PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- It's like the Oscars for Northwest homebuilders. The 1st annual Northwest ENERGY STAR(R) Homes Awards were held in Portland, Ore., on February 22, 2007, to recognize the achievements of Northwest ENERGY STAR builders and trade allies in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. "We commend all of our Northwest ENERGY STAR builders who have made such a strong commitment to building the best high-performance homes, providing an energy efficient home that's healthier and more comfortable for homebuyers," said Anne Brink, Market Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Award winners at the Annual Northwest ENERGY STAR Awards event include: -- Lighting Supplier: Alexander Lighting, Seattle, Washington -- Home Performance Specialist: OnPoint, LLC, Boise, Idaho -- HVAC/Performance Testing Contractor: Western Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., Boise, Idaho -- Northwest Home Builder: Holton Homes, Nampa, Ida. -- Washington Large Home Builder: New Tradition Homes, Vancouver, Wash. -- Washington Small Home Builder: Martha Rose Construction, Inc., Seattle, Wash. -- Oregon Large Home Builder: Palmer Homes, Bend, Ore. -- Oregon Small Home Builder: Summerfield Homes, West Linn, Ore. -- Idaho Small Home Builder: MarKar Design and Construction, Inc., Meridian, Ida. -- Idaho Large Home Builder: Holton Homes, Nampa, Ida. -- Montana Home Builder: McCall Development, Billings, Mont. In 2006, 2,354 Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes were built in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. There are currently 257 active Northwest ENERGY STAR builders. About 25 percent of all U.S. carbon emissions come from homes, so making homes more energy efficient is an important step in reducing the emissions that contribute to global warming. Homes earning the ENERGY STAR label are at least 15 percent more efficient than homes built to standard state energy codes. Homes are performance-tested by a certified technician to confirm that efficient equipment is installed correctly for peak performance. A final endorsement takes place when an independent inspector certifies that all requirements are met to earn the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy- efficient products in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For information, call 1-888-373-2283 or log onto: www.energystar.gov. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to encourage the development and adoption of energy- efficient products and services. (www.nwalliance.org)
