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Author(s)
Elevate Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy

This flyer provides information about the program's upgrade process, financing, benefits of the program and of home energy upgrades, and eligibility requirements.

Author(s)
Energy Futures Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Maine,
Connecticut Home Energy Savings Program. PSE&G's Home Performance Direct Program,
Kentucky Power's Modified Energy Fitness Program,
Efficiency Vermont,
Energize Connecticut,
Mass Save,
EmPOWER Maryland,
Focus on Energy,
Austin Energy

This report provides a comprehensive review and analysis of home energy upgrade programs with proven track records, focusing on those with robustly verified savings and constituting good examples for replication. This meta-analysis describes program models and implementation strategies for direct install upgrades; heating, HVAC replacement and early retirement; and comprehensive, whole-home upgrades.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Consumers Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on innovative approaches to increase contractors' work quality through feedback reports and contractor ranking, decrease quality assurance costs through remote quality assurance, and improve contractor engagement. It features speakers from Consumers Energy, Enhabit, and DOE.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Consumers Energy Smart Energy Challenge,
Focus on Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on key challenges and opportunities to deploy interactive engagement strategies including customer segmentation, loyalty and reward programs, and gamification. It features speakers from Fiveworx, ICF International, and Cool Choices.

Author(s)
The Cadmus Group, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Focus on Energy

This Technical Reference Manual (TRM) defines the consensus calculations of the electric and natural gas energy savings and the electric demand reductions, achieved from installing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that are supported by Focus on Energy programs.

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

This case study features Better Buildings Residential Network members Elevate Energy and the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST), nonprofit members that develop energy efficiency solutions for multifamily and affordable housing communities.

Author(s)
NMR Group, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Eversource,
United Illuminating,
Connecticut Home Energy Solutions (HES),
Mass Save,
National Grid,
Efficiency Maine,
Efficiency Vermont,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

This report identifies opportunities for Connecticut's Home Energy Solutions program (HES) to increase savings related to air sealing, duct sealing, and insulation.

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

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on communicating non-energy benefits that homeowners and building owners are most interested in. Speakers include Elevate Energy, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, and Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc.

Author(s)
Focus on Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Focus on Energy

Focus on Energy created these co-branding and logo requirements that trade allies, or participating contractors, must adhere to when creating marketing materials related to the program.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
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.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit,
Mass Save,
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Manitoba Hydro,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermot,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star,
Build It Green,
Earth Advantage,
Elevate Energy,
Arizona Public Service (APS),
Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This Guide is designed to help state and local policymakers to take full advantage of new policy developments by providing them with a comprehensive set of tools to support launching or accelerating residential energy efficiency programs. The Guide focuses on four categories of policies that have proven particularly effective in providing a framework within which residential energy efficiency programs can thrive: incentives and financing, making the value of energy efficiency visible in the real estate market, data access and standardization, and supporting utility system procurement of energy efficiency.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Bend Energy Challenge,
Mass Save,
Focus on Energy,
Enhabit

This document summarizes top marketing and outreach takeaways shared by Better Buildings Residential Network members during spring 2015 Peer Exchange Calls.

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

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Focus on Energy,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Mass Save

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on approaches to generate demand for energy efficiency upgrades at multifamily buildings.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy,
Enhabit

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on standardization of effective practices across a program territory.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
Mass Save

The benefits of energy efficiency extend beyond energy savings. Homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities gain comfort, health, and safety benefits from energy efficiency programs. Additional benefits for businesses include savings on maintenance, materials, and the costs of regulatory compliance. On the supply side, electric utilities enjoy reduced system costs. Focusing on the residential, business, and utility sectors, this report examines each of these multiple benefits, their role in program marketing, and current best practices for including them in cost-effectiveness testing.

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

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on effective messaging.

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

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how residential energy efficiency programs can use smart home technologies to drive customer demand.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Energy Right Solutions for Buisness,
Energy Right Solutions for Industry,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
National Grid Energy Efficiency Program,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs,
Enhabit,
District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility,
BC Hydro,
Ontario Power Authority Industrial Accelerator Program,
Elevate Energy

Among the many benefits ascribed to energy efficiency is the fact that it can help create jobs. Although this is often used to motivate investments in efficiency programs, verifying job creation benefits is more complicated than it might seem at first. This paper identifies some of the issues that contribute to a lack of consistency in attempts to verify efficiency-related job creation. It then proposes an analytically rigorous and tractable framework for program evaluators to use in future assessments.

