Participating in UTAH Energy Star® Homes Program is a simple process through which the EPA provides support to help raise consumer awareness and increase your profits.

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Step 1. Sign the Energy Star® Partnership Agreement
Step 2. Select the Energy Efficiency Features
Step 3. Build the Homes / Train Your Staff
Step 4. Obtain Site Inspection & Energy Star® Labels
Step 5. Sell Your Homes by Relaying Their Energy-Efficiency 'Story'

Step 1: Sign the ENERGY STAR^® Partnership Agreement
The Partnership Agreement is a document that formalizes your partnership with EPA's Energy Star® Program. By signing the Partnership Agreement you agree to construct homes that meet Energy Star® labeled home energy performance targets, to build at least one Energy Star® labeled home during an ongoing 12-month period, and to use the Energy Star® logo in accordance with EPA's logo use guidelines. EPA agrees to contribute marketing assistance and technical support to guide your Energy Star® initiative.

Once your Partnership Agreement has been reviewed by ERHU and forwarded to the EPA, you will receive in the mail a Welcome Aboard Package that includes your signed Agreement and information on how you can use the Energy Star® logo and brand to further your business objectives. Also included will be a user ID and password that you will need to download Certification, Promotional, and Partnership logos from the EPA Web Site. Please allow 2-3 weeks for receipt of your Welcome Aboard Package. If you provide an email address, you will receive notification from the EPA within 48 hours.

Utah Energy Star® builder partners interested in receiving special recognition now have the option of committing to build 100% of their homes with the Energy Star® label. This commitment may be made while filling out the Partnership Agreement or after you have already become a partner through the on-line Energy Star® 100% Commitment Form. For more specific details on how to make the most out of this 'special recognition', please contact Cris Peterson at 801.765.0034.

Step 2: Select the Energy-Efficiency Features
After signing the Partnership Agreement, your next step is to select the energy-efficiency features that will enable your homes to meet the minimum Utah Energy Star® energy performance criteria. You have the freedom to choose any combination of features, so long as the resulting home energy rating is 86 points or higher. The main resource to assist you in selecting energy efficiency features for your homes in the state of Utah is Energy Rated Homes of Utah. We are a nationally recognized organization set up to provide you with the knowledge and assistance to make the most out of the Utah Energy Star® program

Step 3: Build the Homes/Train Your Staff
Based on the set of energy-efficiency features identified in Step 2, you can confidently proceed to build homes that will comply with the minimum Energy Star® criteria (i.e., ERHU Score of 86 Points out of 100). The ERHU HERS certification steps are outlined in Step 4 below. You must not use the Energy Star® logo on any newly constructed houses until they have been fully certified.

Sales Training.
While in the process of constructing the first few homes, ERHU suggests that you conduct Energy Star®^® sales training for your firm. The purpose of the sales training is to introduce your employees to effective marketing, financing, and product positioning tools that the EPA has developed for Energy Star®. These tools are designed to assist your staff in marketing and selling energy-efficient homes more effectively. We at Energy Rated Homes of Utah are willing to assist you with this training.

Sales training opportunities are offered on an occasional basis throughout the country, but for quick training view the EPA customizable Energy Star® Marketing and Sales Presentation. This PowerPoint presentation has been developed by Energy Star® to help you market and sell Energy Star® labeled homes. Download and customize this presentation, and use it to:

* Tell your energy efficiency story to potential customers
* Learn from the marketing strategies of other partners
* Convince others to partner with Energy Star®
* Teach your sales staff to sell Energy Star® labeled homes

Energy Star® Mortgages.
In addition to training your staff, it is ideal to identify and develop a relationship with a lender who offers Energy Star® Mortgages. Energy Star® Mortgages can help you qualify more buyers and make it easier for home buyers to purchase additional options. If you have an in-house lending arm or are working with a lender who is not participating in Energy Star®, learn how they can get involved.

Step 4: Obtain Site Inspection and Energy Star® Labels
When the homes have been fully constructed, their energy performance will be verified by qualified Home Energy Raters who helped you determine your home's energy-efficiency features. This individual will perform an on-site inspection of each home to gather data on the house including: the energy-efficiency features, air leakage and duct tightness.

If the house performs at the level of an ERHU Score of 86 Points out of 100 or better, the Home Energy Rater will place a customized Energy Star® label on the home, typically on the utility/circuit breaker box cover. This label is the identifying mark of qualifying homes. It provides consumers an easy way to recognize energy-efficient homes verified to meet EPA's Energy Star® performance guidelines. In addition, because it is permanently affixed to the home, it provides the owner a means of demonstrating the value built into their home at time of re-sale.

While the adhesive label is the official mark of an Energy Star® labeled home, Energy Star® certificates can also be printed and presented to homebuyers. Ask your rating provider for details.

What if My House Fails?
If the house fails to perform at the level of at least an ERHU Score of 86 Points out of 100, the reasons for the failure must be identified and corrected. After corrections are completed, the house should be re-tested and inspected by the third party verifier. If needed, this corrective process can be repeated until the house successfully achieves a minimum of a HERS 86 score. At the conclusion of this process the Home Energy Rater submits the rating information to ERHU for archiving.

Step 5: Sell Your Homes by Relaying Their Energy-Efficiency Story
Now that you understand the value you are building into each of your Energy Star® labeled homes, make sure your homebuyers appreciate that difference by Telling Your Energy Star® Story. This 'story' is an explanation of your home's energy-efficient features and benefits, as well as the cost advantages associated with purchasing an Energy Star® labeled home. Use the Energy Star® logo to let home buyers know you truly build a better product. Use the Energy Star® sticker label, certificate and marketing materials to show you have qualified third party verification through Energy Rated Homes of Utah, and that the EPA is there to substantiate that claim.

You can realize substantial rewards when you co-brand your homes with the Energy Star® brand name. You'll show home buyers in your area that you are a high-quality builder who offers more value for less cost. To help convey this message we have set up a "Champions" page as part of this web-site that you may be interested in utilizing as part of your marketing plan. We are ERHU are anxious to help you develop creative new ways of Telling Your Energy Star® Story. Give us a call, and find out how we can help you succeed as a Utah Energy Star Builder!