Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Sponsors Honored at 2013 ENERGY STAR Awards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 27, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized a select group of manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies, home builders and other organizations at the 2013 ENERGY STAR Awards for their contributions supporting energy efficiency activities during a ceremony on March 26, 2013. Of the 118 awards, 14 were presented to sponsors of the Building Technologies Office’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program, a nationwide program administered by the Department of Energy in conjunction with EPA. The HPwES Program helps homeowners improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their homes through a whole-house approach, focusing on how different aspects of a home can work together to increase energy efficiency. Collectively, the 14 HPwES Sponsors have made significant strides in supporting residential energy efficiency activities by overseeing local program implementation and managing the performance of participating home improvement contractors to ensure that quality standards are met. The local programs deliver energy and cost savings to homeowners, engage specially trained home improvement contractor forces, and promote initiatives to inform homeowners of the benefits of energy efficient homes.

The 2013 ENERGY STAR Awards ceremony is hosted annually by EPA and the Department of Energy to honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to saving energy and protecting the environment through energy efficiency. HPwES Sponsors were honored in three award categories: Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Award for Excellence. The 14 organizations recognized with this year’s Partner of the Year Awards support participating contractors that conducted thousands of energy assessments and completed nearly 40,000 home energy efficiency projects in 2012. The energy assessments and improvements help consumers to save on their utility bills and increase the comfort of their homes. HPwES Sponsors also led numerous workforce development and training activities for participating contractors contributing to a growing workforce of more skilled home improvement specialists.

This year’s HPwES awardees include:

• Arizona Public Service, Arizona

• Austin Energy, Texas

• The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund with United Illuminating and Connecticut Light & Power, Connecticut

• Constellation Energy/Baltimore Gas & Electric Company, Maryland

• ComEd, with Illinois Home Performance, Illinois

• Dominion East Ohio, Ohio

• Entergy Texas, Texas

• Focus on Energy, Wisconsin

• FSL Home Improvements, Arizona

• Long Island Power Authority, New York

• New Hampshire CORE Utilities, New Hampshire

• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, New York

• Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Oklahoma

• South Carolina Electric & Gas, South Carolina

There are currently 50 HPwES Sponsors nationwide, including utilities, states, municipalities, non-profit-organizations and financial institutions that promote energy efficient and renewable energy. Since 2002, HPwES Sponsors have helped homeowners complete more than 250,000 projects across the country.