2010 Media Releases & Alerts

For Immediate Release
Contact: Anne Holtz

Residential Energy Efficiency Experts to Judge EnergyValue Housing Award Later This Month

September 1, 2010, Upper Marlboro, Md. - The NAHB Research Center is honored to have twelve of the industry's preeminent experts on residential energy efficiency judge the sixteenth annual EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) program. Each year since its inception the EVHA has honored home builders who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into the design, construction, and marketing of new homes. Over the past decade and a half, builders from 41 states and the District of Columbia have won 245 gold and silver awards. This year, to recognize the incredible energy improvements that are being made by builders and remodelers in the remodeling and renovation markets, the EVHA has added an Existing Homes category.

Winners will be recognized during the 2011 International Builders' Show (IBS) in Orlando in the Affordable, Custom/Demonstration, Production, Multifamily, and Existing Homes categories for hot, moderate, and cold climate regions. Entries will be reviewed by the expert judging panel, which includes a mix of new and returning judges specializing in the fields of engineering, construction, design, and marketing. The feedback that applicants receive from the EVHA judges is the most beneficial part of the application review process. Simply applying for the EVHA provides companies with unequalled access to the judges' expertise.

This year's judging panel includes:

  • Eric S. Borsting, CGP, is the current chair of the NAHB Green Building Subcommittee and a member of ICC and sits on its IRC Building and Energy Committee which addresses the design and construction of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses. Eric’s knowledge of residential planning and construction is rooted in 25 years experience in production home building followed by a 10-year term as VP of Operations for ConSol, a California-based energy efficiency consulting firm.

  • Michael Chandler, a 2010 EVHA winning builder, has over thirty years experience building energy efficient and green homes. The recipient of numerous honors including the NAHB Green Builder - Advocate of the Year in 2010, Michael is very active in encouraging improvement in the home building industry through publications, educational sessions, and conference presentations. He has been president of Chandler Design Build in North Carolina since 1987.

  • Craig Conner has extensive experience in the development of energy and green building codes and has served on committees for ICC and NAHB including aiding in the development of the ICC/NAHB National Green Building Standard. Craig holds a M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley, spent 18 years working at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and 10 years at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and currently is an energy codes and green building consultant.

  • Tim Ellis, a first-year EVHA judge, brings extensive knowledge of the building and remodeling industries to the EVHA panel. Among his professional credentials, Tim is a LEED AP, NAHB Research Center Accredited Green Verifier, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, and Certified Green Remodeler.

  • Jordon Goldman, a principal engineer with ZeroEnergy, holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering from Cornell University and specializes in residential energy performance consulting, energy modeling, and mechanical engineering/HVAC design. Jordon has been recognized by the EPA for his achievement in green building systems design, and is a LEED AP, NAHB Research Center Accredited Green Verifier, HERS Rater, Passive House Consultant-in-Training, and a member of ASHRAE.

  • Joe Gregory, a past EVHA winner and 2007 Energy Star Partner with Bob Ward Companies, has 30 years construction industry experience. A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Industrial Studies, Joe spearheaded the design and construction of Maryland’s first production ultra-energy-efficient home. Joe currently serves on the Green Building Committee for the Home Builders Association of Maryland.

  • Steve Hale, CGP, is president of Hale and Sun Construction, Inc., and director for Build Green New Mexico. For 24 years Steve has committed himself to promoting higher conservation standards, teaching green building practices, and helping to reduce the production of greenhouse gases in the housing industry. He is currently participating in the revision of the NAHB Green Building Professional course materials and is a past member of the NAHB Green Building Subcommittee and NAHB Board of Directors.

  • David Hales, a four-year veteran of EVHA judging, serves as a building systems specialist for Washington State University’s Extension Energy Program where he provides technical assistance, curriculum development, and training for utilities and the construction industry. David is IGSPA certified, a trainer for the GSHP association and RESNET, a Passive House Institute of the U.S. consultant, and a member of the American Solar Energy Society.

  • John Kurowski, president/owner of Kurowski Development Corp., has been a leader in the green building movement for over 33 years and is a 2010 EVHA-wining builder. A two-time recipient of Built Green’s Custom Builder of the Year and numerous other awards, he is most proud of receiving the NAHB Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

  • Peter Pfeiffer, a founding principal of Barley + Pfeiffer Architects, is a LEED AP architect, interior designer, and building specialist. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Peter was honored as NAHB’s National Green Advocate of the Year in 2003 and as one of the 10 most influential residential architects of the past decade by Residential Architect magazine in 2006. Peter has appeared on HGTV, The Discovery Channel, and as a guest on National Public Radio and has been featured in the Washington Post, NY Times, Fine Homebuilding, and Better Homes and Gardens magazines.

  • Dr. Sydney G. Roberts is the Home Services program manager at Southface Energy Institute where she is a researcher, trainer, and consultant on energy efficiency policy development. In addition, she directs the Southern Energy Efficiency Center, Building America program, and Georgia Weatherization Training and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs at Southface. Sydney earned a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and is returning for the second year as an EVHA judge.

  • Stacey Rothgeb is a Research Coordinator for the DOE Building America Program at the National Renewable Energy Lab. Prior to joining NREL in 2009, Stacey worked as the Energy Manager at the US Air Force Academy. Stacey also owned and operated her own residential energy consulting firm, PureEnergy Consultants, Inc.

Judging the EVHA is a two-part process. First, each judge independently reviews the applications. This process began at the close of the application period, July 30th this year. Next, the judges meet as a group to review the applications and select the winners – this year the judges will convene on September 21st on the NAHB Research Center campus in the Washington, DC suburbs.

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). For more details on EVHA and previous winners visit www.nahbrc.com/evha or contact Debra Sagan, EVHA program manager, at (301) 430-6210, or dsagan@nahbrc.com.

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09/10

ABOUT THE NAHB RESEARCH CENTER: 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 more than 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. Additional information about the Research Center is available at www.nahbrc.com.

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.