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energystar.gov
Common Builder Concerns About
Partnering with ENERGY STAR® and
Solutions to Overcome Them
Objections	Solutions	Useful Resources

Competition. 1 need
to keep my prices
down to compete with
other builders in the
area.
It's easy to focus on sales price alone, but it is important to remember that
there are many components to any product, such as service, quality, and
costs. Buyers rarely focus on price alone. By selling the quality advantage
of an ENERGY STAR qualified home, including cost, durability, and comfort
benefits, you can differentiate yourself from your competition and ensure
buyers consider more than just price.
o Benefits of Buildina
ENERGY STAR
Qualified Homes
Cost-related
The extra cost will
limit my homebuyers
due to income
qualifications. My
homes will no longer
be affordable.
Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR qualified homes use
substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating, saving
consumers $300 to $400 each year. Over the average of seven to eight
years a homeowner usually lives in a home, this adds up to thousands of
dollars saved on utility bills. Additional savings on maintenance can be
substantial as well. Homeowners also can consider Energy Efficient
Mortgages (EEMs) if mortgage qualification is an issue. Overall, ENERGY
STAR qualified homes are great for homeowners looking for an affordable
home.
o Benefits for
Homeowners of
ENERGY STAR
Qualified Homes
o What is an EEM?
o HomeCalc

The market is slowing
down and 1 can't
afford to increase my
costs.
During times when the market is slow, it is especially important for
homebuilders to differentiate themselves from their competitors. ENERGY
STAR is a great investment that gives builders an edge over the competition
with quality, comfort, monthly savings, and lower maintenance.
o Benefits of ENERGY
STAR

1 don't see the value
in ENERGY STAR.
Over 70% of American households recognize the ENERGY STAR logo. By
associating your company with the ENERGY STAR, you can show that your
homes are third-party verified to meet government-backed energy efficiency
requirements. As a partner, you benefit from using ENERGY STAR
marketing and technical resources, including the use of the ENERGY STAR
logo in your promotions and advertising.
Consumers also are increasingly interested in reducing their impact on the
environment and in green building.
o ENERGY STAR Loqo
o Marketinq Resources
o Technical Resources
o Brochures for Builders
o Green Beains with
ENERGY STAR Blue
Value-related
1 am interested, but
my manager does not
see the value.
Builders who participate in the program see increased revenue and sales,
better construction techniques, reduced number of callbacks, and happy
homeowners. These are the type of benefits that company executives are
looking for. We have information and testimonials on these benefits that
you can bring back to your management team.
o Benefits of ENERGY
STAR
1 already build
energy-efficient
homes.
ENERGY STAR will allow you to show that your homes were 3rd party
verified to be energy efficient with a government-backed label that is widely
recognized by consumers. If you are already building efficiently, you will
have a minimal investment and will be better positioned to differentiate
yourself in the market with ENERGY STAR.
o 3— Partv Verification
o "Behind the Walls"
Tour of an ENERGY
STAR Qualified Home

No one cares about
energy efficiency and
my homebuyers are
not asking for it.
Often, homebuyers don't ask for energy efficiency because they assume
new homes are energy efficient. Your homes will perform 20-30% better
than typical homes by participating in ENERGY STAR. Ask your
homebuyers if they are interested in quality, comfort, and monthly savings.
Energy efficiency addresses many areas that are concerns for homebuyers.
o Benefits for
Homeowners of
ENERGY STAR
Qualified Homes
o Brochures

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Objections
Solutions
Useful Resources
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1 am a production
builder, not a green
builder. Green
building is for
environmentalists or
tree huggers.
Today, consumers are becoming interested in reducing their impact on the
environment as energy prices continue to increase. Energy efficiency is the
place to start for green building. That's because the energy used in homes
often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which
contributes to smog, acid rain, and risks of global climate change. So, the
less energy used, the less air pollution generated. In a recent study, nearly
two thirds of consumers indicated that they would choose one house over
another based on energy efficient performance.
o Climate Chanqe
3
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>
My homes are selling.
1 don't need anything
to differentiate my
company.
Over 10% of new homes in the U.S. in 2007 were ENERGY STAR qualified,
and more builders are joining the program each month. In a market where
consumers value quality construction, improved comfort, and lower
maintenance costs, ENERGY STAR can be a valuable asset. ENERGY
STAR can increase your market share even more.
o Benefits of ENERGY
STAR
o Brochures for Builders

1 don't want to work
with the government.
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program with over 5,000 builders
participating. These builders are taking advantage of free technical and
marketing resources that help differentiate their companies and increase
revenues. If you join the program and change your mind later, you can stop
participating at any time, for any reason, without penalty.
o Benefits of ENERGY
STAR
o Marketinq Resources
o Technical Resources

1 don't want to use
CFLs in my homes.
My homebuyers
never choose them.
CFLs aren't a requirement of the program. One great aspect of the
ENERGY STAR program is that it is flexible and you work with your home
energy rater to determine what upgrades are necessary to build an
ENERGY STAR qualified home.
o ENERGY STAR
Guidelines
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Why should 1 join
ENERGY STAR
when there are so
many other "green
building" programs
around?
Green building means improving the way that homes and homebuilding
sites use energy, water, and materials to reduce negative impacts on
human health and the environment. There are nearly 50 regional and
national green home labeling programs around the country. While each
program approaches green building a little differently, each incorporates
important elements such as energy-efficient construction techniques and
products. Energy efficiency is a smart first step when contemplating green
building programs.
o Green Beains with
ENERGY STAR Blue
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No one in my market
has heard of
ENERGY STAR for
homes, only for
appliances and
computers.
If ENERGY STAR for Homes is new to your market, you can become the
market leader, as many builders leading the way have done in the past. By
fully integrating ENERGY STAR in your marketing materials and telling
consumers your energy efficiency story, consumers see your company's
name as synonymous with quality and energy-efficient construction. You
can also team with other ENERGY STAR partners to participate in the
annual ENERGY STAR Outreach Partnership, which helps to improve
consumer awareness.
o Outreach Partnership
o Marketinq Toolkit

I've heard that
meeting the Thermal
Bypass Checklist is
too hard.
The items listed on the Thermal Bypass Checklist (TBC) can be considered
part of a risk management strategy for a builder. Each item on the checklist
helps ensure that the home is insulated and sealed correctly to reduce and
eliminate comfort problems and high energy bills. As you know, improper
insulation or air sealing can turn into warranty calls. Because most TBC
requirements are already required by the latest IECC codes used in many
jurisdictions around the country, you can reduce your exposure to defect
litigation by having a third party ensure your homes meet the checklist.
o ENERGY STAR
Guidelines
o "Behind the Walls"
Tour of an ENERGY
STAR Qualified Home

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