The green building revolution continues to gain momentum.
A building standard covering all residential construction work — single-family homes, apartments and condominiums, land development, and remodeling and renovation — was approved Jan. 29 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The National Green Building Standard is a comprehensive green-construction rating system for residential builders and is the first green building rating system to be approved by the institute.
Founded in 1918, the American National Standards Institute is a leading authority for private sector voluntary standardization systems in the United States. The institute oversees the creation and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly affect businesses.
The International Code Council (ICC) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) developed the green standard with broad input from several thousand stakeholders, ranging from code officials and other building professionals to the entire spectrum of the green building community. This new standard provides a practical route to green, sustainable and high-performance construction, especially in communities with little if any green/sustainable buildings or guidelines to build green. The standard also promotes homeowner education for the maintenance and operation of green residential buildings to ensure long-term benefits.
The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council.
The NAHB Research Center, which administers the national verification and certification program for green homes through the NAHB National Green Building Program, can now offer certification for residential projects to this new standard.
The rating system allows builders, designers and communities to choose the levels of high-performance green building that best suit their needs. Key provisions include:
• Land conservation.
• Rainwater collection.
• Construction of smaller homes to conserve resources.
• Energy performance starting at 15 percent above the baseline requirements of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.
• The use of low-VOC (volatile organic compound) materials and detached garages or carports to improve indoor environmental quality.
• Homeowner education on proper maintenance and operation to maintain the home’s green status throughout its life cycle.
The National Green Building Standard also provides for flexibility, allowing homebuilders and homebuyers to make green choices based on climate and geography as well as style preferences and budget.
According to International Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland: “Development of high-performance ‘greener’ housing can have a tangible and positive impact on our environment and communities. This new tool for state and local governments fills an important gap to provide a measurable framework for efforts to produce green and sustainable housing. The application of (the National Green Building Standard) can contribute to greater energy, water and resource efficiency, along with reduced long-term costs to consumers and to our planet.”
The International Code Council has also developed the Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) program to provide independent confirmation that evaluated building products are sustainable and may qualify for points under the new standard. A SAVE evaluation involves both inspection of the manufacturer’s production process and reviews of independent product testing. Manufacturers that successfully complete the evaluation process receive a Verification of Attributes Report in one or more of nine key categories. Design professionals will be able to use the reports as evidence that products or systems they select qualify for points under the National Green Building Standard. (The program uses a point system to evaluate homes.)
In a recent study by the NAHB Research Center, builders indicated a shift in emphasis since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2006 to green homebuilding and energy efficiency. Increasing home energy efficiency was selected as the highest-ranking change in builder offerings since the downturn. Additionally, 30 percent of builders surveyed planned to have a green building program soon.
The changing industry picture offers opportunities. Builders and suppliers of building products who adapt to the new environment stand to gain the most when the industry rebounds.
Scott Allred is chairman of the Triad Green Building Council and the owner of Precept Construction. He can be reached at scott@preceptconstruction.com or 286-6811. For additional resources on green building, visit www.preceptconstruction.com.
