TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP:

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

IN EXISTING 

HOMES

ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP

ROADMAP

ROADMAP

ROADMAP ROADMAP

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ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP ROADMAP

Volume Two: Strategies

Defined
PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) is a private/public effort to develop,

demonstrate, and gain widespread market acceptance for the “Next Generation” of American

housing. Through the use of new or innovative technologies, the goal of PATH is to improve

quality, durability, environmental efficiency, and affordability of tomorrow’s homes.

PATH is managed and supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD). In addition, all federal agencies that engage in housing research and technology 

development are PATH Partners, including the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and

Agriculture, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA). State and local governments and other participants from the

public sector are also partners in PATH. Product manufacturers, home builders, insurance 

companies, and lenders represent private industry in the PATH Partnership.

To learn more about PATH, please contact

451 7th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20410

202-708-4277 (phone)

202-708-5873 (fax)

e-mail: pathnet@pathnet.org

website: www.pathnet.org

Visit PD&R’s website

www.huduser.org

to find this report and others sponsored by

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R).

Other services of HUD USER, PD&R’s Research Information Service, include listservs; special

interest, bimonthly publications (best practices, significant studies from other sources); access to

public use databases; and a hotline 1-800-245-2691 for help accessing the information you need.
i

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP:

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

IN EXISTING 

HOMES

Volume Two: Strategies

Defined

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Policy Development and Research

Washington, D.C.

Prepared by:

NAHB Research Center

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

November 2002
i i

About the NAHB Research Center

The NAHB Research Center, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is known as America’s Housing

Technology and Information Resource. In its nearly 40 years of service to the home building

industry, the Research Center has provided product research and building process improvements

that have been widely adopted by home builders throughout the United States. The Research

Center carries out extensive programs of information dissemination and interchange among

members of the home building industry and between the industry and the public.

Disclaimer

This report was prepared by the NAHB Research Center for the U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. The contents of this

report are the views of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Government, or any other 

person or organization.
!!!

This document, PATH Technology Roadmap: Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes—Volume Two:

Strategies Defined, is one in a series of technology roadmaps created to serve as guides to help the

housing industry make decisions about research and development investments.

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), administered by the

Department of Housing and Urban Development, is focused on improving the affordability and

value of new and existing homes. Through public and private efforts, PATH is working to

improve affordability, energy efficiency, environmental impact, quality, durability and 

maintenance, hazard mitigation, and labor safety. To accomplish this, PATH has identified

research and established priorities for technology development that will enable the home 

building industry to work toward the PATH mission. This priority setting process, known as

“Roadmapping,” has brought together many industry stakeholders, including builders, 

remodelers, trade contractors, material and product suppliers, financial representatives, codes

and standards officials, and public sector R&D sponsors. This is a year-two progress report for

one of the four roadmap topics identified by PATH’s Industry Steering Committee. Other 

technology roadmap topics are: Information Technology to Accelerate and Streamline Home

Building, Advanced Panelized Construction, and Whole House and Building Process Redesign.

This document focuses specifically on improving energy efficiency in existing housing. It

describes the challenges, and outlines activities and accomplishments that will lead to the

achievement of the vision. These include promoting new technologies, evaluating products and

processes for retrofit, building capabilities among trade contractors, and identifying potential

consumer incentives.

By addressing these issues through research, the home building industry will continue to play a

key role in providing affordable, durable housing for America’s families.

"#$%&'$
i v
v

PATH Program Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Roadmapping Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Situation Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Barriers/Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Roadmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Enable Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

1.1 Collect and Document Information on Programs, Tools, and Resources . . . . .16

1.2 Establish Recognized, Credible Sources of Information for Users . . . . . . . . . . .17

1.3 Create a Viable Education Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

1.4 Provide Low-Volume Energy Products at Reasonable Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

1.5 Identify and Coalesce Strategic Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

1.6 Develop Online Education and Training Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

1.7 Benchmark Existing Houses with Various Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

1.8 Develop Performance Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

1.9 Promote Strategic Alliances Among Practitioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

1.10 Share the Plan—Promote These Actions to Remodelers 

and Trade Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Increase The Value Consumers Associate with Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

2.1 Craft Uniform Messages for Consumers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

2.2 Gauge Existing Consumer Knowledge of the Value of Energy Efficiency . . . . .22

2.3 Deliver Messages Through Multiple Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

2.4 Measure the Effectiveness of the Message and Delivery Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . .22

2.5 Refine Messages, Then Repeat the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Improve Retrofit Building Envelope Performance Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

3.1 Evaluate and Demonstrate Underutilized Energy-Efficient Retrofit Products . .23

3.2 Identify Areas of Heat Gain and Loss in Existing Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

3.3 Identify Technologies from Other Industries 

for Use in Residential Energy Retrofit Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

3.4 Convene Industry Coordination Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

3.5 Support Efforts to Design and Develop New Envelope Products 

for Existing Home Retrofits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

TABLE OF CONTENTS
v i

Develop a Single Industry Protocol for Practitioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

4.1 Collect and Document Current Industry Analysis and Design Procedure . . . .28

4.2 Develop a Standard Process for an Independent 

Post-Improvement Quality Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

4.3 Develop Standard Analysis and Design Procedures—a Protocol—

for the Home Repair and Remodeling Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

4.4 Establish Cross-Industry Agreement to Use the Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.5 Promote the Benefits of the Protocol with Consumer Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . .29

4.6 Integrate the Protocol into Industry Training and Certification Programs . . . .30

Motivate Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

5.1 Define the Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

5.2 Study the Business Models of Successful, Similar Service Businesses . . . . . . . .32

5.3 Develop a Model Business Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

5.4 Develop Financial Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

5.5 Develop and Implement an Energy-Efficient Certification Program 

for Remodelers and Trade Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

5.6 Develop Award or Other Recognition Programs for Certified Contractors . . .33

5.7 Develop and Implement an Outreach Program 

to Reach Remodelers and Trade Contractors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Build Credibility For Service Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

6.1 Establish an Industry-Recognized Contractor Certification 

or Credentialing Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

6.2 Create Co-Brand with Third-Party Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

6.3 Create and Bolster Industry and Non-Industry Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Provide Consumer Incentives for Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

7.1 Quantify and Define the Economic Value of Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . .36

7.2 Identify the Social Benefits of Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Develop a Performance Monitoring System for Energy-Consuming Equipment . .37

8.1 Identify Current Energy Monitoring, Display, and 

Communication Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

8.2 Identify and Involve Missing Players to Fill Product 

and System Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

8.3 Adopt and/or Develop a Common Communication Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

8.4 Identify Candidate Communication Devices or Techniques 

and Develop Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

8.5 Define a Consumer Information Display Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

8.6 Evaluate and Develop Multi-Use and Modular Low-Cost Sensors . . . . . . . . . .39
1

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in

Housing (PATH) advances technology in the

home building industry to improve the affordability and value of new and existing homes.

Through public and private efforts in technology research, information dissemination,

and barrier analysis, PATH adds value to

seven of the nation’s key housing attributes:

affordability, energy efficiency, environmental

impact, quality, durability and maintenance,

hazard mitigation, and labor safety. 

Three overarching goals have been established that affect each of these attributes: 

● To determine the needs for improved

housing technology development and 

provide relevant strategic services. 

PATH investigates the institutional barriers

that impede innovation, proposes alternative,

improved, or negotiated services to overcome

those barriers, and develops networks and

agreement among participants to implement

these services. 

● To develop new housing technologies. 

PATH supports and performs technological

research at all R&D levels of the home building

supply chain with governmental and industrial

funds and resources. 

● To disseminate new and existing technological information. 

PATH coordinates the dissemination of innovation information (both for specific technologies and for industry-wide technological

information) that remains unbiased, technically accurate, and relevant to specific housing

audiences to increase the familiarity with,

availability, and use of technologies in home

building and homeowner communities. 

Partners in the PATH program—the U.S.

Departments of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD), Energy (DOE),

Agriculture (USDA), and Commerce, the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the

Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA), and home builders, researchers, and

manufacturers of building materials and products—have long recognized the importance

of incorporating current and emerging technologies into the home building process. The

PATH program has identified many of the 

relevant technologies and facilitated the

implementation of research, pilots, demonstrations, and evaluation projects across the

United States—important steps as the home

building industry works toward the PATH

mission and sets technology development 

priorities, a process known as roadmapping.

PATH PROGRAM GOALS
A unified home remodeling and repair industry

strategy leads to the responsible use of energy

and enables trade contractors to assist homeowners in improving the energy performance

of existing housing, minimizing energy use in

the nation’s existing housing stock as part of a

national priority for energy conservation. As a

result, energy use decreases by an average of 30

percent in at least 50 million existing homes by

the year 2010.

The objective of PATH technology roadmapping is to identify technology areas for immediate technological research in home building

to serve as a guide for research investments by

government and industry. The PATH Industry

Steering Committee (ISC), comprised of

builders and manufacturers of building products and materials, oversees the development

of all technology roadmaps.

As the primary planning activity for PATH’s

research, the roadmaps dictate the main areas

for research and development in PATH’s

research portfolio (which includes background, applied, and development activities),

as well as provide the home building industry

with a strategic plan for future technology

development. Roadmaps approved by the

PATH ISC will be provided to private sector

interests to guide their technology development and to the government to guide its

investment in research and development.

Through this process, new technologies and

additional research work are generated as the

roadmaps are implemented.

The ISC initiated the roadmapping process

during the first quarter of 2000. A group of 40

builders, materials and products suppliers,

academicians, researchers, and other stakeholders identified and rank ordered technologies that hold the promise of guiding

PATH’s research. The ISC then assembled the

technologies with the highest potential benefits into four technology portfolios as follows:

● Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes;

● Information Technology to Accelerate and

Streamline Home Building;

● Advanced Panelized Construction; and

● Whole House and Building Process Redesign.

The PATH ISC recommended development

of technology roadmaps for each of the four

areas, with Energy Efficiency beginning in

October 2000, Information Technology initiated

in November 2000, Advanced Panelized

Construction in December 2000, and Whole

House in March 2001.

The roadmapping reports are available on

both the PATH website (www.pathnet.org)

and the NAHB Research Center’s ToolBase

Services website (www.toolbase.org).

This report deals specifically with Energy

Efficiency in Existing Homes. Its content is

based on a May 2002 follow-up meeting of

industry stakeholders, which further 

developed strategies, defined action items,

and set priorities for the topics introduced in

the initial roadmap report on this subject.

