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2011 09-16 eeba - nahbrc national green bld std overview
The document provides an overview of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) certification program. It discusses the development and scope of the NGBS, the certification process, costs, accredited verifiers, product approvals, incentives, and revisions. The certification ensures projects meet the consensus-based requirements in the NGBS across various residential building types and levels of certification.
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2011 09-16 eeba - nahbrc national green bld std overview
- 1. National Green Building Standard ICC-700
- 2. Learning Objectives At the end of this program, participants will be able to: 1. Explain the development of the National Green Building Standard, its scope, and the opportunities for project certification 2. Identify program eligibility requirements for certification under the Standard 3. Details the process, roles and responsibilities of the participants 4. Explain the Research Center’s green certification process under the National Green Building Standard
- 3. Agenda NAHB Research Center The National Green Building Standard Certification Program The Green Scoring Tool Certification Costs Green Approved Products Revision Process FTC Green Guides 3
- 4. Research Center History Founded in 1964 Wholly-owned subsidiary of NAHB Independent, for-profit research firm Originally a small product testing lab Grown to full-service housing technology/product research firm 4
- 5. Mission Improvethe quality, affordability, durability, environmental performance of housing Methodology Promote innovation in home building products/systems, technology, & construction processes by helping to remove barriers 5
- 6. Diffusion of Innovation 25years to gain full market penetration Innovation Impediments Dominance of small firms Lack of industry integration Poor flow of information among industry players High cost of deployment Diverse, local building codes Jan. 2004, U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development 6
- 7. Market Research Lab Testing, Approval & Certification Third-party accredited Field Evaluations & Demonstrations Code Development & Compliance Information Dissemination ToolBase.org 7
- 8. National Green Building Standard Approved by American National Institute of Standards (ANSI) January 2009 Provides rating system of a home’s environmental impact Sets four performance levels for green homes Government entities look to ANSI standards to set industry benchmarks Designed to be voluntary, above- code program
- 9. Hallmarks of ANSIProcess Consensus by balance of stakeholders Broad-based public review and comment Consideration of comments submitted Incorporation of approved changes into standard Right to appeal for anyone who believes due process was not respected 9
- 10. Lot Design Operation & Energy Maintenance Healthy Efficiency Comfortable Durable Energy Efficient Indoor Air Water Quality Efficiency Resource Efficiency 10
- 11. Performance Levels Required Points 11
- 12. The Difference ANSI-approved consensus standard Written in code language Few mandatory provisions Expansive, flexible point-based system Multiple paths for energy compliance All residential 12
- 13. Scope of NGBS Communities Homes Single Family Additions Renovations Multi-family Additions Renovations Green Remodel Path
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- 15. Land Development One - Four Stars Point-based performance criteria Measures for planning, design, and construction Mixed-use development Urban, suburban, rural Various certification options Can help builders earn points for home compliance 15
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- 19. Multifamily 19
- 20. Multifamily 20
- 21. Multifamily 21
- 22. Multifamily Green practice in all units for points MF remodeling One verification report per building Mixed-use 22
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- 24. 1204 E Oregon,Phoenix, AZ
- 25. 1204 E Oregon– Emerald Certified gstreetinc.com
- 27. 1204 E Oregon PreHERS 195 Post HERS 118 ($78 avg month) Annual Savings $900 Water Savings 43% Purchase 90k Days on Market 3 Sales Price 345k gstreetinc.com
- 28. 5009 Elm Court,Denver
- 29. 5009 Elm Court– Emerald Certified
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- 31. National Green BuildingStandard & LEED H RATING SYSTEM COMPARISON 31
- 32. Program Differences LEED H LEED NC NGBS Philosophy Top 25% Top 25% Bring green to mainstream Scope SF new New All residential construction, construction, low rise and residential and mid-rise commercial, major renovations Available 136* 69* 1100+ Points *Moving to 100 point system 32
