ENERGY
STAR Partners Coalition
Gains Strength
2003 Campaign Kicks Off in Wake of National Honors
The ENERGY STAR
coalition formed in 2001
made sense to the nine
home builders and support
partners that devoted
themselves to the project.
Several
of the builders were
already constructing
homes to Energy Star
standards, and support
partners such as energy
providers, mortgage companies
and subcontractors realized
the benefits that resulted
from such homes.
Little
did the coalition’s
members realize they
were creating a monster.
Nevada ENERGY STAR Partners
and their 2002 campaign
set a standard that is
being replicated throughout
the United States by
the Environmental Protection
Agency.
On April
15, members of the “Breakfast
Club” traveled
to Washington, D.C.,
to accept an EPA award
for their efforts to
create the pioneering
campaign.
Marcia
Bottfeld, president of
Marketing Solutions,
was a founding member
and host of the club.
She was among the group
that received an honorable
mention as Partner of
the Year with the EPA.
Others in Washington
for theaward were: Christy
Stratton, marketing support
for Pulte Homes; Sia
Howe, vice president
of marketing for Astoria
Homes; and Joyce Mason,
vice president of marketing
for Pardee nationwide.
Other members, who were
unable to attend, are
Claire DeJesus of Southern
Nevada New Homes Guide
and Kathy Hilty of Pardee
Homes of Nevada.
The club’s
efforts resulted in about
80 people representing
30 partners and a financial
commitment of $67,000
for adverting in the
Review Journal and Sun’s
Real Estate section,
New Homes Guide and maintaining
the Web site. The Home
Show with Lark Williams
aired public service
announcements.
The campaign
resulted in participation
by 58 subdivisions representing
5,500 homes; 25 percent
of all new homes are
now labeled Energy Star;
25 percent of all new
home sales were for ENERGY
STAR-labeled homes, representing
a 10 percent gain from
2001.
The 2003
campaign is even grander
with $95,000 raised by
34 members.
“The
upcoming campaign will
undoubtedly prove that
rather than exception,
ENERGY STAR is becoming
the norm in the Las Vegas
housing market,” Steve
Bottfeld, managing partner
of the New Homes Guide
and Breakfast Club member,
said recently.
New homes
can earn the EPA’s
ENERGY STAR seal if they
use at least 30 percent
less energy for heating,
cooling and water heating
than a standard home
based on the Model Energy
Code. The efficiency
of the home is verified
through testing done
by a third-party certified
rater.
Two companies
involved in rating ENERGY
STAR homes are ConSol/Comfortwise
and Energy Inspectors.
These firms joined the
program inn 2002 and
are aboard again in 2003.
The Home Energy Rating
System used by the firms
guarantees the construction
practices used by ENERGY
STAR home builders. Each
model home has an attached
HERS report that shows
the annual energy savings,
the monthly savings,
the physical life of
energy enhancements,
the present value of
utility cost savings
and the ENERGY STAR HERS
Score.
There are
other advantages to the
ENERGY STAR seal as well.
Because most energy used
to power homes comes
from burning fossil fuels,
which contributes to
smog, acid rain and global
climate change, the average
home produces twice as
much air pollution as
the average car. The
EPA expects the annual
pollution prevention
from ENERGY STAR-labeled
homes built over the
next 20 years to equal
the elimination of emissions
from half a million cars.
According
to EPA statistics, more
than 15 percent of all
heat-trapping pollution
is generated from the
energy used in homes.
One ENERGY STAR home
can keep 4,500 pounds
of pollution out of the
atmosphere each year,
according to the agency.
“The
Nevada ENERGY STAR Partners
coalition is responding
directly to the consumers’ interest
in saving money on utility
bills while being more
comfortable in their
homes, as well as helping
to preserve the environment,” Annette
Bubak, chairman of the
group’s public
relations committee,
said. This year’s
public relations campaign
and advertising program
is: Things are Heating
Up: Think Energy Star.
The Web site is www.thinkenergystar.com.
“The
Web site worked beautifully
last year, disseminating
information that was
too unwieldy to put on
ads; the site was able
to give the consumer
details on ENERGY STAR,” Allison
Buell, head of the Web
committee, said. “We
believe this year’s
site will give Las Vegans
even more detailed information.”
Another
advantage to buying an
ENERGY STAR-rated home
is being eligible for
an energy-efficient mortgage,
which gives borrowers
special benefits.
A purchaser’s
expenses will be lower
because the energy efficiency
of home translates into
lowered power bills.
Someone who is on the
cusp of not being able
to qualify for a home
might be able to buy
one after the money saved
on energy is figured
into the total. That
savings also might allow
a buyer to qualify for
a bigger home.
Wells Fargo
Home Mortgage and Countrywide
Home Loans have made
a major push to educate
their lending agents
about EEMs. As founding
partners of the ENERGY
STAR program, the companies
have been instrumental
in helping to educate
the public about energy
efficiency. Other lenders
involved in the coalition
are Marina Mortgage and
Waterfield Mortgages.
Nevada
Power Co. is heavily
involved in the partnership.
Its involvement is more
than monetary – the
company sees the need
for building more energy-efficient
homes and using ENERGY
STAR-rated appliances
within the homes.
That’s
where Sears comes into
the picture. The company
not only has donated
to the advertising effort,
but has donated a refrigerator
and washer/dryer that
will be the grand prizes
of Energy Star’s
Passport blitz promotion
this summer.
Readers
of New Homes Guide and
the Web site will be
able to clip out or download
the entry form, fill
it out and take it to
participating home builders’ offices.
There, they can enter
their names in a drawing
for a variety of prizes,
ranging from show tickets
to the aforementioned
appliances.
Builders
will run promotions throughout
July, which has been
declared Energy Star
Month by Gov. Kenny Guinn
and some local mayors.
Stories and advertisements
running throughout June
will update readers about
the promotions.
Home builders
involved in the partnership
are: American Premiere
Homes, Amstar Homes,
Astoria Homes, Beazer
Homes, Centex Homes dba
Real Homes, Concordia
Homes, Del Webb Corp.,
Desert Wind Homes, Distinctive
Homes, Greystone Homes/Lennar,
Hearthstone Homebuilders,
KB Home, Nevada Home
Group, Pardee Homes,
Perma-Bilt Homes, Pulte
Homes, Royal Construction/Spinnaker,
Signature Homes and Westmark
Homes.
Other companies
contributing to the partnership
are Fannie Mae, Motivational
Systems Inc., Mass Media,
Milgard Windows, PIE
Design + Marketing, and
Sierra Air.
