2008 Media Releases & Alerts
Judges Named for 2009 EnergyValue Housing Awards
Nationally Renowned Energy-Efficiency Experts to Judge Prestigious Competition
for Nation’s Top Energy-Efficient Home Builders
June 23, 2008, Upper Marlboro, Md. - The NAHB Research Center has
selected six nationally renowned energy efficient experts to serve as judges
for its 2009 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 2009
includes a mix of new and returning judges specializing in the fields of
engineering, residential energy, construction, architecture, and design. Now in
its 14th year, the EVHA program not only recognizes energy-efficient practices,
but also educates the residential industry and the public about advanced
technologies and successful approaches to energy-efficient construction that
can be implemented by mainstream builders.
The EnergyValue Housing Awards will be presented during the 2009
International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, Nev., in the
affordable, custom, factory-built, production, and multifamily categories for
hot, moderate, and cold climate regions. This year's judging panel includes the
following experts:
Michael DeWein has served as technical director for the
Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) of the Alliance to Save Energy since
March 1995. He has provided technical support and direction to BCAP and its
programs in over 35 states and hundreds of jurisdictions nationwide. Prior to
joining the Alliance, DeWein worked as a technical specialist in the New York
State Energy Office (NYSEO), Codes and Customer Service Bureaus. DeWein also
was the first trainer for the NYSTAR program, one of the early Home Energy
Rating System (HERS) programs for builders in New York. DeWein is serving or
has served as a member of the Energy Smart Park Initiative (ESPI) Steering
Committee, Building Performance Contractors Association Board of Directors, the
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Residential
Advisory Committee, and the Energy and Environmental Builders Association Board
of Directors.
Joe Gregory has nearly 30 years in the construction industry,
the last seven of which have been with Bob Ward Companies—a past EVHA recipient
and 2007 Energy Star Partner of the Year. In his tenure at Bob Ward, Gregory
led the team who built the very first Energy Star-rated house for the local
Habitat for Humanity during the 2006 Home Builder’s Blitz. A graduate of Penn
State University with a degree in industrial studies, Gregory has also worked
with the NAHB Research Center to spearhead the design and construction of
Maryland’s first production of an ultra energy-efficient home. Currently,
Gregory serves on the Green Building Committee for the Home Builder’s
Association of Maryland.
David Hales is a returning EVHA judge who brings over 25 years
of experience in building science and construction. He currently serves as a
building systems specialist for Washington State University’s (WSU) Extension
Energy Program. As a building systems specialist, Hales provides technical
assistance, curriculum development, and training and demonstrations for the
utilities and construction industry that support energy-efficient design and
construction. Prior to his time with WSU, he served as an energy specialist for
the Washington State Energy Office as well as a managing partner for Sun
Construction. Hales has a degree in physics from the University of Chicago.
Lee Magnusson joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in 2008, and currently serves as technical monitor for the NAHB Research
Center’s Building America team. Prior to working at NREL, he formed a start-up
company to design, develop, and market new building insulation technology. Lee
is an inventor on four patents. He holds degrees in materials engineering and
mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
Magnusson also holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Richard Morgan manages Austin Energy Green Building which
includes single family, multifamily, and commercial Green Building Programs and
the adoption and implementation of the City of Austin Energy Code. Richard is
also responsible for Austin Energy’s “Manage it Green” consulting program which
provides services to other utilities and municipalities seeking to develop or
enhance green building and energy efficiency programs. Prior to joining Austin
Energy, Richard spent seven years managing not-for- profit affordable housing
initiatives in Austin and more than 20 years in the private sector building
industry as a licensed general contractor and cabinet shop owner. Richard is
certified by the National Development Council as a housing development finance
professional and is a project management professional. He is currently a member
of the Board of Directors of the Green Building Initiative and a past member of
the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Subcommittee.
Barb Yankie is president of Homes +, Inc., an Ohio-based
company which she established in 2000. It provides energy-efficiency audits,
Energy Star ratings, infrared diagnostic surveys, residential LEED
certifications, and other testing services for residential and commercial
structures. Yankee is a Certified HERS Rater, LEED Green Rater, National Green
Building Certification Verifier, Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET)
Green Rater, Level II Thermographer, and has more than 15 years experience in
the building science and construction field. Additional affiliations and
certifications include: RESNET National Board of Directors; Affordable Comfort,
Inc. 2007 Core Conference Committee; Building Performance Institute Technical
Advisory Committee, U.S. Green Building Council; International Code Council;
National Association of Home Builders, and many others.
When the application period closes on July 11, 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. The judging panel will meet as a
group in October to discuss their findings and select the winners that will be
announced at the 2009 IBS in Las Vegas, Nev.
About the Energy Value Housing Award: EVHA is coordinated by
the NAHB Research Center in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy
through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the National Association
of Home Builders (NAHB). For more details on EVHA, visit
www.nahbrc.org/evha or contact Dr. Kevin Mo, EVHA program manager, at
(301) 430-6210 or via e-mail.
06/08
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