ENERGY STAR® Drives Annual Green House Plan Competition from The House Designers

The House Designers' 4th annual design competition to promote sustainable and energy-efficient house plans is underway as America's leading architects and designers create new, innovative, cutting-edge home designs that can save homeowners up to 30% on yearly energy costs.

Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) December 31, 2012

The House Designers' 4th annual design competition to promote sustainable and energy-efficient house plans is underway as America's leading architects and designers create fresh, cutting-edge, green home designs that can save homeowners up to 30% on yearly energy costs. All entries will be judged by experts in home construction, residential home design and ENERGY STAR® homes and winners will be announced in May 2013 at their annual awards dinner.

After partnering with ENERGY STAR® in 2008, The House Designers created the annual competition to inspire its architects and designers to create new, innovative, sustainable home designs that are affordable and energy efficient without sacrificing aesthetics and the amenities that homeowners have come to expect from their best-selling house plans.

This yearly competition has produced many new, trend-setting house plans, as well as publishing partnerships with Professional Builder and GreenBuilder Magazine, who recognize The House Designers' architects and designers as leaders in new green home design.

“We wanted to have an authentic ENERGY STAR® house plans collection where new, creative, green designs are added every year,” said Tammy Crosby, Chief Operating Officer of The House Designers. “The past three years have produced gorgeous, innovative house plans that combine smart home technology, energy efficiency and sustainable home building products with flexible living spaces and luxury amenities that both consumers and builders expect in today's home designs.”

The House Designers' exclusive ENERGY STAR® and Green House Plans Collection allows builders and consumers to purchase house plans that include all the necessary ENERGY STAR® details to build a “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR®” home. This collection includes every style and size imaginable from craftsman to small efficient cottages to luxury homes.

All ENERGY STAR® house plans meet the new requirements and features set by the EPA's® ENERGY STAR® Version 3 Program to qualify as "Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR®”. A RESNET® Certified Energy Rater reviews all house plans to ensure that energy efficient features and construction details include tight construction and duct systems, properly installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment and ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting and appliances.

Residential manufacturers can have their green home building products specified directly on the blueprints of all house plans entered in the 4th Annual ENERGY STAR® and The House Designers' Design Competition. To qualify, products must be energy efficient, made from recycled products, have WaterSense® features, use low or no VOCs and/or promote healthier indoor air quality. The House Designers' encourage manufacturers to join companies like Therma-Tru®, Fypon® and Lumber Liquidators® to support green home building.

To view 2012's top award winning home plans, check out the collection of ENERGY STAR® and Green House Plans featuring the 1st Place Energy Efficient Cottage House Plan.

Companies interested in partnering with The House Designers and showcasing their sustainable, energy-efficient products online and on construction blueprints can email Tammy Crosby at tcrosby(at)thehousedesigners(dot)com or call 203.856.9334.

ABOUT THE HOUSE DESIGNERS HOUSE PLANS: The House Designers are the leading residential architects and designers in the U.S., owned and operated directly by the designers who represent the majority of pre-drawn plans in America. The House Designers offers the best-selling, most popular construction-ready house plans in the country. Their clients have built homes in every state in the U.S. and in 56 countries around the globe. For more information, visit thehousedesigners.com or call 866-214-2242.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebhomedesigncompetition2013/thehousedesigners01/prweb10282431.htm