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Author(s)
Noah Proser, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)

This presentation describes how PG&E is using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to enhance their advanced home upgrade whole-house retrofit program, on-bill financing, and residential pay for performance (P4P) program.

Author(s)
Greg Leventis,,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date

This presentation provides an overview of energy efficiency financing for low- and moderate-income households, including a sector overview, consumer protections, financing products, and lessons learned.

Author(s)
PACE Equity
Publication Date

PACE Equity worked closely with CRE Investment Financing to develop and fund a new construction, micro-apartment project in the Sloans Lake area of Denver. This project is the first new construction PACE project in Colorado, as well as the first PACE project completed in Denver.

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

This calendar provides Focus on Energy's participating contractors with information on upcoming technical training opportunities, such as conferences, lighting demonstrations, and home efficiency sales and marketing workshops.

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

The Trade Ally Code of Conduct outlines the expectations and guidelines related to participation as a registered Trade Ally in the Focus on Energy Program.

Author(s)
California Statewide Communities Development Authority
Publication Date

This document defines consumer protection policies for California's statewide Open PACE program, which is implemented at the local level for residential and commercial property owners. Property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs enable homeowners to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water efficiency improvements. These recommended consumer protection policies can help guide PACE Program implementation to ensure homeowners realize maximum benefit.

Author(s)
Chris Lohmann, U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Build It Green,
Efficiency Vermont,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on ensuring contractor networks work for both energy efficiency programs and participating contractors.

Author(s)
California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority
Publication Date

This presentation covers the public process to encourage stakeholder participation and input in developing the criteria  for a comparative assessment of energy efficiency financing programs.

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Kansas How$mart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Michigan Saves,
Texas LoanSTAR,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Nebraska Dollar and Energy Savings Program

This report is a guide to all customer-facing financing products—products offered by a lender directly to a borrower—used to pay for energy efficiency. Intended for state and local governments that are deciding whether to start a new program, tune up and existing program, or create a Green Bank, it provides information on the full range of financing product options for target participants, the tradeoffs of various products, and potential advantages and disadvantages for different types of customers.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy

This paper examines the current state of energy efficiency financing, highlighting segments of strength such as cars, green buildings, and energy service companies, and offering areas that are underserved, including residential low-income and moderate-income households and multifamily housing.

Author(s)
E4TheFuture,
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
Publication Date

The report, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and a survey of tens of thousands of businesses across the country, provides detailed breakdowns of clean energy jobs not available previously, and it was developed and released in connection with a major U.S. Department of Energy study of all energy jobs in America.

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
Focus on Energy,
Denver Energy Challenge

This peer exchange call summary focused on best practices for building and maintaining a robust contractor network.

Better Together: Linking and Leveraging Energy Programs for Low-Income Households

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date

This presentation includes a series of case studies to highlight effective efforts by state and local agencies, non-profits, and utilities to bring energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE/RE) to low-income households. It explores the topic of linking and leveraging EE/RE programs for limited-income households, including the need to coordinate with other energy assistance programs.

Author(s)
Jeffrey Pitkin, NYSERDA,
Tammy Agard, EEtility,
Frank Spasaro, Southern California Gas Company
Publication Date

This presentation covers the New York On-Bill recovery financing, Home Energy Lending Program's (H.E.L.P.) loan program, and California energy efficiency financing products.

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

This report lays the groundwork for a dialogue to explore regulatory and policy mechanisms for ensuring that efficiency financing initiatives provide value for society and protection for consumers. Through case studies of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, California, and Maryland, it explores emerging issues that jurisdictions will need to tackle when considering an increased reliance on financing.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
Build It Green

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how to create and maintain relationships with contractors and auditors.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Build It Green

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focuses on how mentoring on sales skills and business management helped one contractor increase sales and become more profitable. The call also covered top tips for supporting contractors, such as helping contractors develop systems to be more efficient in completing projects and creating a service plan with customers for additional improvements in the future.

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)
The Cadmus Group, Inc.
Publication Date

The California investor-owned utilities -- Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), referred to collectively as the IOUs or Joint Utilities -- are designing seven energy efficiency financing pilot programs at the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC's) direction. To help inform the pilot design process and subsequent evaluation efforts, this report summarizes a comprehensive review of 15 existing financing programs representing noteworthy program models across the United States and around the globe.