- 33. Program Differences LEED H LEED NC NGBS Threshold Total points, Total points Certification Point Ratings not categories based on of points lowest score in any category Points 33% 37% 17% Needed for Certification Practices 89 72 350 Available 33
- 34. More Program Differences LEED H LEED NC NGBS Energy Mandates Prescriptive or 3 Paths: Performance Energy Star – Performance Bronze = 15% for baseline 15% above Path above 2006 certification 2006 IECC IECC Site Selection / Focuses on Focus on Focuses more Lot Design characteristics completed on site itself of land building, not surrounding practices site construction 34
- 35. More Program Differences LEED H LEED NC NGBS Promotion LEED awards Points for No points in points for LEED AP Standard for promoting promotion LEED and hiring LEED AP Innovation Separate Separate Innovation category category points in every category 35
- 36. LEED ND Designed primarily for neighborhoods adjacent to previously developed land Strongly promotes multi-modalism, particularly use of transit Density minimum 7 units per acre, effective lot size 40x100 Requires grid-like connectivity yet also requires all slopes above 15% be avoided Cost: Minimum $30,000+ for 20 acres and under 36
- 37. Certification to theNGBS Standard defines green National Project certification verification ensures ensures consistency compliance 37
- 38. How to GetGreen Certified CERTIFICATION PROCESS 38
- 39. Builder/ Architect ScoresProject Builder / Developer Hires Verifier Builder /Developer Schedules Inspection, Verifier Notifies RC RC Sends Builder Invoice and if newcomer, Builder Agreement 39
- 40. Verifier Completes Rough Inspection Builder Schedules Final Inspection, Verifier Notifies RC Builder Completes Project Verifier Completes Final Inspection Receive Green Certificate 40
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- 44. Select Building orDevelopment 44
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- 56. Accredited Verifiers Qualify Must have previous experience in residential construction and green building Train & test Training delivered 24/7 Approximately 5 hours Accredit Must have sufficient insurance Auto and liability 56
- 57. Verifier Rules No HBA employees Builders and employees may not verify their own homes No trade contractors or product supply companies No sampling Design consultants, including architects ok with disclosure Subject to periodic audit and quality control review 57
- 58. Verification Principles Verifier’s Resource Guide sets policy Not Standard, personal opinion, previous experience, other programs All interpretations documented for consistency Points approved only if practice meets intent of Verifiers Resource Guide Practices must be observed by Verifier Unless documentation review is allowed No self-verification 58
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- 60. Cost Analysis Practices Products Verification Certification
- 61. Cost Comparison Rating Bronze / Emerald/ Silver Gold System Certified Platinum National Green Building 1 - 2% 3% 7% 16% Standard LEED-H 3-6% 5 – 7% 11 –13% 17 – 23% Total costs shown as a % of baseline house costs 61
- 62. Verification Costs Market Rate Inspections typically 1-2 hours each (rough & final) Many verifiers provide other services HERS raters Design services Nationwide network
- 63. Certification Fees NAHB Member Non-member Single Family $200 $500 Multi-Family $200 + $20 per unit $500 + $20 per unit Land $2,500 $2,500 Development 63
- 64. Products pre-approved forpoints under Standard GREEN APPROVED PRODUCTS 64
- 65. Green Approved Products Pre-approved points for products Assists builders with making product choices Link in Green Scoring Tool Simplifies specifications and field inspections Simple and seamless process for builders to select products 65
- 66. Approved Products Integrated withGreen Scoring Tool 66
- 67. Mandates, Recognition, Incentives Mandates Longmont, CO; Phoenix, AZ Legislative Recognition IGCC States: MD, GA Municipalities: AR, ID, WA Incentives Financial: NYS, DE, NH 67
- 68. Program Stats Single-Family Homes (new / remodeled) 2,852 Pipeline – rough inspection scheduled 827 Multifamily Buildings (new / remodeled) 69 Units within MF Buildings 2,252 Pipeline - rough scheduled 100+ Land Developments 13 Lots within Land Developments 648 68
- 69. NYSERDA Incentive Eligibility: New residential or mixed-use Substantial renovation 11 units or less Certified Silver or higher to Standard or LEED – H Must be inspected by GRBP Technician Incentive $5,125 for SF home - $13,375 for 11-unit MF building To building owner at time of C of O Between Jan 2010 – October 31, 2013 Capped at $120,000 in calendar year 69
