NAHBGreen

NAHBGreen is another name for the National Green Building Program of the National Association of Home Builders, an organization based in the United States.

Introduction

Green building as a process that incorporates environmental considerations into every aspect of the home building process – from choosing the lot and the house plan and siting the home and deciding what materials to use, to the actual construction of the home and finally, its maintenance and operation.

NAHB members have been building green homes for years – each one appropriate to the climate, geography and market preferences of the communities where they build. Additionally, these builders certified more than 115,000 homes in local HBA green building programs between 1995 and 2008.

These programs have transformed the market because they are a cooperative effort among builders, designers, environmentalists and elected officials. Green building thrives when builders, developers and remodelers can go green voluntarily, without mandates and overbearing strictures. When that happens, there’s no limit on how green a home can be.

There are many parts to the NAHB National Green Building Program, or NAHBGreen, which was unveiled in February 2008 – and each part helps NAHB members help home buyers and home owners all over the country. The most important:

• National Green Building Certification to the National Green Building Standard and the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines
• The Certified Green Professional educational designation
• The NAHB National Green Building Conference
• The NAHB National Green Building Awards

NAHBGreen homes and projects can come in all sizes, styles and price points – from starter homes to retirement villas. Each one incorporates the hallmarks of green building – energy, water, and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and effective lot design.

State and local home builder associations "affiliate" with NAHBGreen by encouraging their members to seek National Green Building Certification and providing educational opportunities for builders, remodelers and consumers. As of June 2009, there were 102 state and local NAHBGreen affiliates.

National Green Building Certification

There are two rating systems available to score green projects: The NAHB Model Green Building Guidelines for new single-family homes and the National Green Building Standard for new single-family and multifamily construction, residential remodeling and renovation, and subdivision development.

Both rating systems are used as design tools for building professionals to plan their green projects. They are also scoring tools, providing the list of green choices made so that inspectors can test and verify the results. Finally, they are used for certification, so that a third party, the NAHB Research Center, can review the inspector's documentation and certify that the project is authentically green.

Builders can apply to certify their homes with both the National Green Building Standard and Builders Challenge using the free online Green Scoring Tool ^[1].

Home builders, developers and remodelers will find detailed instructions for the scoring tools and certification process at www.nahbgreen.org, the home of NAHBGreen. A list of accredited verifiers ^[2] is also available at the site.

The Certified Green Professional Designation

The Certified Green Professional ^[3] educational designation helps consumers recognize builders, remodelers and other industry professionals who incorporate green building principles into homes — without driving up the cost of construction. Requirements include 24 hours of classroom instruction, two years of industry experience, adherence to a code of ethics and a commitment to approved continuing education sessions.

More than 3,400 people have earned their CGPs since February 2008 – making it the largest and fastest growing NAHB designation in the history of the University of Housing. Consumers can find a Certified Green Professional at the Builder and Remodeler Online Designation Directory at www.nahb.org.

The National Green Building Conference

The annual National Green Building Conference ^[4] features educational seminars focusing on topics including Sales and Marketing, Design, Project Management and Building Science. A Tour of Green Homes includes new single-family homes and remodeling projects in various stages of construction.

You can become a fan of the NAHB National Green Building Conference on Facebook or Linkedin and share your thoughts on green with these online communities.

The NAHB National Green Building Awards

The National Green Building Awards ^[5] honor innovative design and technology, and there is a special category for affordable green homes, too. A gala awards dinner is held every year at the NAHB National Green Building Conference.

NAHB: The Green Leader

Working with the International Code Council, NAHB spearheaded the development of the National Green Building Standard for all residential construction and renovation projects. This standard was approved in January 2009 by the American National Standards Institute, making it the benchmark for green homes.

The standard development process was the latest in a series of initiatives designed to encourage education, networking and recognition for green builders.

The NAHB Green Building Subcommittee was formed in 1998 and the annual NAHB Green Building Conference was first held in 1999, when the first NAHB National Green Building Awards were given to a select group of builders, remodelers and advocates for their exemplary progress.

In 2005, NAHB introduced the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, allowing builders to "score" their projects in seven categories: energy efficiency, water efficiency, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, global impact, lot and site development and homeowner education. To score a home, builders had to achieve a minimum number of points in each of the seven categories and additional points in the categories of choice. The more points a project achieved across all categories, the higher the level.

In 2006, NAHB introduced the two-day "Green Building for Building Professionals" class. Home builders, remodelers, designers and suppliers immediately filled sessions held in home building associations all over the country.

References

1. ^ http://www.nahbgreen.org/ScoringTool.aspx
2. ^ http://www.nahbgreen.org/Certification/findverifier.aspx
3. ^ http://www.nahb.org/page.aspx/category/sectionID=1174
4. ^ http://www.nahb.org/conference_details.aspx?conferenceID=59
5. ^ http://www.nahb.org/award_details.aspx?awardID=470

External links

• NAHBGreen: NAHB National Green Building Program
• NAHB Certified Green Professional Designation
• National Association of Home Builders
• NAHB Research Center
• Green Approved Products for the National Green Building Standard