Author(s)
Elevate Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy

This paper describes existing barriers to integrating energy efficiency data into real estate markets, and illustrates recent efforts to address them. National cross-industry collaborations have resulted in standard data collection and transfer tools that allow home performance data to be shared across industries. Real estate markets in some regions have begun including these data into multiple listing services (MLS), making them visible during real estate transactions.

Author(s)
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Pennsylvania Treasury,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Enhabit
The report makes the case for establishment of common data collection practices for energy efficiency lending. The report reviews existing practices for the collection of four categories of data from energy efficiency financing programs: (1) customer data; (2) financial product and performance data; (3) facility-level data; and (4) energy efficiency project data. The report then identifies high-priority needs, characterizes potential uses for finance program data, and identifies use cases that describe how stakeholders use data for key objectives and actions.
Author(s)
UtilityExchange.org,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
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.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Maine,
Indianapolis Better Buildings Program,
Enhabit

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on gathering and communicating loan performance data.

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

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how to create and track program benchmarks.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
Be SMART,
Beacon Communities Project,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
BetterBuildings for Greensboro,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Camden POWER - A Better Buildings Initiative,
CarrboroWISE,
City of Indianapolis Better Buildings Program,
Chapel Hill WISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Alliance for Energy Efficiency (Cafe2),
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
DecaturWISE,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergyFit Nevada,
Energy Impact Illinois,
EnergySmart,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Huntsville WISE,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
Michigan Saves,
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Richmond Regional Energy Alliance (RREA),
ShopSmart with JEA,
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF),
Small Town Energy Program (STEP),
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC),
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)

This publication summarizes some of the incentives offered by Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.

Author(s)
Megan Billingsley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This presentation provides lessons to ensure effective incentive structures.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
EnergySmart

This peer exchange call summary focused on how to receive and evaluate feedback from customers and contractors.

Author(s)
Energy Trust Oregon (Prepared by Johnson Consulting Group)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This report presents key findings and recommendations from the process evaluation of Clean Energy Works Oregon's (now Enhabit's) energy efficiency financing program. Table 1 provides a good list of key process evaluation research questions which may help others scope comprehensive process evaluations.

Author(s)
Mass Save
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Mass Save
This plan was jointly developed by gas and electric companies in the state of Massachusetts to set aggressive goals for 2013-2015 through a sustained and integrated statewide energy efficiency effort in accordance with Green Communities Act.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Bedford,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergySmart Colorado,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Green Madison,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2),
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New Hampshire BetterBuildings,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton

This presentation includes the brands, website addresses, and images for most of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Mass Save
This case study features a Massachusetts-based program that used an SUV-mounted thermal imaging camera to evaluate thermal leakage from homes.
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)
Kira Ashby, Consortium for Energy Efficiency,
Monica Nevius, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority,
Bruce Ceniceros, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Pepco Holdings' Home Performance with Energy Audits Program,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Public Service of New Hampshire,
PSE&G Whole House Energy Efficiency Program,
FortisBC’s 20/20 Challenge Program,
Focus on Energy

This paper describes a wide variety of behavior change insights potentially applicable to the energy efficiency program context, provides examples of efficiency programs that have applied these insights, and explores some untapped opportunities to achieve energy savings through behavior change.

Author(s)
Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

A marketing and communications plan from Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit) outlines the program's marketing vision and objectives, as well as the strategies the program planned to undertake to meet these goals.

Author(s)
Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit) developed consumer profiles based on research the program conducted on its target audience.

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

Marketing and Marketing & Outreach Collaborative Intro, November 2, 2010

Author(s)
Kerry O'Neill, Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Energy Upgrade California

Webinar presenting methods for increasing communication within a marketing team. LA County and Oregon BBNP grantees also share their experiences regarding market research and outreach strategy development.

Author(s)
Research Into Action, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This report describes the process evaluation of a pilot project in Portland Oregon that informed the refinement and expansion of the program statewide into Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit).

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
National Grid,
New York Energy $mart Program,
Focus on Energy

This guide describes a structure and several model approaches for calculating energy, demand, and emissions savings resulting from energy efficiency programs that are implemented by cities, states, utilities, companies, and similar entities.