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Modular Homes Now Eligible for NAHB Green Certification
Under the Modular Green Approved program unveiled last month by NAHB, the NAHB Building Systems Councils (BSC) and the NAHB Research Center, NAHBGreen certification is now available for modular homes, which account for a fifth of the nation’s housing production.
The new Modular Green verification service is being offered by the NAHB Research Center, which also administers the National Green Building Program for traditionally built homes launched in February as part of NAHBGreen.
“This is a very important step for the industry as more and more builders rely on systems-built construction methods,” said NAHB Chairman Sandy Dunn. “Modular construction helps builders reduce their overhead and go green with ease by assembling a significant portion of the home in the factory.”
Research Center President Mike Luzier thanked modular home manufacturers who piloted the certification process in preparation for the BSC’s SHOWCASE event in Memphis last month, where members eagerly awaited news of the new program.
“This shows not only their commitment to quality, but also their dedication to serving the growing list of consumers who are moving towards purchasing green homes,” Luzier said.
Because they are built in a factory, modular homes can take advantage of resource efficiencies that make them less expensive and wasteful to produce, making them green as well as more affordable, Dunn said.
Under the National Green Building Certification Program, traditional homes are inspected onsite by NAHB Research Center-trained verifiers who examine the insulation, framing and other components of the building envelope — as well as the materials and products that help produce water efficiency, better indoor environmental quality and other hallmarks of green building.
While a modular or systems-built home is constructed to the same codes as a traditional, site-built home, the inspector can’t see behind the walls when it arrives at the building site, making the verification process more difficult. The new Modular Green program ensures in the factory that the house and its components meet NAHB’s green requirements, with the rest of the inspection being conducted onsite.
“Consumers have become wary of vague, unverifiable green claims,” said Bret Berneche, BSC Modular Council president and CEO of Cardinal Homes, a modular manufacturer in Wylliesburg, Va.
“With this program, consumers can be comfortable knowing they are getting a product that is verified against a nationally recognized program, combined with a highly engineered building system made in a controlled environment that exceeds code requirements for conventional construction,” he said.
“We launched NAHBGreen to bring sustainable building to mainstream home buyers,” Dunn said. “This is the next step, and as our members work to keep new homes affordable, it’s a most welcome one.”
The Modular Building Systems Council is part of the NAHB Building Systems Councils. The release of Modular Green is the first step the BSC and its members have taken to introduce in-plant green verification for the systems-built industry. The BSC is planning to establish similar programs for its other councils: panelized, log and concrete residential construction.
For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
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