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

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Connecticut,
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL)
This report provides an overview of credit enhancements available, such as loan loss reserves, loan guarantees, debt service reserve funds, and subordinated capital. It also discusses key issues related to credit enhancement, examples of how others have successfully implemented credit enhancements as part of their energy efficiency financing programs, and additional information on existing resources that provide further information on credit enhancement design and implementation.
Author(s)
Kevin Moyer, Toledo Port Authority,
Ben Taube, Ygrene Energy Fund,
Greg Leventis,,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio

This presentation covers lesson learned for PACE from the Toledo Port Authority, innovative real estate finance solutions from the Ygrene Energy Fund, and financing energy improvements on utility bills.

Author(s)
EnergySmart Colorado
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado

This contractor process flowchart from EnergySmart Colorado includes the phases of contractor qualifications review and preparation, site work, and follow up.

Author(s)
Community Development Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Watt Watchers,
Neighborhood Energy,
Energy Savers,
Ratepayer Inte-grated On-Bill Payment Program,
I'M HOME initiative,
Multifamily Energy Efficiency and Housing Affordability,
Residential Multifamily Housing Program

There are more than 17 million multifamily households nationwide, yet they remain a significant and mostly untapped opportunity for energy efficiency gains. Many cities and states that have embraced energy retrofitting as a job creator and boon to both the environment and economy have yet to address potential savings in multifamily properties, primarily because of obstacles not faced by single family and commercial properties. This paper discusses two barriers -- a lack of information and financing -- that stand in the way of multifamily energy retrofits.

Financing Energy Improvements on Utility Bills: Case Studies from the Field

Author(s)
Eleni Pelican, U.S. Department of Energy,
Mark Zimring, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Greg Leventis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Merrian Borgeson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Charles Goldman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Peter Thompson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Ian Hoffman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Power Smart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

This webcast provided an overview of on-bill financing programs, and presented three case studies: Manitoba Hydro, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Pacific Gas & Electric (California).

Author(s)
EnergySmart Colorado
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado

Table summarizing financing options for Colorado residents in EnergySmart Colorado territory.

Author(s)
New Jersey Clean Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

This presentation provides an overview of New Jersey Clean Energy's approach to contractor engagement, including contractor participation requirements, procedures for quality assurance and quality control, production incentives, training procedures, and an online contractor portal.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Energy Upgrade California,
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF)

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on new and updated revenue strategies.

Author(s)
University of North Carolina Center for Community Capital - Institute for Market Transformation
Publication Date
Study examining actual loan performance data to assess whether residential energy efficiency is associated with lower default and prepayment risks. Results show that default risks are on average 32 percent lower in energy-efficient homes, controlling for other loan determinants.
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)
Rachael P Fredericks, PSE&G
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G)

This presentation provides an overview of PSE&G's Multifamily Housing Program, highlighting drivers, incentive structure, results, and lessons learned.

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

This peer exchange call summary focused on tracking and using data to support revenue streams.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on trends in contractor conversion rates.

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)
California Public Utilities Commission
Publication Date
This report focuses on four utilities in California. The research for this report included reviewing program documents and tracking databases, conducting two rounds of interviews with four investor owned utility program managers, interviewing California Public Utility Commission staff members and an intervener, surveying 76 on-bill financing program participants and 29 vendors who helped deliver the program, interviewing 12 account executives, and conducting six focus groups across California with 46 energy audit participants who had not participated in on-bill financing.
Author(s)
California Center for Sustainable Energy,
Home Performance Resource Center
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California

This guide shows HVAC contractors how to get started in the home improvement market. It explains the approach of treating a house like a system and provides step-by-step instructions on setting up a home performance contracting business.

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

This peer exchange call summary focused on the relationship between contract pricing and customers.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Energy Upgrade California

This peer exchange call summary focused on adapting and adjusting financing strategies after a program was implemented.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Maine,
EnergySmart Colorado,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
EnergyWorks KC,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
This fact sheet provides promising approaches for Better Buildings programs seeking to accelerate workforce development to support building energy upgrades. These approaches are organized by estimated level of effort and include rough estimates of cost ranges for implementation.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2),
Energize Phoenix,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Michigan Saves

This peer exchange call summary focused on the challenges and strategies for marketing commercial financial products and attracting financial institutions.

