Winner of Northwest ENERGY STAR® Homes' $25,000 Welcome Home Campaign prize announced

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), announced the winner of a $25,000 grand prize in its Welcome Home Campaign. The campaign encouraged potential homebuyers to visit participating Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington over the summer where they learned about the energy efficiency, comfort, health and safety benefits of Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes. Colin Newing, a Clark Public Utilities customer from Battle Ground, Wash., was awarded $25,000 for participating in the campaign, in a random drawing from more than 1,000 hopeful contestants.

"On behalf of Clark Public Utilities I would like to congratulate Mr. Newing for being named the grand prize winner of the 'Welcome Home' sweepstakes," said DuWayne Dunham, customer accounts representative team leader, Clark Public Utilities. "The Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program has been very successful in our service territory with over 30 percent of the new homes constructed in Clark County last year (2010) built to ENERGY STAR Homes standards. Much of that success can be attributed to the new homebuilders in the area that have taken on the program as part of their standard building practices. Many of these builders have committed to building 100 percent of their homes ENERGY STAR qualified, and we as a utility are able to offer incentives to homebuilders to build more efficient, healthy, comfortable homes for our customers."

Forty-two builders participated in the Welcome Home Campaign, showing 81 qualified Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes. Builder participation included 12 builders in Washington, seven in Idaho, two in Montana and 14 in Oregon. Potential homebuyers entered to win the $25,000 prize after touring a home and filling out their ratings at self-service counter displays at participating Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes open houses, and were awarded prizes throughout the contest, such as ENERGY STAR-rated TVs donated by Samsung. The $25,000 prize winner toured a Northwest ENERGY STAR Home built by New Tradition Homes.

"New Tradition Homes is excited to be part of this fun and educational Northwest ENERGY

STAR Homes campaign," said Kelly Helmes, vice president, New Tradition Homes. "The ENERGY STAR Homes program is integral in our company's commitment to innovation, to constructing better-built homes, and to continually improving building practices.  Energy efficiency is quickly becoming a standard in the housing industry to the benefit of generations of future homeowners. We appreciate the leadership and the ongoing support from the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program."

The Welcome Home Campaign encouraged homebuyers to rate each home on their favorite features and learn more about the "behind the walls" energy-efficient features of certified Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes. Features such as better insulation and sealed ductwork give the families living in Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes more comfortable homes with no drafts or cold spots, better indoor air quality, and fewer problems with mold and moisture. Every Northwest ENERGY STAR home is performance tested and certified by a third-party expert.

"Northwest ENERGY STAR homes are at least 15 percent more efficient than code-built new homes, making them some of the most energy-efficient homes on the market," said Alexis Allan, group product manager for NEEA. "Thanks to this innovative collaboration between local utilities, Energy Trust of Oregon, the Bonneville Power Administration and homebuilders, we can help individual homebuyers save energy, boost overall regional energy savings and build a more sustainable future in the Northwest."

About Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes

The Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes program promotes the construction and adoption of ENERGY STAR Homes in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington and is an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). NEEA is a non-profit organization that is supported by and works in collaboration with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities to maximize energy efficiency on behalf of more than 12 million energy consumers. For more information regarding NEEA, visit: www.neea.org. Consumers can learn more about ENERGY STAR qualified homes by visiting www.NorthwestENERGYSTAR.com or calling 1.800.539.9362.

SOURCE Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance