October 18, 2006

 2007 ENERGY STAR
Partner of the Year Award

Each year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Award winners will be recognized at the ENERGY STAR Awards Ceremony on March 21, 2007 in Washington, DC.

All organizations participating in ENERGY STAR are encouraged to apply for a 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2006. For more information and to download an application, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=pt_awards.pt_es_awards

Study Shows Buyer Interest in
Energy Efficient Manufactured Homes

A study released by Owens Corning, a leading building materials manufacturer, revealed significant opportunities for the manufactured housing industry to enhance the overall buying and living experience for homebuyers. One of the key areas of opportunity indicated was the need for more energy efficient homes.

The survey indicated that, on average, homebuyers would pay $2,869 more for an energy efficient home, while dealers felt consumers would only pay $1,394 more. Other telling statistics include:

·         85% of homebuyers are willing to pay more for an energy efficient home

·         85% of homebuyers believe an energy efficient home means a high quality home

·         82% of homebuyers believe buying an energy efficient home is important

The take home message: Now is the time to market to potential homebuyers the energy efficiency benefits of Energy Star Qualified homes.

The study, titled “Manufactured Housing Study: Looking to the Future, A Guide for Growth,” surveyed over 1,200 households intending to buy a manufactured home, 500 recent manufactured home purchasers and 200 manufactured home dealers. For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com.

Upcoming Events

Look for ENERGY STAR displays at these upcoming events.

October 23–25     Florida Manufactured Housing Association Annual Convention, Orlando, FL

October 26–28     AARP Annual Convention and Expo, Anaheim, CA

Copyright 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of MHRA. For comments or questions related to MHRA ENERGY STAR Update, contact Gwynne Koch via e-mail at gkoch@research-alliance.org. To unsubscribe, reply to this email with Unsubscribe in the subject line.