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500th Home Achieves National Green Building Certification
The home building industry reached an important milestone last week when the NAHB Research Center provided National Green Building Certification for its 500th project.
Setting the new milestone was a home in The Villages at White Oak in Arlington, Tenn., built by Chamberlain & McCreery of Cordova, Tenn. and entered in the Memphis Area Home Builders Association's annual Parade of Homes.
The certification recognizes new homes, remodeling projects and housing developments that have met stringent benchmarks in energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality and lot and site design. As part of this process, home owners are educated by the builder to help ensure that their homes operate as efficiently as they were built.
“This is great news for home buyers,” said NAHB Chairman Joe Robson. “National Green Building Certification through NAHBGreen is the sensible, affordable approach to ensuring that a new home or remodeling project has been completed with sustainability in mind. It’s the voluntary green scoring system that ensures choice for both the builder and the consumer.”
The NAHB National Green Building Program, or NAHBGreen, educates the public and the home building industry on the benefits of green building and includes the Certified Green Professional designation, the National Green Building Awards and the annual National Green Building Conference as well as independent project certification from the NAHB Research Center.
The NAHB Research Center administers National Green Building Certification by training and accrediting local verifiers who inspect each new home during the construction process and after the home is completed. There are more than 360 accredited verifiers nationwide.
With 99 completed certifications, North Carolina is the state with the most green-certified homes.
More than a quarter of those homes were constructed by a single builder, Shugart Enterprises, which has had more homes certified to the National Green Building Standard than any other builder in the country. (For a related story in this issue of NBN, click here.) Additionally, local verifiers have completed their initial inspections of 45 more homes constructed by Shugart. “We wanted to do something to separate ourselves from the competition,” said Shugart Enterprises spokesman Les Frye.
The National Green Building Standard is the only green residential building rating system approved by the American National Standards Institute, making it the industry benchmark.
Jim Pepitone, president of Ark Contractors, LLC, in Madison, Conn., is building a home he hopes will be certified to the Emerald, or highest, level of the standard. “Certification ensures the home buyer, the bank or the appraiser that I’ve done everything I’ve claimed to make the home green,” he said.
“The high standards and rigor of third-party certification are part of our corporate culture,” said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. “We’ve been providing certification services to the home building industry for over 45 years.”
“I’m proud of the work of these green building industry leaders,” said Michigan builder Bob Jones, the NAHB first vice chairman who oversees the work of the Research Center and also has led the association’s green building initiatives for the past three years.
“In fact, I’m proud of all our members who have paved the way for this achievement and who are building homes today that reflect advances in building science unheard of even a generation ago,” Jones said.
 ‘National Green Building Standard’ Available at BuilderBooks.com
“The National Green Building Standard,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides “green” practices that can be incorporated into multifamily and single-family new home construction, home remodeling and additions and site development.
The standard covers lot design, resource, energy and water efficiency; indoor environment quality; and owner education.
Currently the first and only ANSI-approved green building rating system, the National Green Building Standard is the benchmark for green homes.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here.
 The Future of Residential Construction Is Green
The Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation teaches builders, remodelers and other industry professionals techniques for incorporating green building principles into homes using cost-effective and affordable options.
Earning the CGP demonstrates to clients and peers your commitment to the best and latest in green building practices and techniques. Almost 4,200 people have earned the CGP designation to date.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org/CGPinfo.
 ‘Build Green and Save’ Available at BuilderBooks.com
“Build Green and Save: Protecting the Earth and Your Bottom Line,” available through BuilderBooks.com, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference that shows builders how to identify and select green building materials; implement green construction techniques; explain the benefits of green housing and offer affordable green building solutions to consumers; and use resources wisely and reduce water and energy consumption.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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