2

ROADMAPPING PROCESS

VISION
3

OVERVIEW OF ENERGY USE

The latest authoritative information about

how energy is used in U.S. housing stock

comes from the 1997 Residential Energy

Consumption Survey (RECS), performed by

DOE’s Energy Information Administration

(EIA). Results appear in A Look at Residential

Energy Consumption in 1997 (November

1999), publication DOE/EIA-0632 (97).1 The

2001 survey is not yet complete.

According to the RECS, in 1997 there were

more than 101 million U.S. housing units,

and a total energy use of 10.25 quadrillion

Btus (quads) as measured at the building site.2

This represents dramatic improvement on a

per-household basis since 1978, when the

77 million housing units in the United States

used a total of 10.6 quads of site energy.

Figure 1 shows this trend from 1978 through

1997 for the housing stock as a whole. Notice

that the entire drop occurred in the 1978-

1982 period, with no systematic change since

that time. 

Looking to the future, the EIA Annual Energy

Outlook for 2002 calls for residential consumption to grow at 1.0 percent per year from 2000

through 2020.3 Assuming the housing stock

grows at a comparable rate, residential consumption per housing unit would remain relatively steady.

It is noteworthy that in spite of improvements

in the energy efficiency of homes—a tighter

and better insulated envelope and more 

efficient appliances and HVAC—energy use

remains about constant. Although all of the

reasons for this are not apparent, it is 

certainly true that Americans are buying and

using more energy-consuming products than

ever, such as extra and larger TVs, VCRs,

DVDs, PCs, printers, scanners, and cordless

phones. Many of these products have standby

power, so they are consuming power even

when turned off—a significant source of 

energy consumption, as discussed in the

RECS report. The report also indicates that

Americans have recovered from the energy

scare of the late 1970s, as evidenced in part by

their preference for SUVs. Additionally, the

cost of fuels in the United States is sufficiently low that utility and gasoline bills are not

limiting factors for the average American.

SITUATION TODAY

1

The full report can be downloaded at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/pdf/consumption/063297.pdf.

2 “Site” energy consumption excludes all energy consumed in the generation and transmission processes.

3 For an overview of the 2002 Annual Energy Outlook, see http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/index.html.

Figure 1

78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

138

101 101

Total Site Energy Consumption per U.S. Housing Unit, 1978-1997

RECS Survey Year

Sources: Energy Information Administration; 1978 through 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Surveys

Million Site Btu per Housing Unit 150

100

50

0
4

To summarize the problem: Residential energy

accounts for approximately 20 percent of the

total energy consumed in the United States.

In addition to consuming non-renewable energy resources, residential energy use dumps

about four million metric tons (a metric ton is

about 2,200 pounds) of carbon into the atmosphere every day from fossil fuel combustion.

Other combustion products also are problematic, such as SO2 and NOx. 

Given that existing homes consume the

majority of energy for residences, and that

many of them, certainly those built before

1975, tend to be energy inefficient, we need to

significantly reduce the energy consumed in

today’s homes, both to reduce energy consumption and to reduce energy costs, which

are a significant factor in housing affordability.

In 1997, according to the RECS, the average

household spent $1,338 a year on energy.

HOW ENERGY IS CONSUMED IN HOMES

The $1,338 per-year average energy costs for a

home in 1997 was allocated as follows:

● 45 percent appliances and lighting; 

● 30 percent space heating; and

● 25 percent water heating and air 

conditioning.

The expenditures were, on average, 35 percent for gas and 62 percent for electric power.

The breakout of energy by end use per site in

1997 is shown in Figure 2. This includes all

sources of energy—gas, oil, electric, and

propane (LPG). The significant decrease in

space heating from 1978 to 1987 is notable,

and was clearly the reason for the significant

reduction in site energy during that period.

Of this site energy, 35 percent is electric, 52

percent is natural gas, and the other 13 percent is oil and LPG. This does not accurately

represent the total energy impact of electrical

power, however. The total energy consumed

to generate electrical power at the power

plant, called primary power, is almost twice

the site electrical energy because of generation losses at the plant and losses over the

lines and through the transformers in the distribution system. Using the measure of primary energy, electrical power accounts for 61

percent of the energy consumed in the average

home, with all other energies accounting for

39 percent. This means that energy-efficient

improvements in electrical appliances and air

conditioning will have almost twice the

impact on energy consumption as indicated by

the chart.

138

91

55

4 5 4

20 18 19 23 23 27*

51*

101*

1978

1987

1997

101

How Energy is Consumed in the Average Home

Total Space Heating Air Conditioning Water Heating Appliances

Sources: Energy Information Administration; 1978, 1987, and 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Surveys

* The difference between the 1978 and 1997 estimates is statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level.

Million Site Btu per Housing Unit 150

100

50

0

Figure 2
5

Figure 3 shows how electrical energy was used

in the average 1997 housing unit. One fact

that becomes apparent from this chart is that

electrical energy is consumed by so many different items in a home that improving energy

efficiency in just one or a few of the items will

have a rather small impact on overall consumption. This validates the EPA’s approach

of including almost all electrical energy consuming devices in the Energy Star program.

Natural gas use, shown in Figure 4, is from the

1993 RECS report. Main space heating and

water heating combined account for 94 percent of all residential natural gas consumption.

On one hand, this indicates large potential for

significant energy-efficient improvements. On

the other hand, many space heating improvements already have been made, such as

improvements in the building envelope and

the efficiency of the heating equipment.

FEDERAL ENERGY PROGRAMS

Current federal energy programs target

improvements in energy efficiency in existing

as well as new homes. All of the strategies

described in this Roadmap will benefit from

taking advantage of these programs that 

collectively:

● Educate homeowners and installers about

energy efficiency and help them make

informed energy decisions;

● Provide incentives for manufacturers to

develop energy-efficient products;

● Facilitate development and diffusion of

energy-efficient technologies; and

● Provide incentives to homeowners.

The applicable programs of three federal

organizations—EPA, DOE, and HUD—are

described in order below.

EPA’s Energy Star Home Improvement

Program

Energy Star’s Home Improvement Program

targets major homeowner repairs, renovations,

and improvement to the 120 million existing

homes by:

● Providing unbiased information to homeowners on their energy use, either directly

or through contractors and retailers, and

Percent of Total Electricity Consumption in U.S. Housing Units, 1997

Other Appliances 43.8

All Others 28.1

Cooking 2.8

Color TVs 3.0

Freezers 3.6

Clothes Dryers 5.9

Source: Energy Information Administration, Forms EIA-457A, B, C, E, and H of the 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

Refrigerators 12.9

Air Conditioning 11.8

Space Heating 11.4

Water Heating 11.0

Lighting 9.2

Residential Use of Natural Gas, 1993

Main Space Heating 69.1 %

Water Heating 24.9 %

Appliances 5.5 %

Secondary Space Heating 0.5 %

Air Conditioning < .1 %

Figure 3

Figure 4
6

providing Energy Star solutions to high

energy costs.

● Extending Energy Star to in-home services,

such as duct sealing and air sealing, to

enhance the energy performance of the

heating and cooling systems within homes.

● Promoting a whole-house approach where

service infrastructure exists to improve the

overall performance of the home. 

Providing Unbiased Information to Homeowners: The Energy Star Home Improvement

Toolbox was developed to make it easier for

homeowners to understand how energy efficient their homes are and how they can

improve the energy performance of their

homes. The web-based Toolbox includes the

following:

● The Home Energy Yardstick—a tool

developed with statistical support by Oak

Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), that

measures a home’s energy performance relative to similar homes. 

● Home Energy Advisor—a simple interactive audit that provides residential consumers with the top five cost-effective,

energy-efficient improvements they can

make to their homes. 

● Home Doctor—a list of frequently asked

questions that is written in a medical

symptom-diagnosis-prescription style. 

● Home Remodeler—a guide that summarizes

the comfort, safety, and energy-saving

opportunities available during different

remodeling projects. 

Extending the Energy Star Brand to InHome Services: Currently, EPA is extending

Energy Star to services rendered at a home,

usually by a trained technician, that improve

the energy performance of the HVAC system

and the home’s thermal envelope. This effort

currently includes:

● Energy Star Ducts/HVAC Systems

Approach, which combines duct sealing

with proper sizing and installation of

Energy Star HVAC equipment; and

● Energy Star Home Sealing, which combines proper insulation and air sealing with

Energy Star-labeled windows to improve

the overall thermal performance of the

home’s envelope. This presents a new marketing opportunity to insulation manufacturers, home improvement retailers, and

contractors that provide insulation and air

sealing services. 

Promoting Whole-House Performance:

Home Performance with Energy Star is a

process that promotes whole-house diagnostics by trained technicians to improve the

home’s overall efficiency. The process is an

effort to use the growing awareness of Energy

Star to help encourage and facilitate wholehouse energy improvements. Key components

of the process, which the EPA is piloting in

New York, Wisconsin, and Austin, Texas,

include:

● Home energy inspection with an energy

specialist;

● Targeted advice on the home’s energy and

maintenance problems;

● Summary report with results and recommendations;

● Performance of any and all of the recommendations by a participating contractor;

● Oversight, quality control, and certification; and

● Financing.

DOE’S Existing Residential Programs

In partnership with home builders, industry,

states, and communities, DOE works to

improve the energy efficiency in new and

existing homes through R&D, demonstrations, and regulatory strategies. The following
7

DOE programs, ranging from research to

implementation to grants, relate to existing

homes.

Building America—Increased Emphasis on

Existing Buildings: Traditionally a new construction program, Building America employs

strategies such as improved design techniques

that greatly reduce thermal leakage through

the building envelope, and improved insulation and windows, the costs for which are offset by reductions in space-conditioning

equipment. Building America uses chartered

industry teams to conduct systems engineering

research to evaluate advanced system costs and

performance tradeoffs, integration barriers,

and benefits. The program contains incentives

and resources to help system developers overcome risks that otherwise might discourage

them from developing the systems. In 2002,

Building America developed and tested 

system integration and whole-house designs

that are applicable to the 120 million existing

homes in the country. 

Existing Buildings Research Program: DOE

and its national laboratories will team with

manufacturers, leading contractors, trade 

associations, states, and federal agencies to

develop cost-effective, system-integrated,

market-driven approaches that reduce energy

use in existing buildings. The national laboratories will develop research results and

Building America teams will use them in 

engineered building systems. The focus is on a

whole-building approach as applied to the

repair, replacement, remodeling, and addition

market. The program also depends on the

component research being developed in the

HVAC, lighting, building envelope, and windows programs that DOE’s Office of Building

Technology supports. 

