Homebuilders applaud ANSI approval of green standard

WASHINGTON — The American National Standards Institute has approved the homebuilders’ National Green Building Standard for all residential construction work, including single-family homes, apartments and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation.

The approval signals a new era for the nation’s builders, remodelers and developers and also provides an extra measure of reassurance for home buyers, said Joe Robson, a home builder in Tulsa, Okla., and chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

“The National Green Building Standard is now the first and only green building rating system approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes,” said Ron Jones, who chaired the consensus committee charged with developing the standard.

“The standard provides homebuilders and remodelers with a much more expansive third-party rating system that they can use to achieve green certification under NAHBGreen and the National Green Building Certification Program,” said Mike Luzier, CEO of the NAHB Research Center.

The Research Center provides certification for NAHBGreen projects, which until now have only included single-family homes.

“Consumers are looking for authentic, verifiable green building practices, and now they’ll find them with a true industry consensus standard for residential green building,” Luzier said.

The standard defines what green practices can be incorporated into residential development and construction and how homeowners can operate and maintain their green homes.

The National Green Building Standard also provides for flexibility, allowing builders and home buyers to make green choices based on climate and geography as well as style preferences and budget.

As part of the process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council gathered an inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of builders, architects, product manufacturers, regulators and environmental experts. The work of the consensus committee was administered by the NAHB Research Center, an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer.

The consensus committee deliberated the content of the standard for more than a year, held four public hearings and evaluated more than 2,000 public comments in the development of the standard.