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Judges Selected for 2008 EnergyValue Housing Awards
 The NAHB Research Center has announced the selection of judges for its 2008 EnergyValue Housing Awards (EVHA).
Each year, home builders across the nation compete for the prestigious award, which honors companies that voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into the design, construction and marketing of new homes.
The six-member panel for 2008 includes a mix of new and returning judges specializing in the fields of engineering, residential energy, construction, architecture and design.
Now in its 13th year, the EVHA program not only recognizes energy-efficient practices, but also educates the home building industry and the public about advanced technologies and successful approaches to energy-efficient construction that can be implemented by mainstream builders.
The awards will be presented during the 2008 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla. in the affordable, custom, factory-built, production, and multifamily categories for hot, moderate and cold climate regions.
This year's judging panel includes:
- Walt Auburn is a long-standing EVHA judge who currently serves as assistant director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), and is responsible for the development and implementation of energy-efficiency programs in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With MEA since July 2001, he has secured numerous Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency grants to educate Maryland consumers, businesses and builders about energy efficiency. Auburn is certified as a RESNET energy rater and has been active in the energy arena for more than 30 years through his work in a wide variety of energy, housing and environmental management positions.
- Judith Fosdick, president of Tierra Concrete Homes, Inc., will return to judge the competition for a second year. An active voice for renewable energy and sustainable building practices, Fosdick educates the public on green building principles, particularly passive solar design and high thermal mass construction, and participates in many industry associations, including the Southeast Colorado Renewable Energy Society. Fosdick also leads workshops on designing low-energy buildings using Energy 10™ — an analysis tool that illustrates the energy advantage of passive solar strategies. Fosdick’s company is a former EVHA Gold and Silver winner, including Builder of the Year in 2002.
- Amy E. Gardner, AIA is a first-time EVHA judge who brings more than 20 years experience in architecture to the panel. A founding member of Maryland-based Gardner Mohr Architects, Gardner is also an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Architecture and a faculty advisor for the university’s solar decathlon team. Through her many industry affiliations and architectural work, Gardner promotes planning and building with sustainable, integrated design processes; and changing the way buildings are invented, designed and built to inspire communities to live synchronistically with the environment.
- David G. Hales is a returning EVHA judge who brings more than 25 years experience in building science and construction. In his current role as a building systems specialist with the Washington State University Energy Program, Hales provides technical assistance, curriculum development, training and demonstrations for utilities and the construction industry supporting energy-efficient design and construction. Hales’ distinguished background in energy education includes a broad range of expertise in residential energy codes, home diagnostics and sustainable construction.
- Ali A. Jalalzadeh-Azar is a senior engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he supports the NREL Building America Program as a researcher and technical monitor. Since joining NREL in 2001, he has led its combined heat and power (CHP) research efforts and initiated and conducted numerous analytical and field studies on CHP and HVAC systems. Jalalzadeh is a veteran EVHA judge who brings continuity, an extensive engineering background and knowledge of building energy performance to the program.
- Barb Yankie is president of Homes+, Inc., an Ohio-based company established in 2000. This first-time EVHA judge provides energy efficiency audits, Energy Star ratings, infrared diagnostic surveys and other testing services for residential and commercial structures. Yankie is a Certified HERS rater and a Level II thermographer, with more than 15 years experience in the building science and construction field. She has conducted training sessions for builders; insulation, HVAC and framing contractors; Realtors® and others.
Following the close of the application period on July 27, EVHA judges will independently review and rank the entries. Finalists are selected based on their homes’ energy value; design; construction methods and processes; marketing and customer relations efforts; and their ability to demonstrate an understanding of a whole-house, systems-design approach.
Members of the judging panel will meet as a group in October to discuss their findings and select the winners, who will be announced at the 2008 IBS in Orlando.
EVHA is coordinated by the NAHB Research Center in partnership with NAHB and the U.S. Department of Energy through its National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
For more information on EVHA, click here (nahbrc.org/evha); or e-mail Kevin Mo, EVHA program manager, or call him at 301-430-6210.
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