National Green Building Standard Appoved (NGBS)
The American National Standards Institute has approved a national green building standard for all residential properties.
A collaborative effort between the ICC (International Code Council) and NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), the Standard provides the “green” practices that can be incorporated into new homes, including high-rise multifamily buildings, home remodeling and additions, hotels and motels, and the site upon which the green homes are located.
It also will provide an alternative to non-standardized green rating systems, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
The green practices include lot design, preparation and development; resource, energy, and water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance, and building owner education. The four threshold levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald provide builders with a means to achieve basic, entry-level green building, or achieve the highest level of sustainable “green” building that incorporates energy savings of 60 percent or higher. The Standard can be used by any builder for their individual projects, or be the basis for a local community or state green building program.
**The Standard is the first residential green building rating system to have undergone the full consensus process and to be submitted to the American National Standards Institute for approval.**
The book can be ordered from BuilderBooks.com
Details of the National Green Building Standard are expected to be published by this spring.
