Eight of the industry’s preeminent experts on residential energy efficiency will judge the NAHB Research Center’s 17th annual EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) program.

EVHA honors home builders who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into the design, construction and marketing of new homes.

In 2010, the program added the Existing Homes category to recognize the energy-efficiency improvements that are being made by builders and remodelers in the remodeling and renovation markets

In addition to the Existing Homes category, winners will be recognized during the 2012 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando in the Affordable, Custom/Demonstration, Production and Multifamily categories for home in the hot, moderate and cold climate regions.

The judging panel brings expertise in engineering, construction, design and marketing.

Past winners have said that the feedback they received from the EVHA judges has been the most beneficial part of the application process.

This year's panel includes:

• Subrato Chandra, Ph.D., a senior buildings engineer with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. Chanda manages research projects through the Building America program and has directed the Florida Solar Energy Center BA project, which provided technical assistance to factory and site builders of thousands of energy-efficient, high-performance homes. Chandra also has authored numerous publications and studies and has had several projects featured in prominent industry publications.
  
  
• Kathleen Dorgan, AIA, LEED-AP, principal of Dorgan Architecture & Planning in Storrs, Conn., and an adjunct faculty member at Roger Williams University. Dorgan practices comprehensive sustainable community development and contributes to the development of incremental strategies for neighborhood renewal and community building. Her projects have been featured in industry publications and the National Building Museum’s exhibit, "Affordable Housing: Designing an American Asset."
  
  
• Joe Gregory, a past EVHA winner and 2007 Energy Star Partner with Bob Ward Companies, home builders in Edgewood, Md. Gregory worked with the Research Center to spearhead the design and construction of Maryland’s first production ultra-energy-efficient home while with Bob Ward Companies. He also led the team that built the first Energy Star-rated house for a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Gregory serves on the Green Building Committee for the Home Builders Association of Maryland.
  
  
• Jerry Leach, director of Building Codes for the Pennsylvania Builders Association. Leach co-authored PA HB 377 legislation, which provided energy trade-offs for log home builders that significantly helped that industry in the state. A home builder for 25 years, Leach helped the Research Center develop the online National Green Building Standard scoring tool to rate and certify sustainable new homes, developments and remodeling projects and was among the first NAHB Certified Green Professionals in Pennsylvania.
  
  
• Jeannie Leggett Sikora, an energy-efficiency consultant and analyst, served as EVHA program manager for several years. Sikora authored the “EnergyValue Housing Award Guide,” which offers guidance to builders seeking to enter the high-performance housing market.
  
  
• Steve Lindsley, a 25-year remodeling industry professional, is project manager for Southface’s EarthCraft Renovation Program and a BPI building analyst. Lindsley teaches energy code and duct and envelope tightness classes. He also is a Healthy Homes Specialist and graduated from Georgia Tech in industrial management.
  
  
• Sam Rashkin, R.A., recently joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy  to help deploy successful energy efficiency research for new and existing homes. Rashkin previously managed the Energy Star for Homes program and authored “Retooling the U.S. Housing Industry: How It Got Here, Why It’s Broken, and How to Fix It,” which presented a comprehensive strategy for reinventing the housing industry at a time of crisis.
  
  
• Stacey Rothgeb, P.E., CEM, has a background in engineering design, construction project management and energy consulting. Rothgeb is a research coordinator for the DOE Building America Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and has studied performance testing and analysis for both new and existing homes. Rothgeb worked as the energy manager at the U.S. Air Force Academy and was the owner of the residential energy consulting firm, PureEnergy Consultants, Inc. 

Each EVHA judge independently reviews the applications before the group meets in September to review the applications and select the winners.

The NAHB Research Center coordinates EVHA in partnership with the DOE through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and with NAHB.

For more information and to learn about past winners, visit www.nahbrc.org/evha;  or email Debra Sagan, EVHA program manager, or call her at 301-430-6210.

'National Green Building Standard’ Available at BuilderBooks.com

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The "National Green Building Standard Commentary," available through BuilderBooks.com and a companion to the ANSI approved "National Green Building Standard," that provides valuable insight to the intention and implementations of the practices and provisions found in the green building standard.

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More Than 5,400 People Have Earned Their Certified Green Professional (CGP) Designation

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Earning the CGP demonstrates to clients and peers your commitment to the best and latest in green building practices and techniques. More than 5,400 people have earned the CGP designation to date.

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'Build Green and Save’ Available at BuilderBooks.com

“Build Green and Save: Protecting the Earth and Your Bottom Line,” available through BuilderBooks.com, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference that shows builders how to identify and select green building materials; implement green construction techniques; explain the benefits of green housing and offer affordable green building solutions to consumers; and use resources wisely and reduce water and energy consumption.

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