The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Veridian Homes a 2007 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency. Veridian Homes' accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 21, 2007.

Veridian Homes, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2001, was honored for its long-term commitment to building energy efficient new homes in Dane County. Participation in the Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Home Program ensures that the materials and building techniques used by Veridian provide homeowners with a safe, durable, comfortable and energy efficient home. A third party professional consultant documents and tests a Veridian home's performance to ensure that the home complies with Wisconsin ENERGY STAR standards.

Across the U.S., top companies and organizations are continuing to promote energy efficiency through participation in ENERGY STAR. Last year alone, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 25 million vehicles.

"Veridian has a comprehensive green approach to building homes that incorporates energy efficient and environmentally-friendly products and processes into each of its high-performing homes," said David Simon, President of Operations, Veridian Homes. "Providing homeowners with high performing homes wile protecting the environment continues to be a major priority at Veridian."

The 2007 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership consistently. These winners have set and achieved aggressive goals, employed innovative approaches, and shown others what can be achieved through energy efficiency. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program including energy-efficient products, services, new homes and in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program. Sustained Excellence Award winners include Toyota, Marriott International, Whirlpool, 3M and USAA Real Estate Company.

"Partners like Veridian Homes are outstanding leaders in protecting our environment through energy efficiency," said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "As one of the 2007 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence winners, Veridian Homes has taken energy efficiency to new heights year after year and we all benefit."

About Veridian Homes
Veridian Homes is a Dane County home builder dedicated to quality home building, community involvement and environmental stewardship. It has been nationally recognized as a National Housing Quality Gold Award winner, Builder of the Year and Gold Winner of the Energy Value Housing Award by the NAHB Research Center, and has annually obtained NAHB Builder Certification. Veridian also takes steps to have a lesser impact on the environment by participating in Wisconsin's Green Tier Initiative, and by recycling construction by product, such as cement and vinyl. Veridian Homes is a family-owned company in its third generation.

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).