- 70. ANSI Revision Process Comments collected since ANSI-approval Consensus Committee announced First meeting March in DC Process to take 18 months Public comment and hearings Transition period after completion before effective date 70
- 71. LOOK FOR THISMARK. IT’S PROOF THAT YOUR HOME IS GREEN! 71
- 72. FTC 2010 GreenGuides SOUND GREEN CLAIMS 72
- 73. Greenwashing One or more elements 1. Overstatement of environmental attributes 2. Emphasis on single environmental attribute with others ignored 3. Irrelevant claims FTC brings law enforcement actions against false or misleading marketing claims Green Guides explain how FTC will protect against unfair or deceptive acts or practices 73
- 74. Good Green Claims Specific Qualified Substantiated 74
- 75. Bad Green Claims Inflated or unsubstantiated claims Specific health benefits Promise of utility bill reductions Vague claims “all natural” “environmentally-friendly” False eco-labels Use labels that are accredited No self-certification Irrelevance No lead paint 75
- 76. FTC Certification Guidance Certification Basis Clear and prominent qualifying language Certification Types First Party Second Party Independent, Third-Party 76
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- 78. Amber Wood Manager, Energy Programs awood@nahbrc.com Michelle Desiderio Director, Green Building Programs mdesiderio@nahbrc.com NAHB Research Center 800-638-8556 www.nahbrc.com www.NAHBGreen.org
Editor's Notes
- #3 To personalize this slide, please insert your four learning objectives in the purple area on this slide. You may change the color used in the text. Be sure that these four learning objectives are identical to the ones that were submitted on the course registration. Please remove the “sample slide” lingo from the upper right hand corner of the page.
- #4 Today I have several items that I intend to cover in this presentation.I will review the National Green Building Standard, how it was developed, and how the Standard can be used to have your homes, multifamily buildings, or land developments built in compliance with the Standard. I will also review the NAHB Research Center’s certification program for projects built in compliance with the Standard.I will review The Green Scoring Tool which is a free online resource for you to score your current projects to see if they comply with the Standard.I’ll review certification costs because I am sure all of you will want to understand what it might cost to have your home built in compliance with the Standard and to have it verified and certified.Last, I’ll briefly touch upon the Green Approved Products program which was developed as another tool to help builders to build green certified projects as well as the timeline for updating the Standard.
- #9 In 2006 NAHB and the International Code Council decided to start the process to develop a green building rating system that would be approved as an American National Standard by the American National Institute of Standards. The ANSI process ensures open discussion and public review and comment to ensure a robust credible standard. A consensus committee was convened that consisted of 43 members with representatives from the US Department of Energy, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Green Building Council. Other members represented the various aspects of the residential construction industry, code officials, and local government officials. Only three builders served on the committeeIn January 2009 ANSI approved the National Green Building Standard and today it remains the ONLY ANSI-approved green building rating system.
- #13 Many people have asked what is different about the Standard than other national and local programs.The Standard and the NAHB Research Center’s certification program were designed to bring green building practices to the mainstream.First, it remains the only ANSI-approved green building rating system which bestows it with credibility and legitimacy.Second, it was written in code language – not so that it would be adopted as code, it was always intended to be used as a voluntary, market-driven certification program – but because builders, architects, contractors, and remodelers are familiar with code language. This makes it especially accessible to builders.The Standard has few mandatory provisions, however, to be certified at any level a builder must incorporate many green practices into the project. This ensures the rigor of the Standard while also providing builders with flexibility to adapt their projects to their consumers, their climate, their geography, and the housing type they are building.This flexibility is seen in the fact that there are multiple paths for energy efficiency compliance.Last, the Standard applies to all types of residential development, construction, and renovation.
