2004 Media Releases & Alerts

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kimberly Warren

Application Period for Prestigious EnergyValue Housing Award Officially Opens

Competition Honors Builders Who Team Energy Efficiency with Environmental Responsibility

June 2, 2004, Upper Marlboro, Md. - Today, the NAHB Research Center announced that the application period for the 2005 EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) program has officially commenced. The awards program honors builders who voluntarily integrate energy efficiency into the design, construction, and marketing of their new homes, and educate the home building industry and the public about successful approaches to energy-efficient construction. Consumer appeal for this type of energy-conscious home building is evidenced by the over 35,000 homes sold by EVHA winners over the program's nine year history.

In addition to the marketing benefits associated with becoming one of the "energy efficient elite," EVHA winners have realized a number of other perks from participating in the awards program. Carrie Gehlbach, former vice president of sales and marketing for EVHA winner Medallion Homes of San Antonio, Texas said, "Thanks to the EVHA and the NAHB Research Center, even strong builders such as Medallion are pushed to raise their standards. We have been able to network with a community of building scientists and industry leaders who have helped us learn new and better ways to deliver the best home possible."

This year's EVHA Awards will be presented at the 2005 International Builders' Show (IBS) in Orlando in the affordable, custom/demonstration, factory-built, production, and multifamily categories for hot, moderate, and cold climate regions. A panel of energy-efficiency experts representing the engineering, construction, design, and marketing fields will serve as judges and will evaluate applicants based on their homes' energy value; design; construction methods and processes; marketing and customer relations efforts; and participation in voluntary energy programs.

All applicants receive a detailed evaluation of their entries, complimentary passes to the EVHA Dinner Ceremony at the 2005 IBS, and a free copy of the "EVHA Guide: How to Build and Profit with Energy Efficiency in New Home Construction." Winners are featured on the NAHB Research Center website, and can market themselves as EVHA-winning builders through advertisements and press releases. Winners may be featured in trade and mainstream publications, and offered the opportunity to share their success stories at workshops, educational programs, or conferences. In addition, each year, an EVHA Builder of the Year is selected from the gold award winning companies, which provides additional marketing opportunities for that company.

All professional U.S. home builders whose primary occupation is constructing homes and/or developing real estate are eligible for participation. Though previous winning projects are ineligible, previous winners may submit new or different homes for consideration. Homes offered for consideration must have been completed after January 2002 and before application submittal.

To enter, eligible builders must respond to the official EVHA application criteria. Entries must be postmarked by August 9, 2004. A discounted application fee is available to companies who submit their application to the NAHB Research Center by July 12, 2004. Companies may submit only one application in each category, for a maximum of five applications. A home entered under more than one category will be considered as separate entries. Judging will begin in early September 2004, and applicants will be notified of their status by the end of October 2004.

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6/04

The NAHB Research Center, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally-recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance.

NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be "NAHB Research Center." If clarification of the acronym is necessary, the phrase, "a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)," can follow. In subsequent mentions, "Research Center" is the only acceptable and accurate alternative reference.