Upper Marlboro, MD – April 28, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Home Innovation Research Labs announced today it has certified 50,000 homes under the NGBS Green Certification Program. This milestone is significant not only because of the large number of homes that have been certified, but also for what it means for the state of the home building industry overall.
“When we launched the NGBS Green Certification program in January 2009 in the midst of the housing downturn,” said Michael Luzier, Home Innovation’s President and CEO, “it may have seemed counter-intuitive to voluntarily build homes to an above-code green standard, and pay to have those homes scrutinized under a rigorous third-party certification protocol. But forward-thinking builders didn’t see it that way at all. They saw NGBS Green as a way to emerge from the downturn by building better, higher-performing, and more marketable homes. Homes that smart consumers were seeking, and continue to seek today, as evidenced by the volume of homes we’ve already certified and more than ever in our certification pipeline.”
This program milestone provides a perfect opportunity to look back on what a game-changer the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) rating system has been for the industry – how accessible and practical it’s made green home building; how it’s created viable choice for certification within the market; how it’s helped builders of all stripes and sizes provide comprehensively green homes to mainstream buyers across the country. It’s also a great time to look ahead at how the NGBS will continue to shape green home building for generations to come – public comment period for the 2015 version of the NGBS just wrapped up in April and the Consensus Committee will meet in June to take formal action on all comments submitted. These ANSI-required regular reviews ensure the NGBS keeps pace with new building practices and technologies, and allows for ongoing stakeholder input.
The 50,000th NGBS Green Certified home, built by Saussy Burbank and verified by Southern Energy Management’s Matt Dovenbarger, will be celebrated just prior to the start of the 10th Annual Green Home Tour sponsored by the Green Home Builders of the Triangle (N.C.). Michael Luzier will present the home’s NGBS Green certificate to representatives from Saussy Burbank, a company that’s made a commitment to building high-quality green homes in the North Carolina Triangle area.
“We are dedicated to providing energy-efficient homes using sustainable, quality materials,” said Joe Robinson, Saussy Burbank’s Raleigh Division President. “We choose to have every home NGBS Green Certified to provide peace of mind to homeowners, and to ensure that we always hold ourselves to the highest standard. NGBS certified homes not only lead to lower energy costs, they are also more environmentally sustainable, and offer better air quality and a healthier living environment for homeowners and their families.”
And Southern Energy Management President, Bob Kingery, sees the benefits the program offers to builders as well. “The NGBS Green Certification program is one of the most affordable, flexible options we have in our portfolio,” according to Kingery, “and we’re proud to say we verified the 50,000th NGBS Green Certified home.”
The presentation and celebration will take place on May 2nd in Chapel Hill’s Briar Chapel community information center during the Green Home Tour kick-off reception, which begins at 10:30 a.m. This will be the first of several NGBS Green events over the next couple months to highlight the diversity of home types, buyers, and locations covered under the umbrella of the NGBS Green national certification program. Others will include military housing projects, affordable single- and multifamily projects, remodeled homes and buildings, and ultra-modern urban high-rises buildings. NGBS Green has a certification for every type of home, built anywhere in the country.
Consumers looking for a smarter investment, a healthier home, and a happier way of living should look for the NGBS Green Certified mark – it’s proof that green practices were designed and built into the home to achieve high performance. After all, 50,000 happy green homeowners can’t be wrong!
For more information on NGBS Green Certified homes and the value they deliver to homeowners and renters, visit www.NGBS.com. To find out more about and plan a visit to all the NGBS Green Certified homes on the Green Home Tour, visit www.hbadoc.com/index.php/events/green-home-tour.
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About Saussy Burbank: Locally owned, Saussy Burbank has a distinguished 25-year history, building in the Charlotte, Charleston, and Raleigh areas since 1989. Specifically designed to remain true to the locations in which they build, Saussy Burbank homes focus on local architectural elements and are loyal to the historically rich and timeless styles of the past. Quality materials, a close eye for detail, and a strong commitment to green building set Saussy Burbank apart. They have consistently ranked extraordinarily high in customer satisfaction, and are proud to have built superior homes of every size and price range.
About Southern Energy Management: Southern Energy Management (SEM) has one of the most experienced sustainable energy consulting and verification teams in the Southeast, and has worked on hundreds of energy-efficient, high-performance, and renewable energy residential and commercial projects. SEM is committed to improving the way people make and use energy, and aims to be a prosperous company that supports people and the planet. The company has several high-volume NGBS Green Certified Verifiers on their team.
About Green Home Builders of the Triangle: GHBT is a joint program of the HBA of Durham-Orange-Chatham Counties and the HBA of Raleigh-Wake County launched in 2006 with the primary purpose of promoting building techniques and materials that produce homes which consume less energy and other resources, facilitate better indoor air quality, and provide a more durable product requiring less maintenance.
ABOUT: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in residential construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the residential construction industry.
