As homeowners cope with rising utility bills and declining income, the University of
Central Florida's Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) has responded to a challenge
from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help produce homes 30 percent more
energy efficient than typical new homes.

Additionally, these new homes will meet other stringent "quality criteria" for
indoor air quality, durability and comfort set forth in DOE's new Builders Challenge
program (www.buildingamerica.gov/challenge).

The Builders Challenge is backed by two decades of research conducted by DOE's
Building America program (www.buildingamerica.gov) that proves
this goal can be achieved cost-effectively all across the country. FSEC, located on
the UCF Brevard campus in Cocoa, leads one of DOE's Building America teams 
(www.baihp.org) and has worked with a dozen of
the first builders to achieve the Builders Challenge.

FSEC researchers will co-host the unveiling of LifeStyle Homes' first Builders
Challenge home this Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. The public and home building
community are invited to the event, which will include a tour and testing
demonstrations. Look for signs in the Whispering Winds community off Dairy Road in
West Melbourne. For directions, visit the LifeStyle Homes Web site: 
www.BuildingALifeStyle.com.

LifeStyle Homes - based in Melbourne, Fla. - is the first Brevard County builder to
achieve the Builders Challenge with its new line of SunSmart SM models. FSEC's
Building America researchers provided technical assistance and third-party
certification to LifeStyle Homes, which is required by the Builders Challenge criteria.

"We are extremely proud of our collaboration with LifeStyle Homes," says Dr. Subrato
Chandra, FSEC's Building America program director. "We look forward to many more of
these high-performance Builders Challenge homes being built. We plan to work
alongside LifeStyle Homes every step of the way as they work toward our mutual goal
of building zero energy homes, which provide their total energy needs from the power
of the sun."

Larry Hufford, founding partner of LifeStyle Homes, echoes the thoughts of many
Builders Challenge participants.

"Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes offers solid benefits to our
customers," Hufford said. "It helps them save on their monthly and annual energy
bills, and it is the right thing for us to do in moving our country toward energy
independence."

For more information, contact
Neil Moyer, FSEC Building America researcher, 321-638-1409
Jake Luhn, LifeStyle Homes, 321- 727-8188 extension 303