CHANGE FOR THE ' -CO BETTER WITH ¦*£rtn^ ENERGY STAR Products that earn the ENERGY STAR® prevent greenhouse emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. www.eriergystar.gov Indian Hills At A Glance Price Range: $129,000 to $350,000 Description: 105-unit development 1,600 square foot Colonial by Kentco Builders. Lighting: ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting in over 95 percent of homes. CASE STUDY: Casa Home Marketing Leverages ENERGY STAR® to Gain a Competitive Edge Fran Casanova of Casa Home Marketing knows the power of marketing value-added features to today's homebuyers. Since 1997, she has partnered with builders who provide additional value by offering ENERGY STAR qualified homes. Leveraging ENERGY STAR is a win-win situation for Casa Home Marketing and the home buyer. By selling ENERGY STAR qualified homes and products, Casa Home Marketing can differentiate the homes they sell from the competition, and the homebuyer gets high quality, energy-efficient products that save on utility bills. In fact, Casanova credits the ENERGY STAR program with expanding her business 30 percent faster than projected. "The ENERGY STAR program is one of the greatest marketing tools in new home construction today. The ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package makes it even better," -Fran Casanova, Casa Home Marketing Having experienced the business benefits of ENERGY STAR Homes, Casanova now offers the ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) to extend her success. Her success with the ALP first emerged at the Indian Hills development. In this development, the ENERGY STAR ALP was installed in the model home and offered as an upgrade. Homebuyers liked the fixtures and responded favorably, purchasing an average of 7 to 10 ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures. oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency The Bottom Line Advantage Casanova immediately recognized the value of a full ENERGY STAR package. "The ENERGY STAR ALP and ENERGY STAR appliances solidify the ENERGY STAR program. It enables me to sell a whole package that is a win for me in terms of sales and a win for the homebuyer for energy savings and quality." Casanova further explains, "Selling ENERGY STAR as a whole package - the house, lights, and appliances - makes the ENERGY STAR program even better and sets Indian Hills apart from the competition." ------- Saving energy is a major selling point, given increasing electric and gas prices. Throughout the model, marketing materials promote the energy-efficient features of the building shell, appliances, and lighting. Casanova tells the homebuyer, "Do not go out and buy [these products] separately, enjoy the benefits of ENERGY STAR as a whole." Selling as a package helps increase revenues for the buiider, and the ENERGY STAR ALP alone could save an Indian Hills homebuyer up to $145 a year in energy bill and bulb replacement costs. When homebuyers walkthrough the model and exclaim, "I love the lighting," Casanova knows she is providing her customers added value. This is reinforced by the fact that over 95 percent of the Indian Hills homeowners have personally selected ENERGY STAR qualified lighting for their new homes. Getting the Job Done The ENERGY STAR ALP is the most visible "energy-saving feature" of the home. To help select an ENERGY STAR ALP that makes the model home look great, National Grid (local utility) and their program representative, Margie McNally, worked closely with Casanova and Deanna Yahres of Energy Federation Inc. (EFI), a local distributor of energy efficient products, to select ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures that suit the decor of the model home. To convey the benefits of the ENERGY STAR ALP to homebuyers, Casanova placed banners and posters throughout the home and behind the sales desk explaining the features and benefits of ENERGY STAR qualified products. The ENERGY STAR mark is on all materials to reinforce that Kentco Builders and Casa Home Marketing are offering additional value. As a final touch, Casanova created customized flyers for homebuyers to take home, so they could read more about ENERGY STAR. As a promotional effort, local utilities offered rebates to new homebuilders for ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. National Grid provided Indian Hills homebuyers up to $800 towards the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified lighting for a limited time, and provided Kentco Builders with ENERGY STAR lighting packages for their model home. Within These Walls The 1600 square foot, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, model home features ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures from Brownlee Lighting and Sea Gull Lighting, and ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans with light kits from Westinghouse. in the model home, 22 of 35 installed fixtures are ENERGY STAR qualified. Helpful Hints and Sales Tip • Let the fixtures sell themselves by displaying them throughout the model home. • Place ENERGY STAR marketing materials that highlight the features and benefits of ENERGY STAR throughout the home. • Use the ENERGY STAR mark to convey the message that you are selling high-quality product. • Work through a lighting supply company that will guarantee prompt delivery and a sure supply. • Order the lighting fixtures early in the construction process to avoid fixture delivery delays and to ensure proper fit in selected locations. For More Information... on the ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site at www.energystar.gov or send an e-mail to ENERGYSTAR_ALP@icfi.com. oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency ------- |