Pardee Homes has earned a top award in the 2006 National Green Building Awards program, which recognized the multi-regional homebuilder for the green and sustainable materials, systems and practices incorporated into its new homes. Pardee Homes was named Production Home Builder of the Year, with its Santa Rosa neighborhood in San Diego used as a representative example of the company’s green building programs.

“For nearly a decade we have been bringing more ‘green’ into our homes, and showing buyers the new home design they love can also be earth-friendly,” said Mike McGee, President and CEO of Pardee Homes. “Santa Rosa represents one of our most ambitious efforts to date, and we are very gratified by this recognition.”

The National Green Building Awards are sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and are celebrated as part of the National Green Building Conference, held this year in Albuquerque. The Green Building Conference is an advocacy group of NAHB.

“Pardee Homes exemplifies our Green Building Award winners,” said Matt Belcher, Chairman of the 2006 National Green Building Conference. “Their leadership is helping us mainstream green building, thus encouraging more homebuilders to ‘go green’ in their markets, which helps homebuilding and the earth.”

Pardee Homes’ commitments to green building respond to high volume production housing processes and to well-researched consumer needs and preferences. These commitments encompass: LIVINGSMART® additional green building elements; emPOWER™ measures of maximized energy savings; Vernal Pool and Habitat Restoration; and Water Wise Living as outlined by the family of Southern California water agencies.

All are part of the Santa Rosa neighborhood, where energy savings potential includes roof integrated and trellis-mounted solar power systems as standard or optional, depending upon the home selected. “Buyers at Santa Rosa automatically obtain energy and resource-saving features that are truly exceptional in production housing,” said Joyce Mason, vice president of marketing. “They can further enhance these advantages in a number of meaningful ways, including solar energy packages that help the homes meet California’s criteria for Zero Energy New Homes.”

When fully operational, Pardee Homes’ solar power initiatives will equate to the planting of 67,337 trees or not drilling for 60,112 barrels of oil over the systems’ 30-year lifetimes. Assuming 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, the company’s solar powered homes will also save about $100,000 every year in energy costs.

Hal Struck, Pardee Homes executive vice president and chief operating officer, added that Pardee Homes’ emphasis on consumer information is integral to its solar energy and other green building initiatives. “Our outreach programs add an important dimension to green building by strengthening awareness among our home buyers, consultants and subcontractors, as well as among our industry peers,” said Struck. “In turn, this award, and the Green Building Conference assist by contributing to a full-circle and very positive ripple effect.”

The 2006 award is the third honor for Pardee Homes in the Green Building Awards program, adding to the now wide recognition of the company’s environmental efforts. Pardee Homes is also California’s first homebuilding company to earn the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA), which recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable, voluntary contributions in conserving California’s precious resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships.

The company has also earned a second Sustained Excellence honor from the U.S. EPA’s ENERGYSTAR® program for its long-term commitment to Energy Star and consumer outreach. Pardee Homes won its fourth ENERGYSTAR® Partner of the Year honor in the same program. Environmental honors also have included the Energy Value Housing Award (EVHA) sponsored by NAHB’s Research Council; awards for sustainable designs in the Gold Nugget Awards program and the water-efficient landscaping award of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Originally established in 1921, Pardee Homes is active in California and Nevada, with regional offices in Corona, Irvine, Sacramento, San Diego, Valencia and Las Vegas. Pardee Homes’ new home choices address a spectrum of households, and the company places particular emphasis on master-planned settings that also include schools, parks and preserved open space. Visit www.pardeehomes.com.