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
Bridgeport Housing Authority Energy Efficiency,
City of Pendleton,
OR,
Enhabit,
ClimateSmart Initiative,
Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes,
Connecticut Solar Lease,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Long Island Green Homes,
Montana Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program,
Palm Desert Energy Independence Program,
Sonoma County Energy Independence Program,
Sustainable Connections: Energy Challenge,
Texas LoanSTAR

This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency resource is intended to help state and local governments design finance programs for their jurisdiction. It describes financing program options, key components of these programs, and factors to consider as they make decisions about getting started or updating their programs.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2)

This peer exchange call summary focused on a general overview and implementation plan of the PACE program.

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.

Financial Program Management for Continuous Improvement

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado,
emPowerSBC
This webcast discussed financial program management.

Financing Programs: RFP & Contract Terms and Conditions

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
SustainableWorks,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2),
City of San Diego Residential Energy Efficiency Loan Program

This webcast discusses financing program RFPs and contract terms and conditions.

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

Clean Energy Works Oregon's (now Enhabit's) experience implementing an on-bill financing program.

Author(s)
Energy Upgrade California
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
Example loan loss reserve fund agreement.
Author(s)
Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Manitoba Hydro Power Smart Residential Loan Program,
Michigan Saves,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

This publication outlines capital leveraging models and examples from across the country in which public funds were used to influence energy loan program capital.

Author(s)
EnergySmart Colorado
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado
Example of a program design flowchart showing key steps and relationships for the energy efficiency program in Eagle County, Colorado.
Author(s)
Chris Lohmann, U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
emPowerSBC,
EnergySmart Colorado

Presentation providing an overview of financing programs, a strategy for continuous improvement, tools for program management, a risk management strategy, and common risks associated with financing programs.

Author(s)
EnergySmart
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado

Example of an implementation plan developed by EnergySmart Colorado at the beginning of the implementation of its Better Buildings Neighborhood Program.

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

This peer exchange call summary focused on developing rebate/incentive programs to generate a demand for sustainable programs and products.

Author(s)
World Resources Institute
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
ClimateSmart Initiative,
Efficiency Vermont,
Sonoma County Energy Independence Program

Outlines five public-private financing mechanism options for energy efficiency upgrades programs, including on-bill financing, PACE financing, and loan loss reserve funds.

Author(s)
Gary R. Myers, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado
This presentation explains how to engage and motivate contractors and utility companies through the use of commitments, creating a dynamic program that they can become involved with, and the setting of standards for contractors.
Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Enhabit

This report presents results, recommendations, and case studies of energy efficiency financing programs.

Author(s)
Emerald Cities Planning Committee
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Emerald Cities Collaborative,
City of Milwaukee Residents Preference Program,
City of Los Angeles,
CA,
Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles,
Port of Oakland,
Cleveland University Hospital Vision 2010,
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Water System Improvement Program
This guide to Community Workforce Agreements is an appendix to the Road Map to Emerald Cities and provides a framework to use an innovation on the traditional Project Labor Agreement to give life and meaning to the social compact.

Finance Planning

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Michigan Saves
This webcast discussed the broad spectrum of needs financing mechanisms must address within integrated energy efficiency programs.
Author(s)
Community Benefits Law Center
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
New Jersey Weatherization Assistance Program,
Delaware Weatherization Assistance Program,
Washington State Energy Program,
Community Power Works,
Santa Clara County AB811 Pilot Program

Summary of the standards that support job quality, equitable access and quality assurance in several residential energy efficiency programs from different parts of the country.

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

Financing Program Support for ARRA Recipients - PACE Webinar

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

Webcast with information on financing structure design for four energy efficiency upgrade programs, including methods used to conduct market evaluations.

Author(s)
Environmental Defense Fund
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Windsor Efficiency PAYS,
Berkeley Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology (FIRST)

Report that identifies and evaluates the sufficiency of available financing options to help low-income populations, particularly communities that have been historically overburdened by air pollution (i.e., "environmental justice communities"), invest in resource-saving measures, such as energy efficiency and water conservation.

PACE Legal Authority & Administration: Financing Program Support for ARRA Recipients

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
CaliforniaFIRST,
Sustainable Energy Trust Program,
Long Island Green Homes

This webcast discussed program administration for PACE financing programs.

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.