Rebuild America—The Community Energy

Program: This program provides technical

assistance, demonstrations, training, and 

education to communities to accelerate the

use of innovative and cost-effective energy

technologies, strategies, and methods. The

program helps communities, towns, and cities

save energy, create jobs, promote economic

growth, and protect the environment through

improved energy efficiency and less energyintensive building design and operation.

DOE’s Rebuild America partnerships are

wide-ranging, with partners encompassing

mayors’ and governors’ offices; community

and economic development agencies; school

boards; citizen conservation groups; building

owners, operators, and financiers; and energy

specialists.

The State Energy Program: This program

supports federal and state partnerships that

transfer energy-efficient technologies to the

state and local level through formula grants

that allow states to tailor energy-efficient programs to local needs and leverage non-federal

resources. Some of these grants go toward

existing buildings.

The Weatherization Assistance Program:

This program works to maximize the number

of low-income households receiving costeffective, energy-efficient improvements for

existing homes while ensuring the health and

safety of the people served. DOE implements

the program by providing technical assistance

and formula grant monies to state and local

weatherization agencies throughout the

United States. The network of approximately

970 local agencies provide trained crews that

perform the weatherization services for 

eligible low-income households, including

single-family homes, multifamily dwellings,

and mobile homes. Homes receive a comprehensive energy audit and a cost-effective combination of energy-saving measures.

HUD’s Energy-Efficiency Programs for

Existing Housing

HUD is responsible for the Partnership for

Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH)

program as well as other housing programs.

PATH’s vision includes the goal of reducing

energy use in existing homes by 30 percent. 

PATH develops new energy- and resourceefficient systems, promotes the recycling of
8

building materials, and helps homeowners and

developers remodel their homes with technologies that are proven to reduce energy

bills. PATH partners include DOE and EPA. 

PATH supports the study of new mechanical,

plumbing, and construction systems with upfront costs that are competitive with traditional technologies. PATH seeks to supply

builders and remodelers with information and

alternatives they can present to their clients

to improve energy use in their homes. Most

importantly, PATH works with EPA through

Energy Star to educate home buyers and

lenders. This work will increase the demand

for Energy Star homes as PATH helps builders

prepare to supply them. PATH also can offer

suggestions to improve construction sites by

reducing the amount of waste produced or

using alternative materials. 

PATH provides information about alternative and emerging energy-saving technologies that can be used to improve energy

efficiency. The websites, www.pathnet.org

and www.toolbase.org, provide this information to consumers as well as builders, remodelers, and trade contractors.

Although a significant number of PATH technologies are focused on new construction,

many are equally appropriate for use in remodeling or renovation. Examples of these technologies include interior storm windows, heat

pumps and tankless hot water heaters, insulative vinyl siding, radiant barriers, and tubular

skylights.

In addition to the PATH program, HUD promotes energy efficiency in the existing housing

market through several programs:

● HOME Investment Partnerships that buy

and rehabilitate affordable housing or provide direct assistance to low-income people. 

● Energy-efficient mortgage programs that

allow home buyers to finance the cost of

adding energy-efficient features to new or

existing housing as part of their Federal

Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage.

● Energy Rehabilitation Energy Guidelines

that help owners and remodelers of singleand multifamily housing save energy and

money. Guidebooks and pamphlets

explain how property owners using HUD’s

popular Section 203(k) rehabilitation

mortgage insurance, as well as other programs, can increase the energy efficiency

of residential properties.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR 

RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY

While most electric utilities no longer offer

rebates for the installation of energy-efficient

appliances and lighting, and many states have

stopped offering tax incentives for additional

insulation or energy-efficient windows, there

still are incentives available from many states,

some utilities, and from federal financial institutions, as summarized below. 

Federal Institutions

Energy efficient mortgages are available

through FHA, Veterans Administration

(VA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. A home

energy rating performed by a trained energy

rater is required. According to those institutions, the advantages to consumers are: 

● Cost-effective, energy-saving measures

may be financed as part of the mortgage.

● Make an older, less efficient home more

comfortable and affordable.

● Increase your buying power.

● Stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios

on loans for energy-efficient homes.

● Qualify for a larger loan amount. Buy a

better, more energy-efficient home.

An overview of what these loans offer and

how they work go to: http://www.pueblo.

gsa.gov/ and click on housing.

A listing of organizations that offer these loans

is provided at: http://natresnet.org/dir/lenders/.
9

State Programs

In addition to federal incentives, many states

provide incentives for energy-efficient residential improvements, especially for renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal,

and solar energy. The incentives offered by

states vary widely. The Database of State

Incentives for Renewable Energy website

(http://www.dsireusa.org/) describes these

incentives for each state.

Many states also have programs that are implemented with the help of federal resources,

some of which are summarized above. These

programs assist low-income residents with

energy-efficient improvements, such as new

appliances, insulation, and so on. These programs vary significantly by state as these randomly selected examples demonstrate.

● Oregon offers tax rebates for purchases of

energy-efficient appliances, HVAC systems, and water heaters.

● Arkansas offers unsecured loans up to

$20,000 for specified energy-efficient

improvements with no upfront costs.

● New York offers 4.5-percent loans for 

energy-efficient improvements.

SNAPSHOT OF THE REMODELING 

INDUSTRY

A very brief snapshot of the remodeling industry is provided below. More detail is provided

in a 2001 study from the Joint Center for

Housing Studies at Harvard University titled,

“Remodeling Homes for Changing Households.” The report is available on the Joint

Center’s website in pdf form at http://www.

jchs.harvard.edu/. It is also available by calling

(617) 495-7908.

According to the Harvard report, homeowners

spent about $135 billion on remodeling projects in 1999, with 77 percent of the dollars

going to improvements and 23 percent to 

routine maintenance and repairs. Professionals

performed more than 75 percent of the work,

with the remainder done by do-it-yourselfers.

Remodeling firms usually are either general

contractors that typically hire trade contractors to do much of the work, or specialty trade

contractors, such as siding contractors,

roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and others that sell their services directly

to consumers and/or subcontract to general

contractors.

Remodeling and trade contracting are comparatively easy businesses to enter because

they require minimal capital investment and

minimum training and credentialing, with the

possible exceptions of the plumbing and electric trades. According to “Home Sweet Home

Improvement,” a 1998 article on the Federal

Consumer Information Center website

(http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov):

“... only 36 states have some type of licensing

and registration statutes affecting contractors,

remodelers, and/or specialty contractors. The

licensing can range from simple registration to

a detailed qualification process. Also, the

licensing requirements in one locality may be

different from the requirements in the rest of

the state.”

Data in the Harvard study indicate that

approximately 60,000 general contractors and

109,000 trade contractors achieved at least

half their revenues from remodeling in 1997.

These were firms that had employees and

therefore a payroll. The Harvard study estimates there were about 200,000 more selfemployed remodelers or firms without

payrolls.

The Harvard study also showed that more

than 60 percent of the 169,000 firms with payroll had annual revenues less than $250,000 in

1997. These firms accounted for less than 16

percent of annual remodeling industry revenues. The largest firms accounted for more

than half of the total revenues. These firms,

which made up just 9 percent of the contractor firms, had more than $1 million in annual

revenues.
Conditions that are perceived to be barriers or

challenges along the way to achieving this

Roadmap’s vision are summarized below.

BARRIERS TO CREATING CONSUMER

DEMAND

The first, and perhaps most all-encompassing,

factor that may work against creating 

consumer demand for energy-efficient solutions is the heavy competition for consumers’

attention and spending dollars. No matter

how straightforward or logical the goal of

increasing energy-saving techniques and products seems, it is by no means the only option

that consumers consider when remodeling,

renovating, or replacing.

Each consumer has a different driver or combination of drivers that motivates decisionmaking. One consumer may consider making

energy-efficient upgrades out of concern for

the global environment and may understand

that reducing energy use will contribute to the

greater good. Another consumer may be

swayed by the fact that new windows and

improved duct sealing will significantly cut

monthly utility bills. Still another decision

driver may factor in some element of both

these scenarios. The categories of decisions

drivers could be described loosely as social and

economic, and both must be addressed in any

successful strategy.

Overall consumer skepticism and mistrust is

another barrier. Consumers may perceive that

energy efficiency is just the latest fad that the

government, building industry, and product

manufacturers are trying to sell. This mistrust

also links to the unfortunate media depiction

of remodelers as “scam artists.” Although this

generalization may be unfair and inaccurate, it

is out there and is a force with which the

industry must contend.

Several other barriers to creating consumer

demand for energy-efficient decisions include:

● Inconsistent energy efficiency messages

received from the various federal government agencies.

● Consumers that are not motivated by economics. They are affluent, energy prices

are stable, and currently there are few

incentives, such as tax credits, rebates, or

financing advantages, that make investing

in energy efficiency look like a smart

financial decision.

● Consumers that are not driven by social

consciousness to conserve energy, possibly

as a result of the mixed messages from different political factions.

● Consumers misinformed about the effectiveness or benefits of energy-efficient

strategies.

BARRIERS TO CREATING TECHNOLOGY

PUSH BY REMODELERS AND TRADE

CONTRACTORS

This segment of the industry is comprised primarily of very small entrepreneurs who typically coordinate work at the jobsites and also

perform the myriad functions required to run

the business. Some of the barriers for these

small businesses include:

● Limited time to spend on education and

changing business practices.

● Preference to stay in their niche business.

● Investment and risk, as well as uncertainty

about revenues and profits.

● Unknown learning curve for acquiring

new knowledge, learning new skills, and

integrating different systems and trades. 

● Scattered and difficult-to-find information

on energy-efficient products and systems;

the availability of energy-efficient products; and questions about which information is accurate and correct. Who do you

believe?

1 0

BARRIERS/CHALLENGES
1 1

● Lack of performance standards, which

makes it difficult to distinguish a good,

high-quality job from a bad one.

● Skepticism about consumer demand for

energy-efficient solutions.

BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT OF

RETROFIT TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS

Barriers to the development of needed retrofit

technologies for existing homes identified in

the roadmapping process include:

● Propriety research activities in the private

sector that inhibit the free exchange of

product and control technology information.

● Lack of a uniform, standard communications protocol for integrated solutions that

monitor energy efficiency.