- #15 The Standard provides criteria for the certification of land development and communities. Land developments can range from a few lots to hundreds of acres. Like the rest of the Standard, certification is based on the developer selecting enough practices at the planning, design, and construction stages to attain the point minimums for certification.The land development certification is completely separate from the building certifications, although builders who select lots within a certified development are likely to find that they can more easily earn the necessary points for compliance for the Lot Design Chapter of the Standard.All development can attain certification under the Standard regardless of if it is rural, suburban, or urban as the Consensus Committee believed that all land development could have fewer environmental impacts if certain practices are incorporated.
- #16 Land Developments are certified on a One-to-Four Star basis.Land developments can have other uses, but must contain at least some residential uses.All development can attain certification under the Standard regardless of if it is rural, suburban, or urban as the Consensus Committee believed that all land development could have fewer environmental impacts if certain practices are incorporated.
- #17 The Standard can be used for all types of single family construction. It has been used successfully by custom, production, spec, and volume builders.
- #18 Eligible homes are big, small, and every size in-between.Homes are located in urban areas on small infill lots, typical suburban lots, and large, multi-acre rural lots.
- #19 The Research Center has certified many Habitat for Humanity and workforce homes, demonstrating that it is compatible with affordable housing. To see the full range of housing types being certified to the Standard please visit the Gallery of Certified Homes on NAHBGreen.org.
- #20 All types of multi-family buildings can be certified to the Standard – from low rise construction to high-rise apartment buildings. We have certified affordable MF projects as well as luxury rental apartments.
- #21 All types of multi-family buildings can be certified to the Standard – from low rise construction to high-rise apartment buildings. We have certified affordable MF projects as well as luxury rental apartments.
- #22 All types of multi-family buildings can be certified to the Standard – from low rise construction to high-rise apartment buildings. We have certified affordable MF projects as well as luxury rental apartments.
- #23 The entire building will be certified at a specific level – all of the green practices must be in every unit for the builder to be able to claim credit for that practice.Mixed use buildings, such as a building with ground floor retail and apartments above can be certified, however, only the residential portion of the building would be certified.
- #24 Gut rehabs of SF and MF buildings are certified using essentially the same process and practices as new construction.However, the Consensus Committee also provided a streamlined path for renovations of older homes and MF buildings.For buildings constructed prior to 1980 the Standard offers a Remodel Path for certification.To be certified under The Remodel Path builders must do three things:Improve the energy efficiency of the buildingImprove the water efficiency of the buildingImplement five indoor air quality practicesCertification under the Remodel Path is strictly performance based. Projects that can attain a 20% improvement over the building's current energy and water usage can be certified at the Bronze level all the way up to 50% improvement over the baseline for the Emerald level.
- #31 Gut rehabs of SF and MF buildings are certified using essentially the same process and practices as new construction.However, the Consensus Committee also provided a streamlined path for renovations of older homes and MF buildings.For buildings constructed prior to 1980 the Standard offers a Remodel Path for certification.To be certified under The Remodel Path builders must do three things:Improve the energy efficiency of the buildingImprove the water efficiency of the buildingImplement five indoor air quality practicesCertification under the Remodel Path is strictly performance based. Projects that can attain a 20% improvement over the building's current energy and water usage can be certified at the Bronze level all the way up to 50% improvement over the baseline for the Emerald level.
- #38 The National Green Building Certification Program has three components.The Standard defines what constitutes a green development, home, or renovation.Project verification by an independent, third-party verifier of all practices ensures compliance with the Standard’s rigorous requirements.Last, certification by the NAHB Research Center ensures national consistency – so that a green certified home in North Carolina is held to the same standard as a green certified home in Hawaii.
- #40 The Standard and the certification program are designed specifically for the residential construction industry.The certification process fits seamlessly with the way homes are constructed.First, use The Green Scoring Tool, available online, to score your home to the Standard.Hire an NAHB Research Center Accredited Verifier to perform the inspections. A list of Accredited Verifiers are listed on NAHBGreen.org. Provide the Verifier with the scoring report that lists all of the green practices to be included in the home.Start construction of the home. Schedule the rough inspection with the verifier. The verifier must complete an inspection of the home before the drywall is up so they can see the practices, like insulation, behind the drywall. If the drywall goes up before the rough inspection the home can not be certified. The Verifier will notify the Research Center of the upcoming inspection.If the builder is new to the program the Research Center will send the builder a Builder Agreement, which must be signed and returned to the Research Center, as well as an invoice for the certification.
