DOE's Better Buildings Neighborhood Program hit the ground running in summer 2010. Since then, more than 40 partners launched local programs—testing a wide range of program delivery business models in their communities. The ultimate goal was the same across all partners: to make energy efficiency more accessible to homes and businesses from coast to coast.
Learn About Partners’ Accomplishments
In less than four years, Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners have:
- Upgraded more than 100,000 residential and commercial buildings to be more energy efficient
- Developed sustainable energy efficiency upgrade programs, approximately three-fourths of which will continue through at least 2014 without additional DOE funding
- Saved consumers $730 million in estimated lifetime energy savings, in addition to improving the comfort of their homes and buildings
- Trained more than 5,000 home performance workers to enhance their skills
- Completed more than $740 million worth of energy upgrades
- Leveraged more than $400 million in private capital and federally funded revolving loan funds.
Read the Program Summary
To learn more details about program results and lessons learned, read Better Buildings Neighborhood Program Summary of Reported Data From July 1, 2010 – September 30, 2013. The corresponding program dashboard summarizes reported data and includes outlays, leveraged spending, number of assessments and upgrades completed by sector, and annual estimated energy savings. Better Buildings partners’ individual data are available.
Building project data for 75,110 single-family homes upgraded between July 1, 2010, and September 30, 2013, are available below. Reported data for some elements have been transformed, and to protect privacy, data for some upgraded homes have been omitted.
Read more about the program’s history.
Explore the Evaluation Reports
Following are independent evaluation reports released in June 2015 discussing the direct impacts, lessons learned, and market effects of the DOE Better Buildings Neighborhood Program. Review the related recording for more information, and read the text version.
- Volume 1: Evaluation of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (Final Synthesis Report)
- Volume 2: Savings and Economic Impacts of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
- Volume 3: Drivers of Success in the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program—Statistical Process Evaluation
- Volume 4: Process Evaluation of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
- Volume 5: Market Effects of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
- Volume 6: Spotlight on Key Program Strategies from the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
Papers discussing the evaluation analysis are listed below:
- “What Have We Learned about Success and Its Drivers in Comprehensive Residential Upgrade Programs?”
- “I’ll Gladly Pay You Tomorrow for an Energy Upgrade Today: Integrating Financing into Residential Upgrade Programs”
- “Evaluating the Market Effects of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program”
- “Better Buildings, Better Economy: An Economic Impact Analysis of a Federal Retrofit Program”
Additional reports provide more details about program successes:
- Analysis of Installed Measures and Energy Savings for Single-Family Residential Better Buildings Projects (April 2015)
- Preliminary Energy Savings Impact Evaluation: Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (November 4, 2013)
- Preliminary Process and Market Evaluation: Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (December 28, 2012)
Read Partner Case Studies
The following case studies describe successful program design, marketing and outreach, workforce development, and financing approaches implemented by Better Buildings partners:
- Best Offer Ever Produces Upgrades in Record Time (Austin, Texas)
- How Local Ties Lead to Local Wins (Rutland County, Vermont)
- Community Partnerships Work to Extend Program Reach (Seattle, Washington)
- Sweeping the State for Ultimate Success (Michigan)
- Let Your Contractor Be Your Guide for Big Rewards (Austin, Texas)
- Developing the Skills and Tools for Workforce Success (Fayette County, Pennsylvania)
- Contractor Sales Training Boosts Energy Upgrade Conversions (Maine)
- Making the Program Work for Contractors (Portland, Oregon)
- Transition to a Sustainable Level of Incentives (Maine)
- Experiment to Find the Right Mix of Incentives (Michigan)
- Use Incentives to Get Attention and Encourage Deep Savings (Portland, Oregon)
Find more solutions like these in the Better Buildings Residential Program Guide.
Watch the Video
Learn how Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners have trained and expanded their local contractor workforce while supporting professional jobs in their communities. View the text version of the video.