Energy Efficient House Earns New Millennium Builder Award

Golden, Colo., Oct. 21, 2003 - An energy efficient home built in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Energy Star® New Millennium Builder Award for 2003. This award recognizes Habitat for Humanity for its commitment to energy-efficient building practices in metro Denver.

Habitat for Humanity received the Energy Star New Millennium Builder Award for the home it constructed at 3520 Apple Blossom Lane in Westminster. The 1,425 square foot home received the highest rating, 95.9 on the E-Star scale. The Energy Star standard is measured through E-Star's rating system, which scores homes on a scale of 0-to-100, with a higher score indicating a more efficient home. A home must score a minimum of 86 points on the E-Star scale to be designated an Energy Star home.

The award was presented in a ceremony at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce in downtown Denver.

NREL's managing partners, Midwest Research Institute (MRI), Battelle and Bechtel, sponsored the home's construction by providing the sponsorship fee and employees from NREL and DOE provided 3,000 volunteer hours to help build the house.

The EPA's Energy Star New Millennium Builder Awards program rewards homebuilders committed to construction that is energy-efficient and benefits homeowners through increased comfort, health and safety, durability and affordability.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's premier laboratory for renewable energy research and development and a leading laboratory for energy efficiency R&D. NREL is operated for DOE by Midwest Research Institute, Battelle and Bechtel.

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