● Intermittent, 20-year focus on reducing

energy efficiency of existing housing stock

that has lead the industry to believe that

everything possible has been tried before

and new ideas are not possible.

● Wide differences in the condition of the

existing housing stock that prevent broadly

applicable, common energy retrofit solutions.

● Continued subsidy of the real costs of 

energy, which allows for the belief that

homeowners will not take advantage of

energy-efficient measures because their

utility bills are too low.

● Lack of tax credits, which removes incentives to improving individual home energy

performance.

● Insufficient R&D devoted to energyefficient technologies for homes, perhaps

due to low return on investment (ROI) for

producers of these technologies.

● Savings predictions that tend to be inaccurate, as savings are significantly affected by

the habits of the occupants. The net result

can be consumer distrust in predicted 

savings.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE

The nation lacks the necessary infrastructure

to market and deliver energy-efficient solutions to homeowners. This barrier cuts across

all strategies for improving the energy 

efficiency of the existing housing market. In

effect, it attempts to create market pull from

consumers, yet discourages remodelers and

trade contractors from developing, producing,

and distributing energy-efficient products and

solutions for the retrofit market. This

Roadmap lays out the strategies and actions

required to provide this infrastructure.
1 2
OVERVIEW

A unified home remodeling and repair industry strategy leads to the responsible use of

energy and enables trade contractors to assist homeowners in improving the energy

performance of existing housing, minimizing energy use in the nation’s existing housing

stock as part of a national priority for energy conservation. As a result, energy use

decreases by an average of 30 percent in at least 50 million existing homes by the year

2010.

This vision places remodelers and trade contractors in the central role of

delivering energy-efficient solutions to homeowners among whom a demand for

these solutions has been created. Moving toward the vision requires successful

implementation of the eight strategies show in Figure 5, with the following

three strategies designated as top priority to be initiated: 

● Enable Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions

● Increase the Value Consumers Associate with Energy Efficiency

● Improve Retrofit Building Envelope Performance Technologies

These three strategies are briefly summarized below, along with the rationale for

their top priority status.

Strategy 1: Enable Pratitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions

Provide home repair and remodeling professionals with the tools, skills, and

knowledge needed to guide homeowners to energy-efficient solutions and to

efficiently and effectively implement these solutions.

This strategy is the top priority because of the potential impact of the

professional remodelers and trade contractors who accounted for more than 75

percent of the $135 billion spent on remodeling in 1999, as stated in the

Harvard Report. Clearly these professionals are in an excellent position to help

homeowners make wise decisions about energy efficiency. They must be given

the knowledge and skills needed to propose cost-effective, energy-efficient

solutions to homeowners and to correctly install and commission those

solutions.

Strategy 2: Increase the Value Consumers Associate with Energy Efficiency 

Deliver a consistent, coordinated outreach message to homeowners on the

value of energy-efficient improvements. Coordinate the message among federal,

state, and local government agencies, utilities, manufacturers, distributors, and

remodelers and trade contractors.

1 3

ROADMAP
Because consumers must understand and value energy-efficient solutions

proposed by remodelers and trade contractors, this strategy is in close harmony

with the previous strategy. This strategy is especially attractive because there

are already a number of active consumer outreach programs, though they are

not well coordinated and, in many cases, remodelers and trade contractors have

not been included. This outreach strategy should not require massive additional

funds.

Strategy 3: Improve Retrofit Building Envelope Performance Technologies

Provide a continual flow of emerging and new technologies that will increase

the thermal protection of the conditioned spaces of existing homes, resulting in

decreased energy consumption and lower operating costs.

Windows and insulation currently on the market certainly are highly energy

efficient, but most are expensive to install in existing homes. The remodeling

industry urgently needs to lower these costs with more easily installed

technologies and products that improve the thermal performance of existing

buildings. Examples include technologies to improve the U-factor of windows

in place, or to improve the R-factor of walls without removing interior plaster

or gypsum board or exterior sheathing. This strategy will harness the expertise

and resources of building product manufacturers to help ensure that a steady

stream of new energy-saving technologies for existing homes comes online in

the future.

Strategies 4 through 7 are extremely critical to achieve the vision and implementation

needs of this Roadmap. They should be implemented as soon as feasible, possibly two

to three years after the top-priority strategies.

Strategy 4: Develop a Single Industry Protocol for Practitioners

Develop a single protocol—a process and methodology—for analyzing the

energy efficiency of existing homes and helping homeowners combine sound,

energy-efficient decisions with other remodeling and renovation projects.

Strategy 5: Motivate Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions

Help remodelers and trade contractors understand the economic and social

benefits of delivering energy-efficient solutions to their customers.

Strategy 6: Build Credibility for Service Providers

Establish the credibility of remodelers and trade contractors by implementing a

strong, effective certification program that includes training, testing, and

periodic review.

Strategy 7: Provide Consumer Incentives for Implementation 

Create a need, desire, and/or incentive in consumers to implement energyefficient solutions.

1 4
Strategy 8: Develop a Performance Monitoring System for EnergyConsuming Equipment

This strategy was ranked markedly lower than the above strategies. It should be

initiated within the next four to five years.

Develop a system that gives homeowners the information they need to

understand and manage their energy-consuming equipment in real time and in

a consistent and easy-to-interpret form. 

These eight strategies, and the actions required to implement them, are

summarized in the sections that follow.

1 5

Roadmap Flow Diagram

Top Priority

Initiate Immediately

High Priority

Initiate in 2 - 3 Years

Medium Priority

Initiate in 4 - 5 Years

REMODELERS AND TRADE CONTRACTORS MARKET AND DELIVER

ENERGY-EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS TO MEET CONSUMER DEMAND

Increase the Value Consumers Associate

with Energy Efficiency

Enable Practitioners to Deliver EnergyEfficient Solutions

Motivate Practitioners to Deliver EnergyEfficient Solutions

Develop a Single Industry Protocol for

Practitioners

Improve Retrofit Building Envelope 

Performance Technologies

Provide Consumer Incentives

for Implementation

Build Credibility for Service Providers

Develop a Performance Monitoring

System for Energy-Consuming

Equipment

Financial and Social Motivation

Consistent Method for

Evaluating Homeowner Needs

Knowledge and Skill

Flow of Validated Retrofit Products

Social and Economic Justification

Homeowner Awareness

Figure 5

Consumer Demand for

Energy-Efficient Solutions

Certification Program
1 6

Remodelers and trade contractors need more than motivation to deliver energyefficient solutions. They need to be enabled to do so. The strategy is to provide the

tools, skills, and knowledge needed to guide homeowners to energy-efficient solutions

and to efficiently and effectively implement these solutions.

Enabling remodelers and trade contractors to provide energy-efficient solutions

will result not only in more revenue and profit, but also will give the

satisfaction of doing the right thing for the environment and for the nation.

The skills and knowledge acquired during the enabling process will improve

remodelers’ and trade contractors’ ability to market, sell, and install these

solutions. Their businesses will grow, and their prestige as professionals will be

enhanced.

At the same time, manufacturers and suppliers will benefit from a growing

market for their products, and they will be encouraged to improve the

availability of products and product information. Figure 6 provides a timeline

for the activities required to implement this strategy. Those activities are

described below.

1.1 Collect and Document Information on Programs, Tools, and

Resources

The first and most essential step to enabling energy-efficient solutions providers

is to determine what already has been done and what already exists. This

information will provide the basis for deciding the most cost-effective and

efficient approach to proceeding with remodeler and trade contractor enabling

actions.

1 ENABLE PRACTITIONERS TO DELIVER 

ENERGY-EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS

1. Enable Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

1.1 Collect and Document Information on Programs, Tools, and Resources

1.2 Establish Recognized, Credible Sources of Information for Users

1.4 Provide Low-Volume Energy Products at Reasonable Costs

1.5 Identify and Coalesce Strategic Partners

1.6 Develop Online Education and Training Content

1.7 Benchmark Existing Houses with Various Characteristics

1.8 Develop Performance Standards

1.9 Promote Strategic Alliances Among Practitioners

1.10 Share the Plan

1.3 Create a Viable Education Platform

Figure 6
Programs that promote energy efficiency or educate, train, or certify remodelers,

builders, and trade contractors need to be identified and documented. These

programs include federal government programs, such as EPA, DOE, and HUD,

and state energy programs, such as the New York State Energy Research and

Development Authority (NYSERDA), and trade associations, such as the

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Association of

the Remodeling Industry (NARI), and a multitude of trade contractor

associations.

The wide range of testing and analysis tools and protocols that already exist

also need to be identified and documented. Tools include various hardware

devices, such as blower door testers, infrared sensors, and airflow sensors;

analysis tools predict the energy savings of various implementations or calculate

payback.

The incentives currently in existence also must be identified and described.

These include federal and state tax incentives, financial incentives, such as

energy-efficient mortgages offered by FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac,

and various utility rebate programs.

1.2 Establish Recognized, Credible Sources of Information for Users

To provide energy-efficient solutions, remodelers and trade contractors need

information. Remodelers often don’t know how to get a product, whether it is

going to work, how to install it, or whether it is cost-effective. These

practitioners also need to know about the availability of financial instruments

and rebates and about tools that can help them sell energy efficiency.

In some cases, the information may not be readily available in printed form or

on the Internet. In other cases, too much information is available and channels

for integrating information are missing, which makes it difficult for

practitioners to integrate all of the new technologies into a coherent package. 

The availability of multiple tools also is confusing. For example, several tools

for analyzing and predicting energy savings that might be realized by installing

various products or systems currently are available on the Internet. The

question remains, “Which one should providers of energy-efficient solutions

use?”

A clearinghouse is needed to connect the remodeler or builder to the

appropriate information source. The clearinghouse should be accessible via the

Internet, include a low-bandwidth version compatible with wireless devices and

the ability to print a paper version, and provide a telephone interface.

Additional outlets for the information include locations, such as lumberyards,

where practitioners can learn about and buy energy-efficient products.

1.3 Create a Viable Education Platform

Educating and training remodelers and trade contractors is critical to the

success of this enabling strategy. It is extremely difficult for these people to find

the time for education, however, because they typically run small businesses and

already work more than 40 hours a week keeping their businesses going. Thus,

educational opportunities must be as convenient and flexible as possible—

qualities that may best be provided by Internet-based training.

