Draft of Green Building Standard Available for Comment

A working draft of the National Green Building Standard, based on NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines, is available for comments from the public on the NAHB Research Center Web site. Getting public comment will help the consensus committee that is working on the new standard identify where further development of the provisions is needed.

To submit comments, visit the research center Web site at www.nahbrc.org.

Unlike a formal public comment process, responses will not be provided, but will be useful as the committee considers its work ahead, said Vladimir Kochkin, who is coordinating the standards process for the NAHB Research Center, which is serving as secretariat for the standard. Results of the public input process will be presented to the consensus committee at the first meeting on April 19-20 in Washington, D.C.

A public comment process in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requirements will occur later in the year.

Those interested in submitting comments must use the Public Input Form provided with the working draft. Instructions are provided on the form.

The following updates were implemented to the guidelines:

1. Scope and Administration Chapter (chapter one).
   
   
2. Definitions Chapter (chapter two). This chapter will be developed by the consensus committee. At this time, it contains several definitions related to chapter one.
   
   
3. Language for implementing the "Point System" (chapter three).
   
   
4. Chapters four through 10 are based on sections one through seven of the Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
   
   
5. "Appendix A" on "Site Planning and Development" is based on "Appendix A" in the Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
   
   
6. "Appendix B" will be a commentary (to be developed) based on the user guide of the Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
   
   
7. Green Building Practices were rewritten in a format suitable for a standard. The intent of the rewrite was not to modify the technical substance of the Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
   
   
8. Where deemed necessary for implementation of a particular practice, information from the user guide of the Model Green Home Building Guidelines was incorporated into the body of the working draft of the standard.
      
9. Documentation provisions for each practice were refined to provide consistency throughout the document.
    
10. Inconsistencies identified in the guidelines were addressed.

All applicants will be notified about the results of the committee selection process on or before Wednesday, March 28.

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