THE NGBS GREEN PROMISE
A BETTER PLACE TO CALL HOME
With an NGBS Green Certified home, “going green” has never been easier, or more affordable. When you see our mark, you can feel confident knowing that your home meets the National Green Building Standard ICC-700 (NGBS). It’s more than a mark, it’s a commitment to bettering our planet and improving your life.
THE NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING STANDARD
The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is the only green building rating system for homes and apartments approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as an American National Standard. The NGBS provides a blueprint for builders to follow for the design and construction of new and renovated single-family homes and multifamily apartment buildings.
PROPERLY INSTALLED INSULATION & AIR SEALING
Eliminates cold spots in a home and excess heating costs, maximizing your comfort and savings.
ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING
Uses less energy, generates less heat, and saves money.
ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
Use less energy and water and reduce utility costs.
PROPERLY-SIZED & INSTALLED
Ensures comfort throughout the home.
TIGHT AIR DUCTS
Eliminates unevenly hot or cold rooms and excess moisture and dust in a home.
WATER CONSERVING APPLIANCES
Save water and reduce costs.
LOW-FLOW PLUMBING FIXTURES
Save water and reduce costs.
ADVANCED FRAMING TECHNIQUES
Conserve natural resources, reduce waste, lower construction costs, and optimize structural performance.
ROOF OVERHANGS & DRIP EDGES
Provide added protection from rain intrusion into home.
ICE BARRIERS
Prevent ice dams which can damage walls and insulation.
WALKABLE COMMUNITY
Easy access to mass transit, neighborhood amenities, and services. Part of a healthier, more active lifestyle.
ONSITE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Protects water quality and reduces the potential for flooding.
LOW-MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPING
Beautiful landscape that doesn’t need a lot of energy or water.
TREE PRESERVATION
Provides shading during hot summer months, reduces storm water runoff.
OWNER’S MANUAL PROVIDED
Helps residents protect their investment by explaining how to best operate and maintain home’s equipment to extend its service life, improve indoor air quality, and achieve expected operating savings.
PROPER EQUIPMENT PLACEMENT/VENTING
Helps ensure occupants are not exposed to pollutants from the combustion process, such as carbon monoxide.
LOW-VOC MATERIALS
Limits emissions of pollutants in the home and improve indoor air quality.
PROPERLY INSTALLED INSULATION & AIR SEALING
Eliminates cold spots in a home and excess heating costs, maximizing your comfort and savings.
ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING
Uses less energy, generates less heat, and saves money.
ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
Use less energy and water and reduce utility costs.
PROPERLY-SIZED & INSTALLED
Ensures comfort throughout the home.
TIGHT AIR DUCTS
Eliminates unevenly hot or cold rooms and excess moisture and dust in a home.
WATER CONSERVING APPLIANCES
Save water and reduce costs.
LOW-FLOW PLUMBING FIXTURES
Save water and reduce costs.
ADVANCED FRAMING TECHNIQUES
Conserve natural resources, reduce waste, lower construction costs, and optimize structural performance.
ROOF OVERHANGS & DRIP EDGES
Provide added protection from rain intrusion into home.
ICE BARRIERS
Prevent ice dams which can damage walls and insulation.
WATER CONSERVING APPLIANCES
Save water and reduce costs.
LOW-FLOW PLUMBING FIXTURES
Save water and reduce costs.
ADVANCED FRAMING TECHNIQUES
Conserve natural resources, reduce waste, lower construction costs, and optimize structural performance.
ROOF OVERHANGS & DRIP EDGES
Provide added protection from rain intrusion into home.
ICE BARRIERS
Prevent ice dams which can damage walls and insulation.
WALKABLE COMMUNITY
Easy access to mass transit, neighborhood amenities, and services. Part of a healthier, more active lifestyle.
ONSITE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Protects water quality and reduces the potential for flooding.
LOW-MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPING
Beautiful landscape that doesn’t need a lot of energy or water.
TREE PRESERVATION
Provides shading during hot summer months, reduces storm water runoff.
OWNER’S MANUAL PROVIDED
Helps residents protect their investment by explaining how to best operate and maintain home’s equipment to extend its service life, improve indoor air quality, and achieve expected operating savings.
PROPER EQUIPMENT PLACEMENT/VENTING
Helps ensure occupants are not exposed to pollutants from the combustion process, such as carbon monoxide.
LOW-VOC MATERIALS
Limits emissions of pollutants in the home and improve indoor air quality.
GREEN FEATURES AND BENEFITS TO YOU
A home or multifamily building can attain one of four performance levels — Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald. For a building to attain any level of NGBS Green certification, all of the applicable mandatory provisions must be correctly implemented.
You can rest assured that any home with an NGBS Green Certified mark on it is green, top to bottom. But the NGBS allows four certification levels – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald – so builders can provide options based on market preferences, homebuyer budgets, and other regional or cultural influences. NGBS Green is the only residential green certification program that requires increasingly higher point thresholds in ALL categories in order for a home to reach the next level of certification.
This NGBS difference ensures that, no matter the certification level, the home is green in all aspects; not just extremely energy efficient, for example, with little regard for indoor environmental quality or how the home relates to the surrounding community and amenities.
SO HOW DO THE VARIOUS
CERTIFICATION LEVELS COMPARE?
- Energy
Efficiency
- Water
Efficiency
- Resource
Efficiency
- Lot
Development
- Operation &
Maintenance
- Indoor
Air Quality
- Typical
- NGBS Bronze
- NGBS Silver
- NGBS Gold
- NGBS Emerald
- Energy
Efficiency - Water
Efficiency - Resource
Efficiency - Lot
Development - Operation &
Maintenance - Indoor
Air Quality
- Typical
- NGBS Bronze
- NGBS Silver
- NGBS Gold
- NGBS Emerald
THE VALUE OF THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION
Lots of builders claim their homes are green. But without a NGBS Green Certification issued by Home Innovation Research Labs, you have to take the builder's word that the green features are installed correctly. Independent, third-party certification is your proof that a home or apartment building is, in fact, NGBS compliant and truly green.
Every NGBS Green Certified home is inspected in-person at least twice by an experienced NGBS Green Verifier; an inspector independent from the builder who has been accredited by Home Innovation. Before a verifier can award the home points for the green practices claimed by the builder, he or she must visually inspect nearly every one of the green practices, products, and technologies to ensure they are installed correctly. Verifiers conduct an inspection of the home before the drywall is installed so they can verify all the green practices, such as insulation installation, inside the wall. Then they come back for a final inspection when the home is complete to ensure all the green practices installed after their first inspection are correct. Home Innovation reviews every single verification report to ensure it is complete and accurate before the NGBS certification is issued.