1 7
An Internet-based training platform must be developed, field-tested by

remodelers and trade contractors, and fine-tuned to ensure that it is delivering

information effectively, that the students are acquiring the information, and

that the measurement of student mastery of the materials is effective and

accurate.

1.4 Provide Low-Volume Energy Products at Reasonable Costs

Remodelers and trade contractors who currently wish to use newer or

underutilized energy products have a problem, especially if they aren’t located

in highly populated areas. Whether the products are ones they want to

introduce to homeowners, or products homeowners have selected themselves,

these energy-efficient solutions providers simply cannot obtain the products

they want through local distribution. Or they cannot get the information, such

as price, warranties, application data, installation instructions, or availability,

they need in order to include one of the products in their bid. 

This activity is an urgent request for producers and distributors of these

products to be responsive to the needs of these remodelers and trade

contractors by ensuring, to the extent feasible, that local distributors, such as

lumber companies, have the necessary products and product information,

including price. In addition, contact information must be made available, such

as websites where practitioners can get the information they need online or via

email and telephone numbers with short queue times. Manufacturers and sellers

also must be willing to provide information via mail, FedEx, or UPS, and to

ship small quantities of the product quickly and at a reasonable cost.

1.5 Identify and Coalesce Strategic Partners

Given that improving the energy efficiency of existing housing should be a

national priority, the effort deserves the combined attention and resources of a

wide array of public and private entities, including federal agencies such as

HUD, EPA, and DOE, financial institutions, manufacturers, distributors and

retailers, trade associations, research organizations, state energy offices, utilities,

and universities.

Formal methods and processes for coalescing these entities need to be

established. These processes might leverage existing strategic coalitions such as

PATH, but also must include meetings that promote the exchange of

information and establish linkages, as well as formal methods of

communication.

A practical outcome of this activity might be a coalition of remodelers,

distributors, and manufacturers that work together to get the product to the

field and to get field information back to the manufacturer. This coalition

might establish a networking process for facilitating the flow of information in

both directions, which could serve to guide Activities 1.2 and 1.4.

1.6 Develop Online Education and Training Content

Online education and training content will enable remodelers and trade

contractors to help homeowners make good energy-efficient choices, including

the use of testing and analytical tools, and to select and correctly install energyefficient products and systems. The content will be made available to remodelers

and trade contractors on the education platform developed under Activity 1.3.

1 8
1.7 Benchmark Existing Houses with Various Characteristics

The existing national housing stock spans several centuries and all imaginable

levels of energy efficiency, including the lack thereof. An understanding of the

characteristics of these houses, and the correlation between these observable

characteristics, energy efficiency, and perhaps other parameters, would be a

valuable resource for enabling practitioners. The resulting information might

help remodelers understand where they should direct their attention, whether

they need to call in an energy analyst, or the locations of groups of houses

needing energy improvements. For example, a remodeler might recognize a

potentially good market for energy-efficient solutions simply by driving through

a neighborhood and observing the characteristics of the houses.

Benchmarking activities could include identifying and grouping houses by

characteristics, such as age, type of construction, and type of architecture. Then

specific homes would be evaluated and tested to determine critical parameters,

such as air infiltration, window U-value, ceiling and wall R-factors, HVAC

system performance, and so forth. 

1.8 Develop Performance Standards

Although the residential construction and remodeling industries traditionally

have not used formal, ISO-9000-type quality processes, this is changing rapidly.

General contractors and builders are beginning to implement these practices and

to insist that their trade contractors conform. The NAHB Research Center,

working with CertainTeed, has implemented a successful insulation contractor

quality program. The PATH program, working through the NAHB Research

Center, has been instrumental in developing a framing contractor quality

program, piloted in Las Vegas, and now available for implementation nationwide.

The practitioner’s understanding of what constitutes quality is fundamental to

the implementation of quality energy solutions. Performance standards are

needed that define the accepted practices for selecting, installing, and

commissioning products and systems. This activity is directed at developing the

performance standards for residential remodeling. The performance standard

must not be limited to energy efficiency because implementation of energyefficient solutions could have a deleterious effect on other systems, if not

considered as a whole. Also, an energy-efficient remodeler whose non-energy

related work is second-class, won’t be effective in the marketplace. 

1.9 Promote Strategic Alliances Among Practitioners

The ultimate success of energy-efficient remodeling, repair, or retrofit depends

on cooperation and coordination among a diverse group, including remodelers,

energy raters, trade contractors, including roofers, siding contractors, plumbers,

electricians, and HVAC contractors, and others. These diverse groups of people

need to be able to communicate and coordinate their efforts. Remodelers may

need to know the qualified and certified HVAC contractors, roofers, or

available energy raters in the area. Energy efficiency and business profitability

benefits may be realized by some formal agreements for referral.

This action promotes such alliances. A promising avenue for implementation is

through the various national and regional trade associations, as well as state

energy offices and utilities willing to encourage and support local and regional

alliances to improve coordination and communication.

1 9
1.10 Share the Plan—Promote These Actions to Remodelers and Trade

Contractors

This action should be done as part of, and in coordination with, the outreach

activity described under Strategy 5: Motivate Practitioners to Deliver EnergyEfficient Solutions. The basic idea is to keep remodelers and trade contractors

aware of all the activities that comprise this Roadmap, to obtain their buy-in,

and to derive the benefit of their feedback.

2 0
This strategy is directed at delivering a consistent, coordinated outreach message to

homeowners on the value of energy-efficient improvements, and coordinating the

message among federal, state, and local government agencies, utilities, manufacturers,

distributors, and remodelers and trade contractors. 

Figure 7 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

2.1 Craft Uniform Messages for Consumers

The first step to establishing or increasing, in the consumer’s eye, the value of

energy-efficient improvements is to make sure that there is a constant,

consistent, and well-crafted message. This applies to both government and

private stakeholders. As described in the Barriers/Challenges section, there are

plenty of messages bombarding consumers in today’s marketplace. Why add to

the chaos by having a variety of different messages from federal and state

government organizations, non-profits, utility companies, and manufacturers, all

of which are trying to accomplish the same general goal?

Achieving message consistency requires a comprehensive review of existing

messages and an assessment of the most effective messages, keeping in mind the

need to appeal on both the social and economic fronts. An often-overlooked

additional benefit is the significantly improved comfort of an energy-efficient

home—a benefit stressed by some HVAC technicians and HVAC controls

companies.

The review and agreement process needs to obtain consensus from multiple

stakeholders, including DOE, EPA, HUD, NAHB’s RemodelorsTM Council,

environmental groups, utility companies, and building product manufacturers of

products such as HVAC equipment, windows, doors, insulation, photovoltaic,

and so on. 

EPA’s Energy Star program must be included in this analysis because it has been

successful in reaching consumers and its goals are aligned with PATH’s goals for

existing homes. The Home Energy Assistance Team (HEAT) in Colorado is

another example of an apparently successful state program designed to educate

2 1

2INCREASE THE VALUE CONSUMERS

ASSOCIATE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

2. Increase the Value Consumers Associate with Energy Efficiency

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

2.1 Craft Uniform Messages (both public and private) for Consumers

2.2 Gauge Existing Consumer Knowledge of the Value of Energy Efficiency

2.4 Measure the Effectiveness of the Message and Delivery Vehicles

2.5 Refine Messages, Then Repeat the Process

2.3 Deliver Messages Through Multiple Media

Figure 7
consumers about energy efficiency. It is sponsored by HUD, Home Depot, and

Oakwood Homes. 

2.2 Gauge Existing Consumer Knowledge of the Value of Energy

Efficiency

Before the unified, “Energy efficiency is valuable,” message is developed and

delivered, participants need to be apprised of existing consumer knowledge and

values related to the topic. They need to know the effective messages and

delivery methods. Some participants already may have collected this consumer

information for their own purposes and might be willing to share it with the

group.

Consumer input is a critical part of this activity. What motivates consumers?

What gets their attention? It might be necessary to do a comprehensive

consumer survey and/or to conduct consumer focus groups. Town meetings in

various parts of the country also might be appropriate. 

2.3 Deliver Messages Through Multiple Media 

Once the pool of potential messages is pared down to a workable and consistent

number, the messages should be delivered through multiple media, including

print, electronic, audio, visual, public, and private, to reach the maximum

number of pertinent consumers. While these informational and marketing

products might be produced by each of the stakeholders, above all else, the

message should remain consistent. 

2.4 Measure the Effectiveness of the Message and Delivery Vehicles

As with any educational or marketing effort, the message developed and

delivered is only effective if it has meaning and impact for the information

receiver. For this reason, it is necessary to gauge the effectiveness of both the

message and the delivery channels. Such an analysis may be accomplished

through consumer focus groups, individual interviews, and/or surveys. It might

be necessary and prudent to look to a professional market research company to

accomplish this phase of the strategy.

2.5 Refine Messages, Then Repeat the Process

Once armed with the results of the assessment noted in Activity 2.4, involved

stakeholders need to amend or uphold the developed message and the delivery

modes. This step might involve reassembling the stakeholders involved at the

beginning of the process. Building alliances with these parties will further the

goals of getting consumer buy-in for the concept of energy efficiency in their

existing homes. Then it’s back to the beginning—deliver the message, measure

its effectiveness, refine it, and so on.

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This strategy is directed at fielding technologies that will increase the thermal

performance of the conditioned spaces of existing homes, resulting in decreased energy

consumption and lower operating costs. It addresses wider use of existing products in

existing homes as well as development of new technologies. 

Improving the thermal envelope reduces the amount of energy used for heating

and cooling, and allows the use of lower-capacity, less-expensive heating and

cooling equipment and/or extends the useful life of such equipment by requiring

it to run less often or less strenuously. Improving the thermal envelope of an

existing home also is a key factor in improving the comfort of its occupants.

The two major thrusts of this strategy are: 1) undertake activities that will speed

the diffusion of existing, effective technologies; and 2) develop new, lower-cost,

easier-to-install, more energy-efficient technologies. Figure 8 provides a timeline

for the activities required to implement this strategy. Those activities are

described below.

3.1 Evaluate and Demonstrate Underutilized Energy-Efficient

Retrofit Products 

Products or systems that look good on paper and in the laboratory may not be

widely applied in the field for any number of reasons. Prospective users often are

skeptical about performance claims and may be wary of premature failures.

Remodelers and trade contractors may be unfamiliar with a technology and how

and where to apply it. This activity identifies underutilized products and systems

that show promise for significantly contributing to the energy efficiency of

existing homes, evaluates their performance in the real world, and disseminates

the results to homeowners, remodelers, and trade contractors.

