Veridian Homes is pleased to announce that it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2011 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award. This award recognizes the important contribution Veridian Homes has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by building ENERGY STAR qualified homes last year. Collectively, these homes will save Veridian customers approximately $80,900 on utility bills each year.

The environmental benefits of these Veridian ENERGY STAR qualified homes are equal to the equivalent of:

• Eliminating the emissions from 89 vehicles;
• Saving 536,484 lbs. of coal;
• Planting 147 acres of trees; or
• Saving the environment 1,052,153 lbs. of CO2 per year.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 20% more efficient than standard new homes built today.

"For Veridian Homes, the ENERGY STAR program complements our award-winning building process by approaching home building as a comprehensive and interactive system," said David Simon, President of Operations, Veridian Homes. "The end result is a beautiful, high-performing home that is more earth-friendly."

ENERGY STAR qualified homes offer homebuyers all the benefits they want in a new home, plus energy-saving features like effective insulation systems, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, properly sized and installed efficient heating and cooling equipment, efficient products, and third-party verification of energy performance.

“While other builders may claim to build energy-efficient homes, ENERGY STAR builder partners back it up,” said Jonathan Passe, Acting Manager for EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch. “Their houses undergo a rigorous independent inspection and testing process to ensure that they deliver real efficiency, comfort, durability, and value for homebuyers.”

Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR and partners, Americans saved about $18 billion on their utility bills and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 33 million vehicles. Nearly 1.2 million ENERGY STAR homes have been built in the United States since the program first began labeling homes in 1995.