To develop strong and lasting partnerships, residential energy efficiency programs and their partners have identified shared goals and ways for partners to enjoy mutual benefits and advance each other’s missions. Robust partnerships take time to develop, and it helps to establish regular, consistent communication with partners by serving on steering committees or with stakeholder groups that meet regularly. Read more about how these strategies worked in the Better Buildings Residential Program Solution Center.
Reach out to Employers
Michigan Saves (formerly Better Buildings for Michigan) established a partnership with Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to generate leads for upgrades among GVSU faculty and staff. The school’s culture of sustainability meant GVSU employees were receptive to the energy efficiency message; nearly 10% of all staff signed up for the program, and 60% of those initial leads undertook home upgrades.
Look to Local Organizations
The Better Buildings Program San Jose (California) partnered with youth organizations and churches, which provided space for the program to host events with interested homeowners. The program also partnered with Pacific Gas and Electric’s Moderate Income Direct Install program to offer free home energy assessments and weatherization services for income-qualified residents.
Collaborate to Increase Market Reach
EnergyWorks in Philadelphia partnered with Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) to share lessons learned and customer information. PGW offered its customers access to EnergyWorks’ loan program, and the utility also allowed EnergyWorks to reach its customers with marketing materials. This collaboration eventually helped develop a new utility-run energy efficiency program, EnergySense.
Tell Me More
Discover more insights on how to develop partnerships based on shared goals by visiting the Market Position & Business Model – Identify Partners handbook for step-by-step instructions and program examples. Explore this Partnerships Toolkit by the Better Buildings Residential Network for more on partnership development and stakeholder mapping.
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