Four Massachusetts groups were presented with a 2005 ENERGY STAR Builder Achievement Award from the New England Joint Managment Committee. The winners were selected for adhering to the EPA's ENERGY STAR Homes construction guidelines.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., July 26, 2005 - Two Massachusetts-based builders, a non-profit community development corporation and a technical high school are all recipients of a 2005 ENERGY STAR® Builder Achievement Award from the New England Joint Management Committee (JMC). Concordia Homes, Inc., of Dracut; Transformations, Inc., of Townsend; Urban Edge Developers, of Roxbury, and the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne, are winners for adhering to the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Homes construction guidelines. John Livermore, of Conservation Services Group (CSG), presented the honors during a recent Home Builder's Association awards banquet at Fenway Park in Boston.

Concordia Homes, Inc. received the award in the "Developer" category for Green Meadows, a subdivision of 18 single family homes. Located in Andover, the homes feature ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances and lighting, in addition to recycled trim and decking. The development also incorporates high performance heating systems with HEPA filters, cellulose insulation, low-e argon windows, detailed air and duct sealing, energy efficient bathroom fans and heat recovery ventilation systems. Tom Piekarski, president of Concordia Homes and vice president of the Northeast Home Builders Association, accepted the award.

Transformations, Inc. received the ENERGY STAR Builder Achievement Award in the "Custom Home" category. The award-winning project, Marla Circle Lakeview Avenue, is located in Townsend and is a subdivision of five single family homes. Each house incorporates a 2.4 Kilowatt photovoltaic system, as part of the Sun Power for New Homes Program. (This initiative is funded by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to encourage the integration of residential solar systems into new construction.) Other "green" features at Marla Circle include low VOC paint and pre-finished oak flooring, low impact development storm water techniques, high performance furnaces and windows, as well as ENERGY STAR lighting. Transformations President Carter Scott accepted the award.

In the "Affordable Housing" category, Urban Edge Developers was presented with the ENERGY STAR Builder Achievement award for Egleston Crossing, two multi-family housing projects located in Jamaica Plain and Roxbury. The developments comprise 64 apartments and four ground floor retail spaces. Sixty three of the apartments are designated as affordable housing and 15 of the units will be given to homeless people with disabilities and their families. Egleston Crossing features a 64 Kilowatt photovoltaic system, ENERGY STAR refrigerators, windows and lighting, in addition to cellulose insulation and high efficiency ventilation. All apartments have low VOC paint and water saving faucets and showerheads and both buildings are landscaped with native, drought resistant plantings. Accepting the award for Urban Edge were Noah Maslan and Chrystal Kornegay.

For the first time, a new category, "Technical School," was added to the Builder Achievement Awards. The Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, received the award for incorporating ENERGY STAR strategies in both the classroom and out in the field. The school received the award for helping to construct a Habitat for Humanity home in Mashpee. In the classroom, the students installed a bio diesel processor and a solar hot water system, in addition to a meteorological tower to explore potential wind turbine installations. The award was accepted by Superintendent Barry Motta and Roger Foret, the school's carpentry instructor.

Livermore manages the ENERGY STAR Homes program for CSG. He said, "We are proud to be affiliated with Concordia, Transformations, Urban Edge and the Upper Cape Cod Regional Tech. They have carefully ensured that every aspect of their projects, from the lighting to the insulation, has exceeded the EPA's high standards for building performance. These award winners are leaders in the market who are building the homes of tomorrow, today. We are pleased to recognize their leadership and initiative."

The ENERGY STAR Homes program is a nationally recognized new construction
initiative that meets strict criteria set by the EPA for maximum energy efficiency. These
homes are nationally recognized for saving up to 30 percent (or more) on heating,
cooling, lighting and appliance costs. The ENERGY STAR Homes program and the Builder Achievement Awards are sponsored by the JMC, a consortium of utility companies and energy efficiency service providers. These organizations are committed to promoting energy efficient, high performance homes in the region.

For more information about ENERGY STAR Homes, visit www.energystarhomes.com or call 1-800-628-8413.

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The JMC is comprised of Bay State Gas, Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, KeySpan Energy Delivery (Mass. only), Massachusetts Electric, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Nantucket Electric, Narragansett Electric, New England Gas, NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, Unitil/Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company and Western Massachusetts Electric.