The approach collects real world information about installed costs, as well as

performance and other information about the product or system when it is used

in various house designs in appropriate climatic regions. In some cases, the

information might already exist where remodeling and trade contractors have

used the product or system and maintained records. In many cases it may be

2 3

3IMPROVE RETROFIT BUILDING ENVELOPE

PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGIES

3. Improve Retrofit Building Envelope Performance Technologies

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

3.1 Evaluate and Demonstrate Underutilized Energy-Efficient Retrofit

Products

3.2 Identify Areas of Heat Gain/Loss in Existing Homes

3.4 Convene Industry Coordination Meeting

3.5 Support Efforts to Design and Develop New Envelope Products for

Existing Home Retrofits

3.3 Identify Technologies from Other Industries for Use in Residential

Energy Retrofit Products

Figure 8
necessary to conduct field tests or demonstration programs that carefully

document each of the steps in the retrofit process. Programs of this type already

are being performed for technologies applied to new construction under the

PATH Field Evaluations, and a similar approach is recommended for retrofit

technologies for existing homes.

Examples of technologies that might benefit from field evaluations include

conversion of ventilated crawl spaces to conditioned spaces or high-R leveling

boards installed under siding.

Results of these evaluations need to be made available to consumers,

remodelers, and trade contractors, and incorporated in the consumer outreach

and the remodeler and trade contractor outreach activities described in

Strategy 1: Enable Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions.

3.2 Identify Areas of Heat Gain and Loss in Existing Homes

Manufacturers, contractors, and consumers all need to know where heat is

gained in summer or lost in winter in their homes. This knowledge helps

manufacturers decide where R&D makes sense, and contractors and consumers

decide on the most effective areas to upgrade for energy efficiency. One

important output of this activity would be a set of guidelines for appropriate

energy-conserving activities that balance health and durability concerns while

maximizing the cost effectiveness of energy retrofits for various climatic and

geographic areas of the United States.

A great deal of work has been completed in this area and most large and small

heat-gain and heat-loss areas have been identified. This area needs to be

reviewed, however, to correlate currently available products and analysis tools

with the actual energy consumption of existing homes in the United States. In

the past, the focus has been on areas of large heat loss and heat gain in existing

homes, including walls, ceiling and floor insulation, windows and doors that

leak air, and smaller air leaks spread throughout the surface of the building

exterior. Another area of focus is water heaters because of their continuous

energy use to maintain a supply of hot water. There is a need to revisit this area

of research to coordinate the current conditioned air loss data with current new

construction information on durability, moisture damage, and indoor air quality

research conducted in recent years. 

3.3 Identify Technologies from Other Industries for Use in

Residential Energy Retrofit Products

The home building industry is different from many other industries and yet the

issues of energy use in buildings are not unique. The 120 million existing homes

share many of the same physical requirements that affect commercial and other

non-residential buildings. This activity reaches across industry lines and

evaluates-energy conserving strategies and products that also could be used to

retrofit existing homes. Some examples raised during the roadmapping process

include:

● Insulation materials with markedly higher R-value per inch, such as thin but

warm fabric from the apparel industry that permits dramatic increases in the

thermal resistance of existing walls without adding perceptibly to the

thickness of the inside or outside wall surface.

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● Environmentally sensitive roofing materials that change thermal

characteristics, such as light color to reflect or dark color to absorb radiant

solar energy, when climate conditions change.

● New glazing technologies that permit windows to become radiant energy

absorbers or electrical energy generators.

● Durable, flexible, and inexpensive caulking and weatherstripping materials

that maintain an airtight envelope. 

● Responsive window film that can be retrofitted easily and permanently onto

existing residential windows.

● Enhancements that affect resistant glazing to provide reflection, absorption,

or other spectrally-selective benefits.

● Air barrier membranes that can be retrofitted over the interior or exterior of

existing walls or ceilings, and that shrink to fit after initial installation.

● Additional options for retrofit materials that increase the R-value of walls,

floors, and ceilings.

This activity has been underway through PATH for several years. Designated as

technology scanning, these technologies, which are available or under

development in the United States and abroad, have been identified and

described on the NAHB Research Center’s ToolBase web page:

http://www.toolbase.org/techscan. 

Many of the identified technologies are as applicable to retrofit as to new home

construction. Thus the activity described here would require only a review and

possible expansion of the work already completed.

3.4 Convene Industry Coordination Meeting 

Cooperation between trade associations, government laboratories, and private

research entities is necessary to bring needed resources to bear on energyconservation solutions for existing homes. This activity provides wide exposure

to the information collected and analyzed in previous activities, and

opportunities to develop partnerships and joint efforts to bring needed products

to the marketplace. After the research effort identifies new and necessary

envelope materials, a national meeting is needed to prioritize the product

enhancement or product development efforts necessary to coordinate methods

for bringing these products to the existing home energy retrofit marketplace.

3.5 Support Efforts to Design and Develop New Envelope Products

for Existing Home Retrofits

A continuous flow of new and improved products to serve the existing home

energy retrofit market is needed as part of a national effort to reduce energy use

in existing homes. Beginning immediately and continuing through the

abovementioned activities, public and private sector research and product

development groups need to address the unique requirements encountered

when retrofitting homes. With a continuous loop of research, testing,

documentation of product applications, and product demonstrations, these

2 5
products will become part of the effort to implement the vision of energy usage

reductions in the existing housing stock.

Examples of envelope technologies or products that could make significant

improvements include:

● Economical replacement windows easily installed in openings with small

dimensional differences.

● Vacuum glazing for existing sashes and frames.

● Spectrally-selective, durable, and low-e films easily applied to existing

window glazing.

● Standardized weatherstripping profiles for windows and doors.

● Removable, reusable caulk.

● Improved foam sealants that expand to fill voids, but not with such force

that they distort window and door frames.

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2 7

Develop a single protocol, including methodologies and procedures, for analyzing the

energy efficiency of existing homes and helping homeowners combine sound, energyefficient decisions with other remodeling and renovation projects. 

Homeowners are presented with a wide array of choices when doing major

home repair, home remodeling, home modification, energy-efficient

improvements, home expansion, or accessibility improvements. The result often

is a dilution of the effectiveness of the remodeling or renovation investment.

Whether homeowners want to replace a major piece of equipment or remodel a

kitchen or a bath, there is no standard process to review appropriate options for

function, maintenance, energy efficiency, cost, and financing features. 

This strategy develops a unified approach, or protocol, for remodelers, trade

contractors, and retail organizations to help homeowners make the best choices

for home improvement projects. The protocol addresses an existing home as a

complete and integrated whole. Energy improvements are viewed as natural and

integral to the strategy for improving comfort, reducing monthly home

operating costs, securing advantageous financing for the desired changes, and

participating in a national effort to increase U.S. energy independence. 

The protocol provides a consistent, high-quality, consumer-oriented approach

taught to and used by all certified energy professionals and communicated in

consumer outreach Strategy 2: Increase the Value Consumers Associate with

Energy Efficiency. This protocol would not only increase the value of certified

professionals to homeowners, but would also provide a consistent, unified

approach by remodelers, HVAC contractors, energy auditors, siding contractors,

and all of the other trades that obtain certification.

Figure 9 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

4 DEVELOP A SINGLE INDUSTRY PROTOCOL 

FOR PRACTITIONERS

4. Develop a Single Protocol for Practitioners

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

4.1 Collect and Document the Current Industry Analysis and Design

Procedures

4.2 Develop a Standard Process for an Independent Post-Improvement

Quality Audit

4.4 Establish Cross-Industry Agreement to Use the Protocol

4.5 Promote the Benefits of the Protocol with Consumer Outreach

4.6 Integrate the Protocol into Industry Training and Certification Programs

4.3 Develop Standard Analysis and Design Procedures—a Protocol—for the

Home Repair and Remodeling Industry

Figure 9
4.1 Collect and Document Current Industry Analysis and 

Design Procedures 

Determine how professionals currently help homeowners make decisions about

home improvements. Look at how they approach remodeling and renovation,

repair and replacement, energy audits, HVAC equipment upgrades, and energyefficient upgrades in existing homes. Then document the results to serve as a

basis for developing the protocol.

The study must look at the standard sales and marketing strategies currently

used by remodelers to meet their customers’ needs for room additions, kitchen

and bath remodeling, whole-house renovations, and so on. It also must look at

strategies and methodologies remodelers and trade contractors currently use to

help customers select new roofing, siding, windows, and doors, and address how

decisions are made to perform energy audits and the actions performed as a

result of the audits. The ways that the home retail industry, especially the large

home product chain stores, market and sell to homeowners for do-it-yourself

projects also needs to be investigated.

This activity identifies the many ways these different companies analyze

consumer needs, design solutions for consumer problems, arrange financing for

desired projects, and implement those solutions. 

4.2 Develop a Standard Process for an Independent 

Post-Improvement Quality Audit 

The audit will assess the effectiveness of any energy-efficient improvements

that might have been included in a home improvement project.

Energy use and utility costs in existing homes are heavily dependent on how

the occupants operate their homes. When homeowners invest in energy

efficiency, they need to have confidence that the energy-efficient

improvements have been completed correctly. They also need to know how to

operate their homes to achieve maximum comfort and utility cost savings. 

This activity develops a new process for an independent third-party audit of the

completed project and the delivery of a post-improvement homeowner

operating manual that assures consumers that the improvements they purchased

are complete, and that a new and appropriate operating regimen for their home

can be implemented successfully. This task must draw on the expertise of

current industry professionals to ensure that the end product is both practical

and affordable. In fact, the performance standards in the quality audit should be

derived from, or might be identical to, the performance standards described in

Activity 1.8: Develop Performance Standards. Post-improvement quality audits

might be performed by home inspectors or energy auditors not originally

involved in specifying or performing the improvements.

4.3 Develop Standard Analysis and Design Procedures—a Protocol—

for the Home Repair and Remodeling Industry

Develop a unified and standard protocol that allows home improvement

professionals to identify the current and future needs of homeowners and offers

solutions that provide the best combination of functional and energy

conservation benefits. Combining energy conservation considerations with

2 8
remodeling or home expansion needs allows homeowners to make decisions

that may result in lower life-cycle costs and to derive benefits from available

financial incentives for using energy-efficient products or systems. 

