So You'd Like to Know More About The "National Green Building Standard," Huh?
I've been busy digging myself out of the record snowfall we got here in Maryland the past few weeks, but I'm back now to let you know that i
n early February, I took the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) “Green Building for Building Professionals” course; a two-day seminar needed to achieve NAHB’s Certified Green Professional designation. The course covers green building techniques for new residential construction as well as residential remodeling projects and also provides a good background of the various requirements of NAHB’s American National Standards Institute-approved National Green Building Standard. After completing the course, I realized that I've only briefly touched on the Standard here in my two-part interview with Tom Farasy - so I thought that a more in-depth review was needed.
Background on the National Green Building Standard:
- In 2006, NAHB notified the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) that it intended to develop the National Green Building Standard. NAHB partnered with the International Code Council (ICC) in 2007 to develop the standard, and shortly thereafter, a call for committee members went out. The Consensus Committee on the National Green Building Standard consisted of 42 members that worked to develop a first draft of the Standard. The public had the opportunity to comment on the draft, and then a revised draft was vetted through seven Task Groups, each of which specialized in the different criteria contained in the Standard. The ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard was approved by ANSI as an American National Standard on January 29, 2009.
Applicability of the Standard:
- The Standard applies to residential construction including single-family, multi-family, and the lots and sites upon which residential buildings are located, as well as to remodeling and additions to existing residential buildings.
One Major "Plus" Compared to LEED:
- To me, one of the most significant differences in terms of certification types between the Standard and LEED-H is that a developer can attain certification under the Standard for site design and development prior to any construction being built on the site area. Certification levels are denoted by Stars, ranging from One Star (minimum of 79 points) up to Four Stars (minimum of 175 points). I think that certifying green site design and development separate and apart from construction is important for many reasons: (1) it allows developers of residential lots to set themselves apart from competitors by certifying their projects; (2) it recognizes that preparation of residential homes for delivery to the end consumer is a process that usually involves multiple parties (developer plus one or more builders) with distinct responsibilities; and (3) it recognizes that site design and development plays an important role in the overall “greenness” of the project.
One Major "Minus" Compared to LEED:
- There's a very important point to be aware of when assessing your project under the Standard and that is this: the "minimum" performance points needed for each Chapter ARE NOT TRUE MINIMUMS! This means that if you go strictly by the book with the goal of meeting Bronze level and you achieve the 39 points you need for Chapter 5, the 45 points you need for Chapter 6, the 30 points you need for Chapter 7, the 14 points you need for Chapter 8, the 36 points you need for Chapter 9, and the 8 points you need for Chapter 10, you will FALL SHORT and fail to achieve Bronze by 50 POINTS! This is because the Standard has a bonus points category that a project MUST achieve for each certification level (Bronze through Emerald). You gain the needed "Additional Points" by over-achieving in other Chapters. Therefore, you MUST exceed the stated minimums in order to achieve the needed "Additional Points."
I learned a lot from my builder classmates about cost-effective, green steps a builder can take right now - and I'll be happy to share my "top ten" list with you...next week.
