BOSTON, June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts' investor-owned electric utility companies -- National Grid, NSTAR, Unitil, and Western Mass Electric Company, successfully completed an energy efficiency pilot program called the Zero Energy Challenge. Five home builders competed to construct super energy-efficient single-family homes and were awarded prizes based on their results totaling $50,000. The awards event was held June 29, 2009 at 1:00pm at the Massachusetts State House with guest speaker Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary, Ian Bowles.

"Winners of the Zero Energy Challenge are energy efficiency trail blazers who are helping to build wider awareness and use of cutting edge techniques that result in dramatic home energy savings," Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said. "The Challenge dovetails with Governor Patrick's overall clean energy goals -- in particular, the Administration's work toward adoption of zero net energy standards for new residential and commercial construction by 2030."

The winners were selected based on their project scores on the nationally recognized ENERGY STAR/HERS rating scale and used energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies such as super-insulation, passive & solar thermal designs, heat-recovery ventilation, mini-split heat pump technology, super efficient windows, photovoltaic panels, and other energy-efficient technologies to achieve their goals. The participants and their placement are as follows:

    1st Place       Bick Corsa     Tina Clarke/Doug      Turners Falls/
    $25,000         Construction   Stephens Residence    Western MA Electric
                                                         Company

    2nd Place       Carter Scott   Transformations, Inc. Townsend/Unitil
    $15,000

    3rd Place       Anne Perkins   Rural Development,    Greenfield/
    $10,000                        Inc.                  Western MA Electric
                                                         Company

    4th Place       Mark Sevier    Sevier/Farb           Sudbury/
                                   Residence             NSTAR Electric

    5th Place       Mary Marra     Bread & Roses         Lawrence/
                                   Housing, Inc.         National Grid

For more information including the final HERS indices for the projects, please visit www.zechallenge.com. To promote replicability, the website will track additional data and consumption information, as reported by the participants, over the course of one year.

SOURCE ICF International

RELATED LINKS
http://www.zechallenge.com