- #41 The Verifier will complete the rough inspection and have the builder sign the report. The report is sent to the Research Center .Every verification report is reviewed by Research Center staff within one business day. If we think there might be a problem we will contact the builder and / or verifier to see if the problem can be rectified.Construction continues and the builder should schedule the final inspection once construction is finished.The Verifier will complete a final inspection and send that to the Research Center. Provided that the Research Center has received the signed Builder’s Agreement and the payment, the Research Center will issue the certificate within one business day of receipt of the final report.
- #42 Let me briefly review the free online Green Scoring Tool – which is essentially the TurboTax for the Standard. The Scoring Tool will walk you through the Standard so that you can score your home and see what is necessary to attain certification.
- #51 As you use the tool to score your home, there is a Project Dashboard at the bottom of the page that provides you with a snapshot of how close your project is to certification.As you work thru the Standard, the scoring tool presents each practice and you simply check off if you plan to meet that practice. When you have completed each practice simply click on the Save & Continue bottom which is at the bottom of the page (but not shown on the slide). There are also links near the bottom of the page that provide the builder with additional information and resources such as the expected documentation, what the verifier will be looking for, and additional resources on green building science.
- #54 Most new green builders love the functionality and all the supporting information in the green scoring tool.For those builders that are more experienced and want a faster way to score their homes the Research Center has a Scoring Spreadsheet that can be downloaded to your computer. It is significantly faster to score a home than the scoring tool and doesn’t require you to be online.We highly recommend that new green builders start by exploring online The Green Scoring Tool -- the spreadsheet is not as intuitive as the online version – and graduate to the spreadsheet version.
- #55 Let’s briefly review the cost for a project to be green certified.
- #60 Let’s briefly review the cost for a project to be green certified.
- #61 For any green building program, there are three buckets of costs:The cost of practices and products to comply with the programThe cost for verificationThe cost for certificationWe will look at each of these buckets separately.
- #62 The NAHB Research Center prepared a report to compare the costs of compliance and program costs for a code-minimum home to be in compliance to the Standard at the four certification levels. The Research Center looked at homes in two markets: Washington, DC, and Dallas. The homes were all priced at approximately $250,000.The Research Center found that for a code-compliant home to reach the Bronze level of certification it was approximately 1-2% addition for the practices necessary for compliance. Overall not a significant cost increase as is often thought to be the case.I should note that for builders who construct EnergyStar certified homes the additional cost to comply for the remaining green items is very small. However, the green certification allows the builder to enjoy the full marketing benefits of being green and not just energy efficient. As homes move towards higher levels of certification the costs increase as a result of the increased number of practices that need to be incorporated. An Emerald certified home will have a large number of green practices and will likely include more costly measures such as very high efficiency equipment, solar, or even geothermal systems.Please remember that these costs are compared to a 2006 IECC code minimum home. If you are already building above code then the cost to meet the certification levels will be less.
- #63 Verifier fees are market rate and based on supply and demand in that area. If a verifier is also providing Energy Star or other inspection services then the cost is typically reduced because the travel time and some inspection is shared. It is also logical to expect that the verification for an large Emerald level custom home will take longer and cost more than a small production Bronze level home. There are over 400 verifiers in our nationwide network and there are 50 active verifiers in North Carolina. Be sure to use a Research Center Accredited verifier. Accredited verifiers can be found by clicking on the “find a Verifier” link at nahbgreen.org If they are not listed they are not authorized to do inspection for the certification.
- #64 The Research Center’s Certification fees are designed to be very affordable at $200 per home or MF building, with MF buildings also having an additional fee of $20 per unit.Land Development certification is $2500. For very small subdivisions there is even a reduced certification fee.
