2006 Media Releases & Alerts

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kimberly Warren

Application Period Opens for Prestigious EnergyValue Housing Award

Annual Award Competition Honors Nation's Premier Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Responsible Home Builders

March 9, 2006, Upper Marlboro, Md. - Today, the NAHB Research Center announced it will begin accepting applications for the 2007 EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA). The award program honors builders who voluntarily integrate energy efficiency into the design, construction, and marketing of new homes, and educates the home building industry and the public about successful approaches to energy-efficient construction. Over the past 11 years, EVHA has become recognized as a signature industry event for the energy-efficiency elite.

In addition to the business benefits associated with joining the "energy efficient elite," one of the most beneficial aspects of winning is access to the panel of energy-efficiency experts who judge the program each year. EVHA winners have also realized a number of marketing advantages as a result of their participation. Jim Sargent, partner of 2006 EVHA Builder of the Year AndersonSargent Custom Builder stated, "Our home performance became so well known and talked about that we were able to remove marketing from our annual budget." Sargent maintains that every home built by his company in the last 20 years has been a high-performing home.

This year's EVHA ceremony will be held during the 2007 International Builders' Show (IBS) in Orlando. Awards will be presented in the affordable, custom, factory-built, production, and multifamily categories for hot, moderate, and cold climate regions. A panel of energy-efficiency experts 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 EVHA applicants receive a detailed evaluation of their entries, complimentary passes to the award ceremony at the 2007 IBS, and a free, one-year single-user subscription to BuildingGreen Suite. Winners are featured on the EVHA website and may also be featured in trade and mainstream publications, as well as 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 2004 and before application submittal. The official EVHA application must be postmarked by July 17, 2006. Companies may submit only one application per category, for a maximum of up to five applications. A home entered under more than one category will be considered as separate entries. Judging will begin in late August, and applicants will be notified if they are a finalist or not in October 2006.

The EVHA is coordinated by the NAHB Research Center in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). To obtain an EVHA application or for more information, visit www.nahbrc.org/evha or contact us via email.

# # #

03/06

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.