ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) and Energy Star, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), have announced a new resource to help contractors market themselves as providers of energy-efficient equipment.

ACCA has launched a new version of its online Contractor Locator, which will enable member contractors to identify themselves as knowledgeable about Energy Star-qualified HVAC equipment.

In addition, Energy Star will provide a link to ACCA's Contractor Locator on its Web site, making the locator a more visible lead generation tool for contractors.

"While any contractor can use generic terms like 'energy efficient' or 'improved efficiency' to describe any HVAC product, the Energy Star is only earned by those products which meet strict efficiency standards," said Steve Ryan, manager of Energy Star Programs for the EPA. "Many savvy homeowners already know this - approximately 40 percent of U.S. consumers recognize the Energy Star logo as an indicator of products that will save them money on their utility bills."

ACCA contractors can now log into the Contractor Locator at www.acca.org, and qualify themselves to display the Energy Star logo with their online listing.

To qualify, a contractor follows three steps:

Download an electronic Energy Star training presentation and then complete a self-test, also downloaded through ACCA.

Download two fact sheets on Energy Star from the ACCA Web site, and make these sheets available to customers when appropriate.

Energy Star also asks that contractors make information about Energy Star available on their own Web site, and link back to www.energystar.gov.

When a contractor attests to completing these three steps, the contractor can then log into ACCA's new locator and select a box that will place the Energy Star logo on the company's online listing.

"Energy Star provides a unique type of third-party credibility that can help you strengthen consumer trust," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA's president and CEO. "By identifying yourself as an HVAC contractor who is knowledgeable about Energy Star, you let your prospective customers know that you are able to help them fully evaluate the benefits of high-efficiency HVAC systems, so that they can make the best possible decision."

In addition, ACCA contractors can also choose to show the NATE certification logo on their listing if they employ NATE-certified technicians.

For more information, contact Kimya Bailey Cajchun at kimya.cajchun@acca.org.

Publication date: 03/01/2004