LEARN MORE AT energystar.gov Working with Production Builders Due to their large size, production builders often employ specialized staff. This guide is intended to help ENERGY STAR partners better understand these staff roles and their potential involvement in ENERGY STAR so that you can better explain the benefits and resources that ENERGY STAR can offer them. This specialized staff includes: • Construction; • Purchasing; • Sales, Marketing, and Communications; • Warranty; and • Upper Management. Resources mentioned throughout the document are provided as links at the end for easy reference. Role: Construction Titles: Construction Manager, Site Superintendent, Field Manager Responsibilities: Construction staff work with subcontractors and inspectors to safely build quality homes on time and under budget. Potential Involvement in ENERGY STAR: Construction staff oversee subcontractors and communicate quality standards, including ENERGY STAR performance guidelines (e.g., compliance with the Thermal Bypass Checklist). They coordinate with Home Energy Raters to schedule inspections/testing and implement corrective actions when homes do not qualify. Key ENERGY STAR benefits and resources: ENERGY STAR provides a set of documented, third-party verification requirements that can help construction staff hold themselves and their subcontractors to a higher standard. The program also offers technical training resources, including the Thermal Bypass Checklist Guide. This guide contains important tips and best practices for complying with the Thermal Bypass Checklist. Role: Purchasing Titles: Purchasing Manager, Estimator, Supply Chain Director, Procurement Manager Responsibilities: Purchasing staff work with subcontractors, product suppliers, and designers to develop specifications, bid out contracts, and manage project costs. Their goal is to procure quality materials and hire contractors while minimizing costs. Potential Involvement in ENERGY STAR: Purchasing staff work with Construction Managers and the Home Energy Rater to choose the building materials and equipment that will go into their ENERGY STAR qualified homes. They also work with subcontractors to create new pricing schedules that align with an ENERGY STAR-based scope of work. When considering building ENERGY STAR qualified homes, it is likely the purchasing team will analyze the overall investment to become an ENERGY STAR builder partner. By interacting with the warranty and construction departments, they may find other opportunities for future savings such as lowering warranty claims. They also may work with marketing staff to communicate to consumers the initial investment, positive annual cash flow, and life-cycle savings of qualified new homes. ------- Key ENERGY STAR benefits and resources: ENERGY STAR provides objective performance criteria to evaluate construction quality, which enables purchasing staff to hold subcontractors to higher standards. Purchasing Managers may also recognize warranty and construction savings (e.g., fewer warranty claims due to third-party inspections and less expensive HVAC equipment due to right sizing with sealed envelopes, tight ducts, and correctly installed insulation). Some states and utilities offer tax credits or financial incentives for constructing qualified new homes, which could reduce overall costs. Purchasing staff gain access to ENERGY STAR product savings calculators; ENERGY STAR qualified appliance listings; qualified appliance rebate databases; and QuantityQuotes.net, an online bulk purchasing marketplace for qualified products. Role: Sales, Marketing, and Communications Titles: Marketing Manager, Director of Sales/Marketing, Area or Regional Sales Manager Key ENERGY STAR benefits and resources: ENERGY STAR can offer differentiation from competitors; a new marketing platform that demonstrates cost, comfort, quality, and environmental advantages for consumers; the strength of a government-backed brand; access to the ENERGY STAR logos; the opportunity to apply for cooperative advertising funds and national recognition; listing on the online Partner Locator, which receives six million hits every year; sales training materials; and presentations designed to educate real estate agents, home appraisers, and homebuyers. Role: Warranty Titles: Warranty Manager, Customer Care Representative, Customer Service Manager, Home Care Manager Responsibilities: Warranty staff act as liaisons between homeowners, subcontractors, and the builder to coordinate and resolve homeowner service requests. They seek to minimize warranty costs to the company, while appropriately responding to homeowner complaints. They also may coordinate or participate in inspections during construction. Potential Involvement in ENERGY STAR: Warranty representatives can experience reduced claims because ENERGY STAR qualified homes are built to higher specifications and subcontractor work is inspected by a third party. Warranty managers communicate with the Purchasing and Construction managers to identify areas of risk for their company. ENERGY STAR can help the company reduce liability and minimize oversights in construction details which results in increasing the builder's bottom line. Key ENERGY STAR benefits and resources: ENERGY STAR can help improve customer satisfaction and reduce service requests for air quality, comfort, and energy consumption issues. ENERGY STAR requires third-party verification of subcontractor performance and the installation of efficient materials and equipment. This verification allows for assurance that homes will meet strict Responsibilities: Sales and marketing staff develop external communications for customers and the community. They manage advertising and public relations campaigns and budgets; work with real estate agents; create sales materials; administer the Web site; perform market analysis; plan sales and promotional events; and monitor traffic at model homes, communities, and the design center. Potential Involvement in ENERGY STAR: Sales and marketing staff integrate ENERGY STAR logos and messaging into their marketing materials, train salespeople to sell ENERGY STAR qualified homes, explain the features and benefits of qualified homes to consumers, and often apply for the annual Cooperative Outreach Partnership and partner awards. ------- energy-efficiency guidelines, resulting in fewer callbacks. It also helps the homebuilder develop an automatic feedback loop on subcontractor's performance in the field, identifying areas of improvement before the issues result in a warranty claim or worse yet, legal action. Role: Upper Management Titles: President, Vice President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Division Manager, Director of Operations, Project Manager J v- S. Responsibilities: Upper management staff coordinate all aspects of a residential development, including design, permitting, purchasing, marketing, construction, inspections, warranties, and homeowner and/or tenant relations. Potential Involvement in ENERGY STAR: Upper management provides strategic direction for the company, and often will play a key role in implementing ENERGY STAR. Upper management coordinates ENERGY STAR qualification activities among construction, purchasing, and warranty staff. They ensure that the sales and marketing staff integrate ENERGY STAR logos and messaging into all marketing materials. They work with communications staff to explain the benefits and value of ENERGY STAR. Key ENERGY STAR benefits and resources: ENERGY STAR can offer increased sales and revenue; more customer referrals and fewer callbacks; differentiation from competitors, including national awards and recognition; the opportunity to become a local environmental champion and expert builder; sales and technical tools and training materials; the ENERGY STAR logos; and a third-party verified Quality Assurance mechanism. Resources ENERGY STAR Marketing Resources Online: ¦ ENERGY STAR Logo ¦ Marketing Toolkit, an easy way to create customized ENERGY STAR marketing materials ¦ Outreach Partnership, EPA's cooperative advertising campaign ¦ Brochures ¦ Fact Sheets ¦ Web Linking Policy, the steps needed to establish a link on the ENERGY STAR Web site ¦ Presentations for real estate agents, home appraisers, and homebuyers Other Resources Online: ¦ Partner Locator ¦ QuantitvQuotes.net, featuring bulk purchasing of ENERGY STAR qualified products ¦ Product Information, including savings calculators; listings of qualified appliances; and databases of rebates from manufacturers, utilities, and governments ¦ Technical Guidelines, including the Thermal Bypass Checklist Guide ------- |