- #65 Briefly I want to also cover the NAHB Research Center’s Green Approved Product program.
- #71 Last I want to mention that the Standard is just starting the process to be updated and revised.The NAHB Research Center serves as Secretariat for the Standard and has been collecting comments from the public and our program partners on how to improve the Standard since 2009.A Consensus Committee was selected and met for the first time in March in Washington DC. The Committee will review all of the suggested changes as well as look at all of the Chapters to see if there are any areas for improvements.The revision process is expected to take 18-24 months. All of the meetings are public and there will be a number of comment periods for the public to weigh in on any proposed changes.You can follow the revision process and provide comments at nahbrc.com.Once the revisions have been approved by ANSI we anticipate there will be a transition time for builders using the current Standard to transition over the more updated version without disruption to the construction process.
- #73 The Federal Trade Commission recently proposed revisions to its guidelines for businesses that make green marketing claims.The new guides come at a time when the FTC is beefing up its enforcement. So far, the FTC has brought seven environmental advertising enforcement actions under the Obama administration, compared to zero during the eight years of the Bush administration.All builders should be aware of the FTC’s guidance to ensure they are not making any deceptive or misleading environmental claims about their homes.While builders have to be careful to market their green homes accurately, the Green Guides will help weed out builders who are making spurious green claims about their homes and make it easier for consumers to find legitimate green builders.
- #74 In a nutshell, greenwashing is the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice.Builders should understand the guidelines that the FTC has adopted regarding green marketing claims to avoid be considered misleading or deceptive.
- #75 According to the FTC, any green marketing claims should be specific, qualified, and substantiated.Specific environmental claims are easier to substantiate than general claims and less likely to be deceptive. An unqualified general claim of environmental benefit may convey that the product has far-reaching environmental benefits, when it doesn't.A home is labeled "eco-friendly." This claim would be deceptive if it leads consumers to believe that the home has environmental benefits that the builder can't substantiate. It would not be deceptive if "eco-friendly" were followed by clear and prominent language limiting the "friendly" representation to the home’s attribute for which it could be substantiated, and if the context didn't create any other deceptive implications. Qualifications (that is, disclosures or explanations) pertaining to an environmental claim should be clear, prominent and understandable. Builders making express or implied claims about the attributes of their homes must a reasonable basis for their claims. A reasonable basis often may require competent and reliable evidence, which is defined as tests, analyses, research, studies or other evidence.
- #76 Specific health benefits are very hard to substantiate. Avoid any claim that you can not prove. Likewise, unless you are providing an energy bill guarantee, which some builders do provide, don’t promise utility bills will be lower by a specific amount. Environmental claims such as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “environmentally-friendly” are just too general. They lack clarity, and in the past have not been able to be substantiated. Reference reputable third-party certifications as your proof to your green claims.Make sure claims are relevant to the home building industry and to your homes specifically.There are plenty of legitimate and important green benefits of homes built in compliance to the National Green Building Standard that no builder should have to worry about running afoul of the FTC’s rules.
- #77 We believe that homes marketed as green because they are certified in compliance with the National Green Building Standard meet the FTC’s stringent guidance.The NAHB Research Center’s green certification program is based on the National Green Building Standard which provides clear and detailed information as to how a home can be certified to one of four certification levels.The FTC created three categories of certifications based on how much reliance consumers should place in those certifications. First party or self-certifications are those that are conferred on a product or a home by the builder or manufacturer. The FTC requires these certifications to include a disclosure that they are self-certified by the builder.Second party certifications are conferred by a membership organization. For example if the green home certification was provided by a local or state HBA. For these certifications the FTC said there was a material connection between the builder and the HBA and therefore there should also be a disclosure on the certification.The highest level of certification were those that were truly independent, third-party. These the FTC does not require any additional qualification.
- #78 To personalize this slide, please insert your company name/logo and contact information in the purple area. You may change the color used in the text. Also, please remove the “sample last slide” lingo in the upper right hand corner of the page.