This article was originally published in the November/December 1999 issue of Home Energy Magazine. Some formatting inconsistencies may be evident in older archive content.
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Home Energy Magazine Online November/December 1999trends
in energy
Northeast Utility System Sees Marketing Benefits with Energy Star
CL&P provides technical assistance for meeting the requirements of the Energy Star Homes program; it also provides financial incentives for builders to install Energy Star-labeled lighting, appliances, and equipment. To increase builder and customer awareness, the utility has opened a new customer service center that prominently features Energy Star-labeled products. Three Support Levels CL&P is working to provide three levels of support to address builders' needs. The first level helps builders meet the requirements of the Model Energy Code (MEC). In May, the State of Connecticut adopted the 1995 MEC. Unlike the state's previous energy code, this version of MEC requires builders to document code compliance. For a limited time, CL&P will evaluate construction drawings and document MEC compliance for home builders within its service territory. The utility offers this service free of charge. In turn, it gets the opportunity to analyze proposed homes for inclusion in the Energy Star and Energy Crafted Homes programs and promote to builders the benefits of participating.The second level of utility support provides builders with assistance in meeting the requirements of the Energy Star Homes program. CL&P will provide builders with plan reviews and recommendations for meeting the Energy Star Homes program guidelines, which are approximately 30% more efficient than what is required by MEC. CL&P will also provide a construction inspection and the postconstruction verification (including a blower door test) necessary to receive the Energy Star Homes program label and a certificate. In electrically heated homes, there is no cost if the builder successfully meets the program's guidelines. For fossil-fuel heated homes, a nominal fee will be charged. The benefits to builders of building their homes to Energy Star standards include brand recognition, access to preferred financing, marketing assistance, and potentially fewer callbacks and more referrals. Additional incentives are awarded to builders who meet Energy Star building criteria. They include the following:
This 4,000 ft2 center will also contain a training facility, including computer workstations with Internet access, indoor and outdoor lighting displays, and an operating kitchen complete with Energy Star-labeled appliances. The center, located at 2231 Berlin Turnpike in Newington, Connecticut, will be open seven days a week. CL&P has future plans to open other SmartLiving Centers throughout Connecticut. New Value for Homes By allying with the Energy Star Homes, Appliances, Lighting and Equipment programs, CL&P is in a position to show builders not only how to comply with the new MEC regulations but also how to add more value to their homes at less cost to their customers. More importantly, the utility uses the federal government's Energy Star brand in its marketing and promotional materials, which CL&P hopes will bring added name recognition.
--Don Mauritz
Donald L. Mauritz is a research associate with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory working in support of the Energy Star Homes program.
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