The average homebuyer doesn’t know much about energy efficiency – or how it can be built right into their new home. And maybe your sales team doesn’t know how to talk about it, or how to sell the many benefits, like an average of 35% savings on utility bills, or a more comfortable, quieter home with improved air quality.
It all starts with education. And a little incentive doesn’t hurt.
“Energy efficiency codes and incentive programs are always evolving so we need to help builders understand their options, and help them help consumers understand the value,” explains Rob Buchanan, Xcel Energy product portfolio manager. “We offer regular training and informational sessions to teach best practices for implementing high-performance materials.”
Buchanan says providing a more energy-efficient home can be a great differentiator in the marketplace.
“The more the builder team understands about energy efficiency, the more they can share with the buyers,” Buchanan says.
Green Builder magazine reports that nearly 4 million U.S. homes have achieved energy efficiency recognition – and there are more to come.
Educating people about energy efficiency and why it matters is Mike Beardsley’s full-time job. He’s the Sales Director at ARCXIS, the largest energy rating company in the country.
“Many homebuyers don’t even know what questions to ask,” Beardsley explains. “The first question they ask themselves is ‘Can we afford this?’ They’re wondering about their monthly payment and how energy consumption makes a difference. We can educate them about efficiency but also about the process of having a third party check the home before, during, and after construction. These things go a long way with someone who doesn’t understand the building process.”
ARCXIS provides introductory classes for homebuyers to learn more about ENERGY STAR homes. They cover quality, comfort, and value as well as technical features such as heating and cooling, insulation, windows, water management, lighting, appliances, and independent testing for verification.
“The ENERGY STAR label means that a new home has been designed and built to standards well above most other homes on the market,” Beardsley says. “These homes are at least 10% more energy efficient than homes built to code and achieve a 20% improvement on average. It means better quality, comfort, and durability.”
On the builder side, Xcel Energy’s builder training covers advanced wall systems, high-performance mechanical systems, and renewable energy integration. Attendees learn to select the most cost-effective materials and technologies to design, model, and construct homes that use far less energy than those built to code. The emphasis is on finding practical solutions for each specific climate zone.
To learn more about ways to educate your team and ultimately your buyers, Xcel Energy and ARCXIS have upcoming trainings.
Xcel Energy is providing a two-day Zero Energy Ready Home and ENERGY STAR NextGen Builder Training on April 30 to May 1 to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to construct high-performance zero energy ready homes. Learn more at https://eeba.org/event?EventID=8730.
To schedule a free training with ARXCIS, contact Mike Beardsley directly at mbeardsley@arcxis.com or learn more at www.arcxis.com.
