The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the winners of the 2017 Housing Innovation Awards. This year's winners include 26 homes from 24 builders across the country. Winning homes were chosen from 5 categories: Affordable Homes, Multi-Family Homes, Production Homes, Custom Homes (Buyers), and Custom Homes (Spec). Grand Winners selected by a distinguished group of national experts for each category will be announced at the 2017 Housing Innovation Awards Ceremony. This event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 11th at the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance's High Performance Home Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The winning homes received this award because they met the rigorous requirements of DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home program. Homes labeled under this program are so energy efficient that they are able to produce as much energy as they use with a small, renewable energy system, such as solar.

"Housing Innovation Award winners represent the top 1% of builders across the country who successfully demonstrate they can meet the federal government's most rigorous specifications for high-performance homes," said Sam Rashkin, Chief Architect at DOE's Building Technologies Office. "Zero energy ready homes are designed to provide a whole new level of homeowner experience including ultra-low utility bills, ensured comfort, comprehensive water protection, whole-house fresh air delivery, high-capture filtration, contaminant control, and enhanced durability."

"These winners are leading a national movement to zero energy ready homes, providing better places for Americans to live, stronger communities, and a more economically and environmentally resilient nation," said Rashkin.

A complete list of the 2017 Housing Innovation Award winners is provided below along with the location of the winning homes.  Visit the DOE's website to learn more about the awards.  Winning homes from previous years can be viewed on the DOE Tour of Zero.