EPA Names Astoria Homes ENERGY STAR® 2005 Partner of the Year

Astoria Homes earns award for protecting the environment through energy efficiency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Astoria Homes as an ENERGY STAR 2005 Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by building energy-efficient homes. Astoria Homes' accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2005.

Astoria Homes, an ENERGY STAR partner, is being honored for building homes that meet EPA's strict guidelines for energy-efficiency. ENERGY STAR qualified new homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating -- homeowners can expect to save about $200-$400 annually on their utility bills. Astoria Homes builds with Engineered HVAC design and Air-Tight Ducts for better air distribution and more comfort. The homebuilder also installs Milguard® Low E4 windows with vinyl frames, which reflect the sun's heat away from the home in the summer and retain the furnace's heat in the home during winter.

"Astoria Homes takes great pride in our accomplishments together with ENERGY STAR," said Astoria Homes Vice President of Marketing Sia Howe. "We are proud to offer new homes that are good for homewoners and beneficial to the environment."

The Partner of the Year Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contribution to the construction of energy-efficient homes that benefit the environment, while providing homewoners with a quieter, more comfortable, and healthier home, with significant utility savings. Award winners are selected from over 3,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy to power 20 million homes and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 18 million cars - all while saving $8 billon.

"Every ENERGY STAR qualified home keeps 4,500 pounds of greenhouse gases out of our air each year," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "ENERGY STAR partners such as Astoria Homes are building homes that perform better for homewoners and for the environment. We applaud their effors to create a new generation of homes that offer the very best in terms of efficiency, comfort, and durability."

Astoria Homes implements ENERGY STAR into each of its communities, which range from the low $200,000s to the high $400,000s. Astoria's communities include: Cornerstone in the Northwest; Fields and Prominence at Aliante; Independence, The Verandas at The Peaks, and The Courtyards at The Peaks in the Southwest; and The Hills in Henderson. Another development is Tapestry, a mini-master planned community in Centennial Hills Town Center in Northwest Las Vegas. Tapestry includes the neighborhoods of The Avenues, The Lanes and The Courts.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. The program offers buinesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 7,000 organizations have become Energy Star partners and are committed to immproving the energy efficiency of products, homes & businesses.

For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).