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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)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This document features lessons learned shared by Better Buildings Residential Network members during Peer Exchange Calls held during Autumn 2016.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Bridging the Gap,
Nexus Energy Center,
Knoxville Extreme Energy Makeover

This document features lessons learned shared by Better Buildings Residential Network members during Peer Exchange Calls held during Fall 2015.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Bridging the Gap,
Nexus Energy Center,
Knoxville Extreme Energy Makeover

This document features lessons learned shared by Better Buildings Residential Network members during Peer Exchange Calls held in Winter 2016.

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

This document features lessons learned shared by Better Buidlings Residential Network members during Peer Exchange Calls held during Spring 2016.

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

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)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

The goal of the Building Science Translator is to begin this process by providing a new glossary of ‘Power Words’ that can be used across the industry to consistently reinforce the value of high-performance homes. This includes applying this new language consistently to all consumer-facing materials used by government programs and industry alike.

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)
Karen L. Palmer and Margaret A. Walls, Resources for the Future
Publication Date

This article presents the results of a household survey that showed many homeowners have not had an energy audit, and many of those who have, have not followed through with recommended upgrades.

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

This Better Buildings Residential Network Partnerships Toolkit includes templates, tools, guides, and examples to help energy efficiency organizations engage in partnerships that leverage resources and strengthen their programs.

Author(s)
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)

SEEA created this document to inform the planning, design and delivery of early-stage energy efficiency programs in the Southeast. This document captures general concepts essential to the successful development and implementation of robust program portfolios, as well as lessons learned from prior experience on the regional and national levels.

Author(s)
RePower Bainbridge,
Conservation Services Group,
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton
This guide is designed to serve as a "how-to" reference for island communities (or small, similarly sized, more isolated communities) that want to develop and implement a residential energy-efficiency and conservation program. The purpose of this guide is to help communities chart a course for successful program development based on the lessons learned during implementation and operation of RePower Bainbridge, an energy-efficiency program on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
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)
U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program
Publication Date

This fact sheet, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), includes a comprehensive set of tools and resources aimed at enhancing the training and work quality standards to be utilized throughout the home energy upgrade industry.

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

This guide assists with developing an implementation plan for a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. It covers key elements of the plan, including the scope and objectives of the program and the policies and procedures that will ensure its success, including co-marketing and brand guidelines (section 1), workforce development and contractor engagement (section 3), assessment and report requirements (section 4), installation specifications and test-out procedures (section 5), and quality assurance (section 6).

Author(s)
Home Energy Magazine
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Impact Illinois
This article provides 10 tips home energy contractors can use to update their marketing outreach and improve their customer service.
Author(s)
Mike Rogers, OmStout Consulting, LLC
Publication Date
This blog post summarizes key elements of program design that relate to encouraging contractor participation and facilitating contractor and program success.
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)
Richard Faesy and Chris Kramer, Energy Futures Group (Prepared for the Energy Foundation)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Michigan Saves,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
Energy Works,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Efficiency Maine,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA)

This report explores the approaches and research needs identified in the Building Retrofit Industry and Market (BRIM) Initiative through in-depth discussion with residential energy upgrade experts including a discussion of Marketing & Outreach and the program/contractor interface.

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

This report serves as a resource for program administrators and building contractors who are or may be interested in starting or expanding their services into the residential energy efficiency market.

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

Guidelines for home performance professionals for quality work, effective training, and professional accreditation.

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)
Thomas Dolan, Home Performance Magazine
Publication Date
This article explores the opportunities for HVAC contractors to move into home performance and includes discussion from contractors and industry experts.
Author(s)
Climate Solutions
Publication Date

This report profiles the early results of a diverse range of small- to medium-sized American cities with different economic and energy profiles that are pioneering the clean energy economy. Many communities used federal grants to jumpstart long-term strategies to test and refine various clean energy and energy efficiency solutions. Others developed innovative financing strategies in the absence of grant money. These city-led efforts to catalyze local clean energy economic development are important to watch as federal grants sunset, especially in the absence of a comprehensive national energy or climate policy.

Author(s)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date

These standard work specifications define minimum requirements for upgrade work and can be used as an industry guide for workers, training instructors, and program administrators involved in the home performance industry.

Author(s)
Mike Rogers, OmStout Consulting, LLC
Publication Date

This article and recruiting presentation highlights reasons why it makes sense for an HVAC contractor to move into home performance, and provides program staff with key touch points to consider in considering potential contractor partners.

Author(s)
Innovation Network for Communities (Prepared for the Rockefeller Foundation)
Publication Date

This research report and slides provide a detailed segmentation of the building energy upgrade market and summarize market research on each segment. Market segments include single-family homes, multi-family homes, and several types of commercial and institutional buildings.

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
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

Flowcharts showing the key program elements (financing; workforce development; marketing and outreach; and data, evaluation; and reporting).

Author(s)
Sandra K. Adomatis, SRA International
Publication Date

This article discusses valuing high performance houses in the appraisal process.

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.