A free service of the U.S. Department of Energy, Quantity Quotes helps purchasers find suppliers quickly and then negotiate a contract at a competitive price. A contract may also ask the vendor to make multiple deliveries to multiple locations over a period of time. This means builders and remodelers can buy products in bulk without having to warehouse them.

Quantity Quotes currently covers seven energy-efficient products: clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, light fixtures, light bulbs, refrigerators, and room air conditioners.

Over 140 suppliers are registered, including Best Buy, GE, Sears, and Whirlpool. Purchasers generally solicit quotes on 50 items or more, but there is no minimum number of products a purchaser can request.

Suppliers respond with their best offers, knowing that they are competing against one another. Buyers may submit their requests anonymously, so suppliers can’t contact the buyer first. Quantity Quotes also offers customized forms that help purchasers describe exactly the product they want, which helps avoid miscommunication with suppliers.

Many buyers find new suppliers that they can use repeatedly.

“It is a very useful networking tool,” says Melinda Robertson of Actus Lend Lease in Nashville, Tenn. “We made an initial purchase from a supplier we found on Quantity Quotes, and we intend to continue to use the same supplier to fulfill future orders.”

For further information, contact Dana Schallheim at dschallheim@drintl.com.

Lani MacRae leads the national Energy Star communication and marketing effort for the U.S. Department of Energy, which is working toward the realization of marketable net-zero-energy buildings through the development of energy conservation technologies and practices.