The protocol should include an energy analysis, which may range from a simple

checklist to a formal energy audit depending on the home, the homeowner, and

the work requested. The analysis should include a set of prioritized energy

retrofit improvements, possibly customized to the climatic region in which the

home is located and the age of the home. For example, if a homeowner wants

to replace a failed HVAC system, the contractor should at least take a look at

the ductwork for sealing and insulation. Also, a setback thermostat should be

standard and the homeowner should be aware of the cost savings it offers and

how to program it. 

As a standard part of validating the energy retrofit process and to emphasize the

importance of the intelligent operation of the improved home, the protocol

also should include the post-improvement quality audit described in

Activity 4.2. This protocol will apply to auditors and other energy contractors

as well as remodelers and trade contractors.

The protocol must be developed by the industry, especially by remodelers, trade

contractors, energy auditors, and home improvement retailers, all of whom are

the ultimate users of the protocol. Technical organizations and trade

associations for roofing, insulation, siding, windows, and the like also need to

be involved. 

4.4 Establish Cross-Industry Agreement to Use the Protocol

Agreements need to be established between professional members of the home

energy efficiency industry, such as energy auditors and HVAC contractors, and

the remodeling industry so that responses to homeowners‚ requests for major

repairs, renovations, or remodeling are consistent, regardless of who responds. 

Agreements might take the form of memoranda of understanding or a joint

marketing program. A cooperative marketing approach can expand the market

for all services offered by the various industry segments. Large retail chains also

would be a valuable link to homeowners when their home improvement needs

are in the initial stages of development. Retail stores routinely refer

homeowners to a list of cooperating home improvement contractors to initiate

the whole-house assessment, and home remodelers routinely call on energy

auditors for both initial home energy assessments and post-improvement quality

assessments. HVAC contractors can refer customers to remodelers or to energy

auditors to initiate the process of the whole-house analysis and assessment.

Remodelers can routinely and formally use home auditors and HVAC

contractors as subcontractors on more comprehensive home improvement

projects.

4.5 Promote the Benefits of the Protocol with Consumer Outreach

Widespread acceptance and use of the protocol will occur only if consumers

understand the benefits of looking at home improvement options in a unified

and organized manner. The protocol needs to be an important element in the

consumer outreach described in Strategy 2: Increase the Value Consumers

Associate with Energy Efficiency. Use of a unified analysis and design protocol

2 9
also will increase the credibility of, and provide benefits to, the home

improvement industry. It also might potentially reduce the level of concern felt

by homeowners that they are being pressured into including more in their home

improvement project than they originally intended.

4.6 Integrate the Protocol into Industry Training and 

Certification Programs 

The protocol is an important element of the remodeler and trade contractor

training and credentialing program discussed under Strategy 6: Build Credibility

for Service Providers. With a standard approach as a baseline for training, the

additional aspects of financing programs and utility industry rebate programs

could be presented to homeowners in a favorable context. A new certification

program, such as one for energy improvement contractors or remodelers, could

utilize this unified protocol to build value into the analysis and design phase of

the interactive contractor-homeowner process.

3 0
3 1

Help remodelers and trade contractors understand the economic and social benefits of

delivering energy-efficient solutions to their customers. 

Hundreds of thousands of remodelers and trade contractors who interact with

homeowners daily are in ideal positions to guide customers toward energyefficient decisions. These remodelers and trade contractors must be motivated

to push energy efficient technologies. They need to be convinced that energyefficiency is a good new market opportunity. Just as consumers currently make

energy-efficient decisions for a variety of reasons, remodelers and trade

contractors may decide to push energy-efficient solutions for a variety of

reasons, ranging from pragmatic financial analyses to very subjective feelings of

social consciousness.

Remodelers and trade contractors already have long lists of important

parameters that they review with customers—costs, reliability, quality,

aesthetics, safety, comfort, and warranty. They need to be apprised of the

massive energy-efficient market that is developing, and the business niche

energy efficiency can provide. In addition to the potential for profit, contractors

need to see how energy-efficient remodeling can improve their credibility and

enhance their business image. The actions described below are directed toward

two fundamental goals: 1) develop the information and tools necessary to

demonstrate the financial benefits of energy-efficient solutions; and 2) provide

differentiation for contractors who are providers of energy-efficient solutions.

Figure 10 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

5.1 Define the Market

Although many subjective reasons might influence a remodeler’s or trade

contractor’s decision about whether to become a deliverer of energy-efficient

5 MOTIVATE PRACTITIONERS TO DELIVER

ENERGY-EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS

5. Motivate Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

5.1 Define the Market

5.2 Study the Business Models of Successful, Similar Businesses

5.4 Develop Financial Incentives

5.5 Develop and Implement an Energy-Efficient Certification Program for

Remodelers and Trade Contractors

5.6 Develop Award or Other Recognition Programs for Certified Contractors

5.7 Develop and Implement an Outreach Program to Reach Remodelers

and Trade Contractors

5.3 Develop a Model Business Plan

See Strategy 6

Figure 10
solutions, the bottom line is that they are all business people. Therefore they

must be satisfied that energy efficiency is a viable market, and that they receive

the information they need to make sound business decisions.

This market definition includes regional as well as national survey data. In most

cases it entails the analysis of existing data. Supplementing existing survey data

with additional data collection and/or the use of private survey data also may be

necessary. 

In addition to quantitative data from surveys, qualitative consumer results

obtained from focus groups or other sources must be made available. 

5.2 Study the Business Models of Successful, Similar Service

Businesses 

Look for examples of successful, profitable service businesses that have

developed where formerly there were none. Analyze the businesses to

determine the characteristics and actions that made them successful and

document the results. Service businesses that may be appropriate models

include exterior insulating finish systems (EIFS) mitigation, duct cleaning, and

lawn care, especially lawn fertilizing. Successful home remodeling, renovation,

and repair businesses also should be studied.

A model that may be directly applicable is the “Shared Energy Savings”

approach to financing energy-related replacements or upgrades offered by

service maintenance contractors and utility companies in the commercial

service business. In this approach, the service contractor participates in the

funding of the project, and then recovers the investment by sharing in the

energy savings realized by the building owner. 

5.3 Develop a Model Business Plan

The model business plan provides a template that remodelers and trade

contractors could use to quickly and easily analyze the financial aspects of their

businesses, such as revenues, operating expenses, margins, and ROIs. The

template would be available in paper form and also exist in electronic form,

probably as a spreadsheet. Remodelers and trade contractors then could simply

plug into the form the numbers for their region (from Activity 5.1), along with

the numbers that uniquely represent their business, with the results provided by

the program.

5.4 Develop Financial Incentives 

Financial incentives are critically important to consumers as well as trade

contractors and remodelers who are expected to market energy-efficient

solutions to consumers. Consumer-oriented Strategy 7: Provide Consumer

Incentives for Implementation describes what needs to be done to give

consumers incentives. The activity described here provides financial incentives

to remodelers and trade contractors that will help them incorporate energyefficient solutions into their businesses. 

Incentives might include low-interest or interest-free loans to purchase

necessary equipment or training for themselves or their employees. Incentives

also might include reductions in taxes and outright grants to qualifying

remodeling or contracting businesses. NYSERDA is an example of a state

3 2
energy organization that provides financial assistance for purchasing energy

testing equipment. Another possibility is to provide up-front funds for

professionals to implement a shared energy savings program and/or for utilities

to extend their energy savings programs to include residential homes.

5.5 Develop and Implement an Energy-Efficient Certification

Program for Remodelers and Trade Contractors

Refer to Strategy 6: Build Credibility for Service Providers, which focuses on

developing and implementing a certification program. 

5.6 Develop Award or Other Recognition Programs for Certified

Contractors

Award programs that acknowledge high-quality, energy-efficient remodeling

can effectively motivate remodelers. An award program must be fair and evenly

administered, with well-defined criteria for winning. 

Although award-recognition programs need to be consistent across the country,

they must have a strong local content. To ensure that consumers find and select

outstanding providers of energy-efficient solutions to do their remodeling,

renovation, or repair work, effective outreach must be a key element of award

programs.

5.7 Develop and Implement an Outreach Program to Reach

Remodelers and Trade Contractors

Activities 5.1 through 5.6, in combination, provide tangible evidence of the

desirability of energy-efficient solutions. The business-financial viability

analysis, certification programs, and award programs differentiate energyefficient solutions providers from other remodelers and trade contractors.

Furthermore, implementation of the consumer outreach strategies will provide a

market pull for energy-efficient solutions.

One additional motivation step is needed—an outreach program that is derived

from, connected to, and coordinated with the consumer outreach program.

Remodelers and trade contractors must be made aware of the consumer pull

that is being created; of the fact that consumers know about the certification

and award recognition programs; and of the economic and social benefits of

energy-efficient solutions. Remodelers and trade contractors also need to be

aware of the social benefits, which generally are the same benefits as those for

consumers, but with a different slant for providers and implementers of energyefficient solutions.

3 3
3 4

Establishing the credibility of remodelers and trade contractors is key to their success in

helping homeowners make energy-efficient decisions for repair, remodeling, or

replacement projects. A strong, effective certification program that includes training,

testing, and periodic review is required.

As discussed in the Barriers/Challenges section, consumer mistrust of the

building and remodeling industry is widespread. Although many of these

feelings may be based on misconceptions and negative generalizations, a

proactive approach to assuring credibility is likely to be far more effective than

simply trying to change the image. A strong, effective certification program

that ensures the competency and integrity of remodelers and trade contractors

is fundamental to this strategy. Certification also will be a strong motivator for

remodelers and trade contractors, providing a way to differentiate themselves as

energy-efficient solutions providers (see Strategy 5: Motivate Practitioners to

Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions).

Figure 11 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

6.1 Establish an Industry-Recognized Contractor Certification or

Credentialing Program

Develop a program that includes training and testing for all aspects of the

profession, including analysis, design, installation, product selection, use of

tools, quality management, and ethics. The topics should not be limited to

energy, but must encompass all elements of remodeling to ensure that

completed jobs are not just energy efficient, but are of high quality and meet

consumers’ needs.

Certification that is recognized within the building industry and among

consumers will help brand this remodeling specialty and lend credibility to

their work. The possibility of tying the program to existing programs needs to

be considered. For example, the well-established and consumer-recognized

Energy Star program might be expanded so that a remodeler who goes through

the agreed-upon curriculum and evaluation becomes an Energy Star Certified

Remodeler or Energy Star Energy Specialist. It may be desirable to connect this

certification to an award program, such as the one described in Strategy 5:

Motivate Practitioners to Deliver Energy-Efficient Solutions.

