Efficiency First

Here’s what our nine Best Practice working groups have been working on (more information: http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/take-action/best-practices/):

Business Models

1. Developing two white papers
2. In-home protocol on how to up-sell  (December 2010)
3. Guidelines for effective business practices – How to run a business 201/301 (December 2010)

Finance and Incentives

1. Create a list and compare detailed differences of financing mechanisms in play throughout the country
2. Submitted PACE memo for state’s reallocating PACE funds – write alternatives for PACE
3. Provide an Online introduction of financing models for contractors: energy efficient mortgages, direct lending and introduction of PACE alternatives
4. Build a working relationship with FHFS in response to long-term planning for energy efficiency lending
5. Track national PACE legislation, pending legal challenges, and FHFA negotiations

Labor and Industry

1. Creating synopses of stakeholder processes of energy efficiency retrofit programs nationwide – five completed
2. Developing definition list of program design terms
3. Outline an economic study on cost-benefit analysis of home performance programs

Low-Income Weatherization

1. Memo to weatherization agencies providing a blue print addressing training programs and current methods of spending (October 15, 2010)
2. Position paper on low-income weatherization, in association with the Board of Directors (November 2010)
3. Series of recommendations for weatherization programs: training, opening up to independent contractors
4. Long-term financing post-Stimulus

Manufacturers Council

1. Creating liaisons between manufacturers and local and state chapters
2. Organize training for contractors on how to engage in the state legislative process
3. Creating documents to educate contractors about manufacturer’s needs

Marketing

1. Tri-fold brochure to be distributed to contractors in order to help them sell whole-house retrofits; in final graphic design stage
2. Ongoing efforts to create greater presence on Wikipedia
3. Define industry terms: partner w/ ACI, BPI, RESNET and additional entities to define industry terms to provide easier understanding to home owners

Multi-Family Homes

1. Developing white paper recommendations on multi-family home retrofits

Real Estate

1. Efficiency First position paper on labeling; drafts due 9/30
2. Working in conjunction with Finance and Incentives group on webinar
3. Developing green MLS document and real estate retrofit network
4. Develop an Efficiency First Webinar on Green MLS designed to educate contractors and EcoBrokers
5. Work with local chapters to develop a connection to local real estate professionals to build political alliances and business referrals
6. Educate chapter leaders on outreach to the real estate community, per the above Deliverable on issue that retrofits are not being recognized during appraisal

Software and Technology

1. Finalizing software standards matrix XML
2. Developing a list of software out in the market and provide description of each
3. FAQ’s – answering the most common software questions contractors might have

Workforce Development

1. Ensuring every chapter presents to its members pm workforce development presentation – Green Jobs in the Residential Energy Efficiency Industry
2. Recently launched Home Performance job search database: http://jobs.efficiencyfirst.org

We are working hard to develop our two new working groups – Low Income Weatherization and Multi-Family Homes – if you would like to join these groups or any of the nine working groups that we support, we’d love to have you on board.

For more information on Efficiency First’s Best Practice working groups, check out http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/take-action/best-practices/.

If you’d like to contribute by joining one of our working groups, contact info@efficiencyfirst.org.