2009 Excellence in Energy Performance Award

Austin, TX/Dallas, TX - Oncor recognizes Highland Homes for its outstanding commitment to the construction of homes that exceed ENERGY STAR® energy-efficiency specifications. Both Highland Homes’ Austin Division and Dallas Division were awarded with a 2009 Excellence in Energy Performance Award. Oncor does not service San Antonio and Houston so those divisions were not eligible.

"Highland Homes is a leader in raising the standards for energy-efficient home construction in Texas," said Mike Stockard, Energy Efficiency Manager with Oncor. "Their commitment to build energy-efficient homes demonstrates their dedication to provide homeowners with a better lifestyle and more value for their money."

Dale Weeden, Highland Homes Chief Operating Officer said, "We are proud to provide homeowners with high-performance homes that decrease energy demand, lower the cost of homeownership, and contribute to bluer skies in Texas. This year, we have built nearly 1100 ENERGY STAR qualified homes in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio."

Ten winners were selected from a group of more than 120 homebuilders – all participants in the 2008 ENERGY STAR Homes Program sponsored by Oncor. This annual award recognizes homebuilders in the Program who construct the largest volume of homes with the highest average HERS Index rating compared to other Program participants. Collectively, this year’s winners averaged 28% percent above code on the homes they constructed. Minimum ENERGY STAR specifications require that a home achieve an index rating of 85 which is 15 percent above 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). Homebuilders can qualify for the award in five categories based on the total volume of homes they build.

Highland Homes won the Volume Homebuilder category. The HERS Index ratings of all homes constructed by each homebuilder were averaged to calculate a cumulative score that represents their entire inventory. The scores were ranked and the highest ranked homebuilder from each category was identified as the winner.

For more information on Highland Homes and its commitment to ENERGY STAR qualified homes, visit www.highlandhomes.com. To learn more about the 2009 Excellence in Energy Performance Awards or the Oncor ENERGY STAR Homes Program, visit www.texasenergystarhome.info.

Take A Load Off, TexasSM is provided by Oncor Electric Delivery LLC as part of the company’s commitment to reduce energy consumption and demand. ICF International implements the Take A Load Off, Texas ENERGY STAR Homes Program as an independent contractor. For more information visit www.takealoadofftexas.com.