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

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on using tailored messaging and approaches to meet the unique needs of families. Building Doctors is the featured speaker.

Author(s)
Diana Duva, State of Connecticut,
Benjamin Healey, Connecticut Green Bank,
Joe Pereira, State of Colorado,
Jennifer Gremmert, Energy Outreach Colorado,
Michael DiRamio, U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Connecticut,
Energy Outreach California,
Energy Outreach Colorado

In this presentation, state and nonprofit leaders in Colorado and Connecticut discuss their policy and program efforts to offer rooftop and community solar and weatherization services and how they are scaling their programs to meet the needs of the underserved income-eligible market.

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)
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)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date

Energy burden is the percentage of household income spent on home energy bills. In this report, ACEEE, along with the Energy Efficiency for All coalition, measures the energy burden of households in 48 of the largest American cities. The report finds that low-income, African-American, Latino, low-income multifamily, and renter households all spend a greater proportion of their income on utilities than the average family. The report also identifies energy efficiency as an underutilized strategy that can help reduce high energy burdens by as much as 30%. Given this potential, the report goes on to describe policies and programs to ramp up energy efficiency investments in low-income and underserved communities.

Author(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Impact Illinois,
Renovate America’s HERO program

This report, informed by leading research and real-world examples, highlights practical online and in-person tactics that contractors can use to promote social interaction and social comparison among homeowners to make energy upgrades a "must-have" in U.S. homes.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Baltimore Energy Challenge,
Energy Upgrade California

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how to assess, reassess, and initiate organization partnerships.

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)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This case study focuses on how the Community Home Energy Retrofit Project engaged the community in home energy upgrades.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Bend Energy Challenge,
Energy Upgrade California

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on community-based outreach and organizing strategies to market home energy assessments and upgrades.

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)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date

A number of states are beginning to recognize Demand Reduction Induced Price Effects (DRIPE) as a real, quantifiable benefit of energy efficiency and demand response programs. DRIPE is a measurement of the value of demand reductions in terms of the decrease in wholesale energy prices, resulting in lower total expenditures on electricity or natural gas across a given grid. This paper reviews the existing knowledge and experience from select U.S. states regarding DRIPE (including New York and Ohio), and the potential for expanded application of the concept of DRIPE by regulators.

A Field Guide to Utility-Run Behavior Programs: Making Sense of Variety

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This webcast covers a report that is a comparative analysis of utility-run behavior programs, which lays the groundwork for further program development by developing a classification scheme, or taxonomy, that sorts programs into discrete categories.

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date

This report is a comprehensive research study of energy efficiency in Northwest residential buildings. It includes a metering study, a single-family report, a manufactured homes report, and a multi-family report. In addition, it includes state-by-state energy use reports, as well as end-use consumption data.

Overview and Preliminary Results of ARRA-Funded SGIG Consumer Behavior Studies

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

This webcast discusses the background for U.S. Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) consumer behavior study effort; the various utilities who are participating and what they each plan to include their respective studies; the quantitative results and qualitative lessons learned thus far from these studies; and the types of research will be undertaken by LBNL over the next several years.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP)

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on bringing energy efficiency programs to schools.

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
BetterBuildings for Michigan
This Focus Series interview discusses the semester-long, employer-assisted partnership between BetterBuildings for Michigan and Grand Valley State University (GVSU). This successful partnership involved an early adopter outreach campaign and served as a model for other program partnerships.
Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on the strategies and challenges of using holidays and other seasonal events to market energy assessments and upgrades.

Author(s)
Green For All
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
MPower Oregon,
Kansas How$mart,
PSE&G New Jersey Multifamily Program,
Windsor Efficiency PAYS

This report highlights program and policy attributes that enable successful on-bill programs based on analysis of four program case studies.

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

In this video interview segment, Mary Templeton with BetterBuildings for Michigan discusses developing a readiness scale to determine if target audiences are ready to hear a program’s messages and take advantage of its offerings.

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)
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Publication Date

Homeowner survey created by the utility to inform their whole home upgrade program.

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

This case study discusses BetterBuildings for Michigan's targeted outreach campaigns which applied varying incentives and outreach strategies to neighborhoods with a goal to understand which rebates and strategies work best in the target communities.

Author(s)
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
Short survey for Connecticut's Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge workshop participants. The workshop allowed the program to share its energy efficiency offerings with homeowners.
Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date

This report provides state and local policymakers with information on successful approaches to the design and implementation of residential efficiency programs for households ineligible for low-income programs.

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

This report helps policymakers understand how electric and natural gas utilities can achieve greater efficiency by establishing numeric energy savings targets and goals for energy efficiency programs.

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
Energy Upgrade California

This peer exchange call summary focused on different tenant and resident education programs and how to make them complement larger programs.

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)
Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Publication Date

This market assessment for CharlestonSAVES identifies the customers and potential demand for an energy efficiency upgrade financing program.

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)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report presents best practices for operating successful portfolio-level efficiency programs, including assessing efficiency potential, cost-effectiveness screening, and developing a portfolio of approaches.

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)
Kat Donnelly, Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge
This presentation outlines the steps Connecticut's Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge program took to obtain and sort useful feedback from surveys and volunteer observations.
Author(s)
Los Angeles County, California
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
Sample script Los Angeles County used to survey homeowners about energy issues.
Author(s)
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
This presentation describes California property owners' specific interest, awareness, and perceptions regarding energy use, energy efficiency, home energy upgrades, and related topics.
Author(s)
Los Angeles County, California
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
This report describes California property owners' specific interest, awareness, and perceptions regarding energy use, energy efficiency, home energy upgrades, and related topics. The study results were used for program design and to design and support marketing and outreach campaigns that encouraged energy upgrades
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 & Outreach: Working with and Learning from Contractors

Author(s)
Karen Villeneuve, NYSERDA,
Peter Krajsa, AFC First Financial Corporation,
Michael Rogers, GreenHomes America,
Matt Golden, Recurve
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Connecticut Solar Lease,
Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund,
Kentucky Home Performance,
AFC First's EnergyLoan Program

This webcast highlights programs that actively engage the contractor community in program design and implementation. Several contractors share their views on best practices for Marketing & Outreach.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report describes the effects of utility spending on efficiency programs, how those effects could constitute barriers to investment in energy efficiency, and how policy mechanisms can reduce these barriers.