When undertaking an energy efficiency project, it is important that a Grantee assess what skills they have in-house and what areas they lack expertise or capacity to handle. Many grantees who manage rehabilitation programs for the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Community Planning and Development use in-house staff, contractors, or both to perform the work. When undertaking an energy efficiency project, for example, a Grantee could contract with an energy conservation team, just as it would contract with an electrician, if it did not have a particular expertise.

During a Grantee's skills assessment for expanding a rehabilitation program to include energy efficiency measures, a Grantee needs to consider the following areas of expertise:

• Auditors assess how much energy a home or unit consumes. Through an audit grantees can identify what problems if corrected may save significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, an auditor can pinpoint where the building is losing energy, determine the efficiency of heating and cooling systems and identify ways to conserve energy.
  
  
• Designers/Specifiers identify the most appropriate brands, models, sizes and efficiency performance specifications needed for a given home. This service can be performed by a separate contractor, the auditor, or the installer.
  
  
• Installers put in the energy efficient improvements and/or equipment into the home. These individuals are familiar with the installation process of equipment as well as maintenance and upkeep required. Installers are usually only skilled or licensed with a limited number of energy efficiency measures (e.g., either insulation, air sealing, or HVAC), so multiple installers may be needed if numerous types of energy efficiency improvements are to be installed. Note that the positions of auditors and installers require specific expertise in their particular area, which the Grantee may opt to contract to professionals.