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Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

The Better Building Residential Program Implementation Plan Template will help you develop a strategy for planning, operating, and evaluating a successful residential energy efficiency program. The template includes sections for all six program components (i.e., Market Position & Business Model, Program Design & Customer Experience, Evaluation & Data Collection, Marketing & Outreach, Financing, and Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development).

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

The Better Building Residential Program Implementation Plan Template will help you develop a strategy for planning, operating, and evaluating a successful residential energy efficiency program. The template includes sections for all six program components (i.e., Market Position & Business Model, Program Design & Customer Experience, Evaluation & Data Collection, Marketing & Outreach, Financing, and Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development).

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This case study interview shares how GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health) Strategies, a Better Buildings Residential Network member, developed and maintains strong strategic partnerships with trusted local companies and organizations to meet a shared goal of completing 100 home energy upgrade projects.

Author(s)
Efficiency Maine
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Maine
A short, checklist-style form that contractors complete to participate in Efficiency Maine. The form allows contractors to verify whether they meet basic program requirements, identify their specialized service offerings and qualifications, and describe other information about their businesses.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date

This tool from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR provides a template to develop an implementation plan for your program.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA)
In this Focus Series interview, Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) leaders describe how GCEA helped jump-start the region's home performance contracting market by removing a common barrier to entry for contractors -- investing in new equipment.
Author(s)
Efficiency Maine
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Maine

Efficiency Maine developed this online portal, where many of its program forms are available for download (e.g., program overviews and manuals, participation agreements, and related application materials).

Author(s)
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Links to case studies of residential projects and contractors under the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)'s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

Author(s)
RePower Program
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton
This is an application form for contractors (trade allies) interested in participating in the RePower Program of Kitsap County, Washington. The form describes the benefits and requirements for participating contractors, and allows contractors to identify the specific services they offer.
Author(s)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Publication Date

This report contains information on the market for home performance upgrades and the opportunities that exist for new home performance contractors; start-up needs and costs for firms entering the home performance contracting industry; home performance business approaches; and how established home performance contractors attract customers. It also contains detailed profiles of eight successful home performance firms across the United States.

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

This video explains how Efficiency Maine helped contractors gain sales and business skills through training, which helped the program improve assessment-to-upgrade conversion rates and homeowner satisfaction.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton

This video describes how RePower benefited from coordinating with contractors from the very beginning.

Author(s)
Chad Ruhoff, Neil Kelly Company
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This article, part of a series sponsored by Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, details the successes and lessons learned of the Neil Kelly Company. Over the past 63 years, the Neil Kelly Company has successfully navigated several economic downturns and has revamped its home performance division to emerge as a leader of sustainable building practices.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings for Michigan

This video explains how Better Buildings for Michigan's performance metrics and quality assurance enabled them to encourage high-performing contractors, to help underperforming contractors improve, and ultimately to dismiss some contractors.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad
LaborWorks@NeighborWorks is a nonprofit temporary labor pool developed by NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (NWWVT) to assist professional contractors involved with the NeighborWorks Home Energy Assistance Team (HEAT). In the first of this Focus Series, DOE interviews Melanie Paskevich, HEAT Squad coordinator, to get details on why NeighborWorks set up the temporary labor pool, how workers are recruited, and lessons learned for other programs to consider.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings for Michigan

This video provides an overview of Better Buildings for Michigan's mentoring program for contractors, and the high value that contractors and the program gain from mentoring.

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

This video describes the partnerships that EnergyWorks in Philadelphia established to offer classroom, lab, and in-field training to technicians to help them enter the home performance market.

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

This video provides an overview of training a local workforce to meet program needs, including meeting the needs of local contractors for new hires.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This sample phone survey template for program drop-outs, created by the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, was designed for programs to find out why applicants that applied to participate in a program ultimately dropped out.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This sample phone survey template, created by the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, was designed for programs to use with applicants who have been screened out from participating in a program.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This sample email survey template, created by the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, was designed for programs to develop their own survey of successful program participants in order to assess customer experience.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This document provides a menu of initial questions for a program administrator or implementer to build on and use in developing a real-time evaluation survey to collect qualitative data from contractors.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
This document provides a menu of initial questions for a program administrator or implementer to build on and use in developing a real-time evaluation survey to collect qualitative data from program participants.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
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.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings for Michigan
This case study describes an innovative program design used by BetterBuildings for Michigan to "sweep" neighborhoods in order to effectively reach its residential audience and achieve an 80% participation rate among those canvassed.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This case study discusses the strategies Clean Energy Works Oregon's (now Enhabit's) used to actively engage contractors to make the program successful (e.g., balancing contractors' work priorities, enforcing quality standards).

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad
Building on its understanding of homeowners in Rutland County, Vermont, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (NWWVT) enlisted respected local citizens and organizations to spread the word about home energy efficiency upgrade opportunities, an effort that helped drive demand for nearly 200 home upgrades in just six months
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
This case study describes the experience of HartmanBaldwin, an architecture and construction company in Pasadena, CA, in becoming Home Performance with ENERGY STAR certified contractors. It includes a detailed example of a home performance upgrade from start to finish based on building science and other principles of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR training program
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

These case studies highlight examples of participating contractors who have employed Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to help homeowners improve their home's comfort and lower their utility bills.