WASHINGTON, DC, Mar. 18, 2009 -- The National Green Building Standard™, the first green building rating system to be approved by ANSI, is now available for purchase through BuilderBooks.com, the publishing arm for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
A collaborative effort between the International Code Council (ICC) and NAHB, the National Green Building Standard defines what green practices can be incorporated into residential development and construction on a national scale and how home owners can operate and maintain their green homes. These practices can be integrated into new single- and multi-family homes, home remodeling and additions, hotels and motels, and the site upon which the green homes are located. The green practices covered in the Standard 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 significance of this standard cannot be overstated," said NAHB Green Building Subcommittee chairman Eric Borsting, a California builder. "This document - and the voluntary project certification program administered by the NAHB Research Center - will more readily enable green home building, remodeling and development all over the country."
The National Green Building Standard provides flexibility allowing homebuilders and homebuyers to make green choices based on climate and geography as well as style preferences and budget. It can be used for individual projects, or be the basis for a local community or state green building program.
As part of the stringent process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council gathered a fully inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of a broad spectrum 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.
The National Green Building Standard is available for purchase ($31.95 NAHB member/$35.95 retail, ISBN 978-0-86718-641-3) at www.BuilderBooks.com or by calling 800-223-2665.
>> Additional information on The National Green Building Standard
The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 200,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction.
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