6 BUILD CREDIBILITY FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS

6. Build Credibility for Service Providers

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

6.1 Establish Industry-Recognized Contractor Certification or Credentialing

Program

6.2 Create Co-Brand with Third-Party Organizations

6.3 Create and Bolster Industry and Non-Industry Partnerships

Figure 11
3 5

The NAHB RemodelorsTM Council already has in place a Certified Graduate

Remodeler (CGR) program and another recently initiated Certified Aging-inPlace Specialist (CAPS) program that could serve as models from which this

certification program could be developed.

6.2 Create Co-Brand with Third-Party Organizations

This part of the strategy is linked closely with the certification discussed in

Activity 3.1: Evaluate and Demonstrate Underutilized Energy-Efficient Retrofit

Products. Without buy-in from non-vested consumer organizations and others,

the certification would have very little meaning to the average consumer. After

all, any group can create its own standards and offer certification. The validity

of a certification is more apparent when other organizations that already have

consumer support convey their confidence in that designation by providing

their seal of approval. While the selection of groups that might help forge this

co-branded identification could vary from market to market and region to

region, depending on the influence of those groups, possibilities include Energy

Star, better business bureaus, environmental groups, and others. The CAPS

program offered by NAHB and endorsed by AARP is a good example of cobranding that has significantly improved the credibility of CAPS-certified

contractors.

6.3 Create and Bolster Industry and Non-Industry Partnerships

Industry and non-industry partnerships can effectively provide credibility to

remodelers and the remodeling industry, especially when coupled with

certification programs. Many established partnerships already are helping to

increase consumer confidence in the remodeling industry and in the value of

energy efficiency. The partnerships that currently exist need to be identified

and the network of both industry and non-industry (consumer, government)

alliances needs to be enlarged. 
After creating a consistent, unified message about the value attached to energyefficient improvements for existing homes, the next critical element is to create a need,

desire, and/or incentive in consumers to implement these valuable home

improvements.

Part of these incentives needs to be incorporated into the messages delivered,

and part needs to be built into remodelers’ and trade contractors’ follow-up and

personal contact with consumers. Working on the knowledge that different

motivators, which can be broadly identified as social and economic, drive every

consumer, the most universal and applicable drivers for this part of the

initiative are fear, greed, and guilt. 

Figure 12 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

7.1 Quantify and Define the Economic Value of Energy Efficiency

Consumers need to understand the various economic benefits that contribute to

the value of energy efficiency in order to be convinced to implement retrofit

energy solutions. Factors that help to quantify this value include ROI, tax

incentives and/or penalties, increased curb appeal, and the potential for the

increased resale value of an energy-efficient home. The quantification for this

task needs to come from a number of sources. Probably the best starting place is

with the stakeholders mentioned in Strategy 2: Increase the Value Consumers

Associate with Energy Efficiency. In fact, EPA and DOE both provide

interactive software tools that predict energy amounts and costs saved as a

result of implementing various energy-efficient improvements.

7.2 Identify the Social Benefits of Energy Efficiency

At the same time, this strategy requires consumer education about the benefits

of energy efficiency that are not quite as tangible as the economics. These are

the emotional and social “touchy-feely” reasons to be more energy conscious.

Some of these reasons include improved health (indoor air quality), benefits to

the environment (the green appeal), and patriotism/national pride (decrease

the nation’s reliance on foreign energy suppliers). An example of an effective

social consciousness message is the 1970s public service announcement that

featured a Native American shedding a single but meaningful tear when he

looked out over the polluted and spoiled landscape all around him. That

campaign had the kind of emotional (fear/guilt) triggers that need to be created

for this purpose. To this end, it may be necessary to seek the services of a

professional advertising firm and/or the Ad Council.

3 6

7 PROVIDE CONSUMER INCENTIVES FOR

IMPLEMENTATION

7. Provide Consumers Incentives for Implementation

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

7.1 Quantify and Define the Economic Value of Energy Efficiency

7.2 Identify Social Benefits of Energy Efficiency

Figure 12
3 7

Develop a system that gives homeowners the information they need to understand and

manage their energy-consuming equipment in real time, and in a consistent, easy-tointerpret form. 

This strategy is directed at collecting operating data from the various energyconsuming products and systems in a home, communicating the information to

a central point, and displaying it to the home occupants in an easy-tounderstand, consistent format. The information might include the current

status of any operating equipment, such as the maintenance level, years of

expected remaining operation, current operating efficiency compared to

manufacturer’s specifications, and actual energy consumption in a normal

operating mode. It might even indicate to-date and projected utility costs.

The system would provide ongoing consumer education and allow homeowners

control over their homes and their energy-consuming equipment, potentially

reducing the monthly operating costs of existing homes by giving homeowners

a better understanding of the consequences of their behavior. The system also

would improve the service life of the equipment through delivery and use of

real-time maintenance and service requirements, and could improve comfort by

allowing for the correction of faulty equipment operation and maximizing the

opportunities to operate the energy-consuming equipment in a complementary

manner.

Responsibility for the development of systems that implement this strategy

ultimately lies with the manufacturers of home automation systems, energy

management systems, HVAC systems, and others. A number of enabling

activities, described below, will facilitate the development and diffusion of

compatible products and systems.

Figure 13 provides a timeline for the activities required to implement this

strategy. Those activities are described below.

8 DEVELOP A PERFORMANCE MONITORING

SYSTEM FOR ENERGY-CONSUMING EQUIPMENT 

8. Develop a Performance Monitoring System for Energy-Consuming Equipment

Activity 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

8.1 Identify Current Energy Monitoring, Display, Communication Products

8.2 Identify and Involve Missing Players to Fill Product and System Gaps

8.4 Identify Candidate Communication Devices or Techniques and Develop

Requirements

8.5 Define Consumer Information Display Standard

8.6 Evaluate and Develop Multi-Use and Modular Low-Cost Sensors

8.3 Adopt and/or Develop a Common Communication Standard

Figure 13
8.1 Identify Current Energy Monitoring, Display, and 

Communication Products 

In the past, focus on residential energy use has resulted in a wide range of

available equipment that can monitor and display equipment performance. For

example, most home automation systems provide some degree of energy

consumption monitoring and control, and some digital thermostats provide

limited information. 

Many manufacturers of HVAC equipment and controls, home automation

systems, and appliances either are marketing or developing equipment that is

capable of communicating status and diagnostic information. 

The companies that develop and manufacture the above products need to be

identified and their products need to be documented, with the results forming

the basis for identifying what is available, what needs to be developed, and

which companies are candidates for development.

8.2 Identify and Involve Missing Players to Fill Product 

and System Gaps

This activity forms connections and linkages, identifies and recruits missing

players, and creates a top-level plan that facilitates development of appropriate

products and systems. The plan needs to be inclusive, ensuring that no viable

developers and manufacturers are excluded. It may be that cooperative publicprivate funding will be required to stimulate the development of certain

products.

8.3 Adopt and/or Develop a Common Communication Standard

Communicating the status of energy-consuming equipment from a variety of

manufacturers back to a centrally-located local display requires a standard

communications protocol. Allowing various manufacturers to provide their own

versions of the display further drives the need for a standard. 

Unfortunately, several standards currently exist, any one of which could likely

provide the communications capability needed for energy monitoring. The

challenge of this activity will be to select from the available standards the one

that is most appropriate and most acceptable to the manufacturers that will be

using it. Organizations providing potentially applicable standards include:

● Electronic Industries Association – Consumer Electronics Bus (CEBus, 

EIA-600 and Home Plug and Play);

● Consumer Electronics Association – Versatile Home Network (VHN); and

● Universal Plug 'n Play Forum – UPnP.

This activity needs to evaluate the existing standards, determine if any can

meet the energy monitoring needs, identify required changes, and ultimately

obtain consensus, especially among the manufacturers of sensors,

communication devices, and displays.

3 8
3 9

8.4 Identify Candidate Communication Devices or Techniques 

and Develop Requirements

Reliable, low-cost data communication from equipment to a centralized display

or gateway is especially challenging in an existing home. Running wires often is

labor intensive and sometimes unsightly. Wireless alternatives include radio

frequency (RF) used by home security system providers; power line carriers

(PLCs) used for many years for simple control applications; and infrared (IR)

used for years in remote controls and wireless connections for personal

computers. Depending on a variety of factors, any given energy monitoring

application might use any one or a combination of these techniques.

A comprehensive assessment needs to be performed to identify the gaps and

omissions. For example, development may be needed to provide a chip set for

manufacturers that interfaces with equipment via the communication protocol

selected in Activity 8.3 and allows communication by wires, RF, PLC, or IR at

the discretion of the equipment manufacturers. The output would be a set of

requirements for communications alternatives that would provide guidance to

communications vendors.

8.5 Define a Consumer Information Display Standard

A sufficiently specific display standard for all manufacturers is needed so that

consumers, remodelers, and trade contractors can use the displays with a

minimum of training or retraining. The challenge is for the standard to provide

sufficient latitude for manufacturers to provide features or functions that

provide product differentiation. 

Regardless of who designs and manufactures a display, every display should use

the same name for the same device, the same name for each energy

measurement parameter, the same units of measurement, and so on. Another

element that needs to be consistent is the format for tabular and graphical data.

A third element is navigation, which is a very large issue with consumers, most

of whom have trouble learning to program setback thermostats or VCRs.

The standard should allow alternative implementations, such as an enhanced

thermostat, an enhanced security panel, a TV set, a personal computer, or a

standalone display. Handheld devices also should be considered for use by

remodelers and trade contractors.

8.6 Evaluate and Develop Multi-Use and Modular Low-Cost Sensors

Affordable sensors are needed to collect real-time information on active systems

and equipment, including: 

● Status of indoor air quality;

● Maintenance status of mechanical systems;

● Energy consumption status of smaller system components;

● On/off status of appliances;

● Current and historical information on local weather conditions;

● Quantitative information on moisture in concealed envelope areas;
● Power requirements for whole-house systems; and

● Warnings of impending peak power needs.

The first step in this activity would require evaluating existing sensors, with the

help of sensor manufacturers and the manufacturers who use sensors in their

systems. Then needs and opportunities would need to be assessed and the

development of required sensors initiated by the sensor manufacturers.

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