The
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has earned its
fourth ENERGY STAR designation for the National Housing Center, the
downtown Washington, D.C. office building that serves as the
association's headquarters.
The designation recognizes buildings that conserve natural
resources while
providing a comfortable and healthy environment for employees and
visitors.
Since the building was significantly expanded and renovated in
2001, the
Housing Center's property manager, Transwestern, has continued to
fine-tune
the details of the original energy-efficient construction project. This
year, the improvements included at least two measures that consumers
can try
at home, said NAHB Executive Vice President Jerry Howard.
"We continue to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs
with compact
florescent light bulbs, which use two-thirds of the energy and last 10
times
longer," Howard said. "We have also installed more motion detectors in
little-used rooms rather than leave the lights on when they aren't in
use."
Transwestern staff also regularly inspects and maintains the
heating and air
conditioning equipment used in the building to optimize its performance
and
prolong its life, Howard said. The Housing Center's continued ENERGY
STAR
designations save money and energy while they also send a strong signal
regarding housing industry support for voluntary energy guidelines, he
added.
"Many of our members build homes with appliances and heating
and cooling
systems that meet the ENERGY STAR guidelines. In fact, more than
800,000
ENERGY STAR-rated homes have been constructed in the past 10 years,"
Howard
noted. "These home builders' business practices show how NAHB members
are at
the forefront of green building - and that's reflected in how we
operate our
national headquarters."
A plaque recognizing the ENERGY STAR achievement has been
posted near the
building's entrance.
Posted 29th May 2008
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