tips for Success (6)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Market Position & Business Model (2)
  • Program Design & Customer Experience (8)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (8)
  • Marketing & Outreach (2)
  • Financing (2)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (3)

Program Design Phases

  • Overview (8)
  • Strategy Development (50)
  • Planning (57)
  • Implementation (43)
  • (-) Evaluation (19)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (7)
  • Alberta (1)
  • Arizona (9)
  • Arkansas (3)
  • British Columbia (1)
  • California (40)
  • Colorado (19)
  • Connecticut (26)
  • Delaware (2)
  • District of Columbia (1)
  • Florida (11)
  • Georgia (3)
  • Illinois (13)
  • Indiana (3)
  • Iowa (1)
  • Kansas (1)
  • Kentucky (1)
  • Louisiana (6)
  • Maine (13)
  • Maryland (10)
  • Massachusetts (12)
  • Michigan (11)
  • Minnesota (6)
  • Missouri (3)
  • Nebraska (1)
  • (-) New Hampshire (8)
  • New Jersey (4)
  • New York (21)
  • North Carolina (5)
  • Nova Scotia (1)
  • Ohio (12)
  • Ontario (1)
  • Oregon (25)
  • Pennsylvania (8)
  • Rhode Island (9)
  • South Carolina (6)
  • Tennessee (5)
  • (-) Texas (12)
  • U.S. Virgin Islands (3)
  • Utah (2)
  • Vermont (11)
  • Virginia (10)
  • Washington (27)
  • Washington D.C. (1)
  • Washington DC (2)
  • Wisconsin (6)

Organizations or Programs

  • Austin Energy (9)
  • Efficiency Maine (2)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (2)
  • Energy Upgrade California (2)
  • Enhabit (2)
  • Eversource (2)
  • Beacon Communities Project (1)
  • Community Power Works (1)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (1)
  • Energize New York (1)
  • EnergyWorks (1)
  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (1)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (1)
  • Long Island Green Homes (1)
  • Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (1)
  • Michigan Saves (1)
  • New Hampshire Better Buildings (1)
  • New Hampshire Better Buildings Program (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
Contact | Building Technologies Office

OFFICE of
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

Forrestal Building
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Washington DC 20585

Link to Facebook Link to Twitter Link to Youtube Link to Linkedin

An office of

Energy.Gov

About EERE

Careers and Internships

EERE Home

Publications Library

Contact EERE

Energy.gov Resources

Budget & Performance

Directives, Delegations & Requirements

FOIA

Inspector General

Privacy Program

Small Business

Staff & Contractor Resources

Federal Government

The White House

USA.gov

  • Web Policies
  • Privacy
  • No Fear Act
  • Whistleblower Protection
  • Information Quality
  • Open Gov
  • Accessibility
  • Vulnerability Disclosure Program