Resources | Residential Program Guide

Residential Energy Efficiency Customer Service Best Practices

Author(s)

U.S. Department of Energy

Publication Date

2015

Organizations or Programs

Energize New York,

Energize Connecticut,

EnergySmart Colorado

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on approaches to improve and sustain quality customer service for residential energy efficiency work.

Contractor Rating and Feedback Systems

Author(s)

U.S. Department of Energy

Publication Date

2014

Organizations or Programs

Energize New York

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on methods, reactions and legal considerations of contractor rating and feedback systems.

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.

Leaders of the Pack: ACEEE's Third National Review of Exemplary Energy Efficiency Programs

Author(s)

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Publication Date

2013

Organizations or Programs

Columbia Gas of Ohio,

National Grid,

CenterPoint Energy,

Nicor Gas,

United Illuminating Company,

Eversource Energy,

Yankee Gas,

Connecticut Natural Gas,

Southern Connecticut Gas,

Xcel Energy,

Connecticut Natural Gas

This report presents the results of ACEEE's third national review or utility-funded energy efficiency programs, completed in 2013. The report identifies and profiles 63 leading programs that span the wide array of program types offered to utility customers, and highlights key trends and observations that emerged from reviewing these programs.

Programs: Operating as a Prime Contractor

Author(s)

U.S. Department of Energy

Publication Date

2013

Organizations or Programs

SustainableWorks,

Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),

CharlestonWISE

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on the challenges, strategies and advantages of operating as a prime contractor.

Powering the New Energy Future From the Ground Up

Author(s)

Climate Solutions

Publication Date

2012

Organizations or Programs

Hailey's Community Climate Challenge,

EnergySmart,

Eugene Water and Electric Board,

Community Energy Challenge,

Hailey's Community Climate Challenge,

Jackson Hole Energy Sustainability Project,

Knoxville,

TN,

Oberlin Project,

Energize New York,

RePower Kitsap,

RePower Bainbridge,

RePower Bremerton,

Burlington Sustainability Action Team,

Gainesville Regional Utilities,

Hillsboro Solar Advantage,

Issaquah,

WA,

MPower Madison Program,

Solarize Pendleton,

Clear the Air Challenge,

Santa Fe,

NM,

West Union,

IA,

Sustainable Williamson,

CharlestonWISE,

City of Aiken,

SC,

City Green Initiative,

Kilowatt Cruncher Challenge,

Smarter Sustainable Dubuque,

Small Cities Climate Action Partnership,

City of Grand Rapids,

MI,

Town of GreenÞeld,

MA,

City of Keene,

NH,

Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL),

Clean Local Energy Accessible Now,

RichmondBuild Pre-apprenticeship Construction Skills and Green Jobs Training Academy

This report from Climate Solutions analyzes small- to medium-sized American cities that are using successful methods to further clean energy economic development. Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners that are featured in the report include Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Bedford, New York; Madison, Wisconsin; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The report includes details on the how the featured cities funded their projects, found successful models to reach their goals, and to see which new projects are off to a promising start.

Using Data to Monitor Market Transformation - Charleston WISE

Author(s)

Betsy Kleinfelder, The Sustainability Institute

Publication Date

2012

Organizations or Programs

CharlestonWISE

As part of its "intentional learning" process, Charleston WISE collects information from homeowners that helps the program systematically test assumptions and implement continuous improvement.