BUILD SAN ANTONIO GREEN™ NAMED

2009 NAHB NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING AWARD WINNER

San Antonio, May 8^th 2009 The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced today that Build San Antonio Green™ is a recipient in the 2009 NAHB National Green Building Awards.

Build San Antonio Green™ received the award for “Green Building Program of the Year.”

The prestigious annual awards honor home builders, remodelers, home builders’ associations and other organizations for advancing green building through innovative design and construction techniques, excellent educational programs and successful advocacy efforts.

Build San Antonio Green™, San Antonio’s residential green building program, is a partnership of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association and the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, CPS Energy, San Antonio Water System, Via Metropolitan Transit, AACOG, the Greater Bexar County Council of Cities, and Solar San Antonio.

Build San Antonio Green™ was developed specifically for the South Texas climate, and is the only green building program that incorporates CPS Energy and SAWS rebates, the SAWS WaterSense and Landscape List, the Net Metering Ordinance, the San Antonio Tree Protection Ordinance, and the Unified Development Code. The program features a variety of options for builders wishing to build green, in both new construction and green retrofit projects.

To date, the program has certified 252 homes as “built green.” Because of the increased energy efficiency of these certified homes, they are saving over 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of energy every year, enough to run 62 homes built to code for one year. In addition, these home are responsible for reducing harmful emissions, preventing of 1.3 million pounds of CO₂ emissions every year, the equivalent of removing 113 cars from the road for one year.

The awards are part of the NAHB National Green Building Program, NAHBGreen, which includes education, advocacy, marketing and certification services for green homes. Since NAHBGreen debuted in February 2008, almost 150 homes have been certified across the country. Project entries must be scored to the NAHB Green rating system to facilitate judging.

“Between 2006 and 2008, the number of award applications quadrupled. The tremendous growth of this program reflects the growth of green building practices all over the country,” said NAHB Green Building Subcommittee Chair Eric Borsting, a California home builder.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for San Antonio, as Build San Antonio Green has been recognized among all the green building programs across the country,” said Anita Ledbetter, Executive Director of Build San Antonio Green™. “The national recognition is very encouraging, as we are working together with home builders and our partners toward making San Antonio a greener and more sustainable community.”

"This award is a clear indicator that Build San Antonio Green™ has become a leader in this field," said Mayor Phil Hardberger. "Build San Antonio Green™ was a consultant to the city as we developed a green building code, and I believe it will continue to be a strong partner as we advance the goals of Mission Verde, the city's sustainability plan for the future."

“We are pleased to be a part of the success of the Build San Antonio Green program.  Through this tool we will forever change the landscape and future of San Antonio and our children will benefit from the good stewardship that this program represents,” said John Saenz, Senior Vice President of Retail Energy at CPS Energy.

“I am extremely proud of Build San Antonio Green™. The program has really advanced under the direction of Anita Ledbetter, and the Greater San Antonio Builders Association is proud to be a partner of the Build San Antonio Green™ program. Together we can continue to make it the best in the nation,” Becky Oliver Executive Vice President of the Greater San Antonio Builders Association.

County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, Chairman of Build San Antonio Green™ said "The great value of Build San Antonio Green is to jumpstart the transition into sustainability for our community in partnership with others across the nation. And, its good work couldn’t come at a more opportune time when our economy needs green jobs and lower energy bills for the tidal wave of retirees seeking to balance their household budgets."

The awards were presented at a gala dinner during the NAHB National Green Building Conference. The 11th annual conference is set for May 8-10 in Dallas.