Working with ENERGY STAR as a Home Builders Association Today's consumers are increasingly interested in energy efficiency and green building. EPA's ENERGY STAR for New Homes program helps builders meet this growing demand, while creating a better performing homes with reduced utility bills. Home industry professionals who partner with ENERGY STAR can increase revenue, enhance customer satisfaction, and gain national recognition as industry and environmental leaders. ENERGY STAR and its partners work together to promote these benefits and increase sales of energy-efficient homes. Home Builders Associations (HBAs) can play a critical role in helping their members to capitalize on these important opportunities. Consider these ideas to support your members: Host ENERGY STAR training events. Builders look to their HBAs for training and education opportunities - so consider offering sessions about ENERGY STAR. Topics might include Why Should I Join ENERGY STAR, How to Effectively Sell ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes, and Building Science 101. Bring in national energy efficiency and green building experts - or your local home energy rater - to provide the training. Hold a regional ENERGY STAR conference. Organize a comprehensive ENERGY STAR event, bringing together manufacturers, builders, suppliers, retailers, consumers, trades, and building code officials. Your conference will be most effective if your schedule of events includes education sessions, national speakers, and opportunities to network. Work with EPA to organize an ENERGY STAR marketing campaign in your area. Through its Outreach Partnership program, ENERGY STAR works with local partners to increase consumer awareness about the benefits of ENERGY STAR qualified homes and the builders who offer them in the market. Consider acting as a liaison between the EPA and your local ENERGY STAR partners. For more information, visit www.enerqvstar.gov/homes. Recognize local ENERGY STAR builders. Show support for your association's participating ENERGY STAR builders by highlighting their efforts at an annual awards ceremony. This is also a great way to increase builder interest in attending future ENERGY STAR training you may offer. Support the development of home energy raters in your market. It's the old chicken or the egg dilemma. Builders can't construct ENERGY STAR qualified homes without a home energy rater, while home energy raters are less interested in opening a business where there are few ENERGY STAR builders participating. You can help by holding information sessions and training for businesses interested in offering home energy ratings, such as HVAC contractors and home inspectors. Encourage them to become one of your members. Create a buzz about energy efficiency. Feature ENERGY STAR qualified homes in your Parade of Homes and hand out ENERGY STAR brochures. Highlight ENERGY STAR on your web site and in your newsletter. When a new builder-member joins your association, send them information about ENERGY STAR. Materials are available free from www.enerqvstar.gov/publications. A few HBAs who support ENERGY STAR in their markets: Fredericksburg Area Builders Association NVB-IA NORTHERN VIRGINIA BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF LEXINGTON Learn more about how to become an ENERGY STAR partner at www.enerqvstar.qov/homesPA. ------- |