SUBMIT TODAY! 2024 NGBS 2nd Draft Comments Accepted Through May 27TH | |
Public comments are accepted through May 27TH on the 2nd Draft of the 2024 NGBS standard.
NGBS Green Partners are encouraged to review, as there are several big changes proposed for 2024 NGBS, including new compliance pathways for new construction Energy Efficiency and Existing Buildings, specific Tropical Zone compliance criteria, resilient construction and passive survivability practices, and more.
The final 2024 NGBS is expected to be sent to ANSI for approval by the end of 2024. Home Innovation will begin offering certification to that version shortly thereafter.
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Congratulations 2023 Partners of Excellence! | |
Home Innovation recognized 66 NGBS Green Partners for their outstanding contributions to advancing green building in their communities. These individuals and businesses have been awarded the Partner of Excellence title as a testament to their commitment to voluntary, above-code, third-party certification of high-performance homes to the NGBS.
See the full list of winners.
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REMINDER! No Next-Day Certification Processing | |
Verification review and certification processing may take up to one week to process with no extenuating circumstances. If issues arise then it may take even longer. Please be skeptical if a Verifier promises next-day turnaround.
The best way to ensure that the process is not delayed is to check that the following requirements are satisfied:
- NGBS Green Client Agreement is signed shortly after project registration
- Certification fee paid when rough report is submitted or shortly thereafter
- Verifier responds promptly to NGBS Green Reviewer questions and comments
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VERIFIERS NEEDED! Apply Today | |
Home Innovation Seeks New Verifier Candidates!
The NGBS Green certification program seeks new Verifiers to support the program's continued growth. If you are a green building professional - especially in Louisiana, Maryland, Utah, and the City of Chicago - interested in offering NGBS Green verification services, learn more here.
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REMINDER! GRESB Reporting Now OPEN! | |
Annual reporting to GRESB is open through July 1ST.
Green building certification is an important validation of a company's commitment to sustainable building operations. NGBS Green Partners can access ESG-related resources to help translate NGBS Green achievements to GRESB benchmarks.
Download the NGBS-GRESB Crosswalk to see how NGBS practices align with specific GRESB indicators.
Each NGBS Green Scoring Tool features GRESB worksheets that show how that specific project contributes toward GRESB.
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Share Your Feedback! GRESB Info Download | |
All projects on AXIS now contain a "GRESB tab" that pulls unique project data from the GRESB worksheets located in the 2020 NGBS Green Scoring Tools.
We want to hear from you to better understand how we can make this information more usable to you. We are exploring data aggregation at the project and client levels, as well as PDF and Excel data exports. Please let us know how we can best meet your reporting needs. Email Katie with your suggestions.
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Energy Efficiency Standard Adopted for HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing | |
HUD published their final energy standard determination that sets minimum energy standards for certain categories of housing financed or assisted by HUD and USDA. With this Notice, HUD and USDA adopt the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 as the minimum energy efficiency standards (current energy baseline is the 2009 IECC).
HUD also stated that they would accept green building certifications as recognized compliance pathways. The NGBS Green team has asked HUD to confirm that NGBS Green would be accepted as an alternative compliance. Our analysis demonstrates that 2020 NGBS compliance at the Silver certification level is equivalent to the 2021 IECC.
Read Michelle's blog to learn more about how Verifiers and clients can ensure that they are prepared for the adoption of these new energy efficiency standards.
Join our webinar Thursday, May 30TH, 2PM ET to learn more.
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The federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program requires each state agency that allocates tax credits, generally called a housing finance agency, to have a Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The QAP sets out the state's eligibility priorities and criteria for awarding federal tax credits to housing properties. | |
The following states have or will revise their Qualified Allocation Plans (QAP) for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. If you are aware of any current QAP activity in your state not listed here or included in our online QAP Round-Up, please Contact Us. | |
Iowa
A preview of the Iowa Finance Authority's 2025 QAP was recently released. The preview indicates that IFA is planning to allow a 5% increase in eligible basis for projects that have achieved Enterprise Green Communities certification. This is a change from prior QAP versions, which offered 2 optional points for Iowa Green Streets.
IFA is accepting public comments on the 2025 QAP preview. NGBS Green Partners are encouraged ask IFA to offer developers a choice among credible third-party green building programs, including NGBS Green.
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Montana
The Montana Board of Housing will host a series of QAP workshops to identify areas for revision or update. Upcoming QAP workshops will be held on June 6TH and July 11TH via Zoom.
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Nebraska
The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority will hold focus group meetings to prepare for the 2026-2027 QAP on May 10TH, May 17TH, May 22ND, and June 4TH. The focus groups are both in-person in Lincoln NE and via Zoom.
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North Dakota
The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) released a draft of their 2025 QAP. The QAP remains the same as the 2024 QAP, which awards 7 competitive points for NGBS Green, LEED, or Enterprise Green Communities certification. NDHFA is accepting comments on the draft plan and the draft 2024 Annual Action Plan through May 13TH.
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Utah
The 2025 Utah QAP is now Governor-approved. The QAP awards 5 competitive points for NGBS Green Certification, LEED, Enterprise Green Communities, ENERGY STAR NextGen, DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes, Passive House, Green Globes, or WELL.
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2023 Sustainable Products of the Year
Each year, Green Builder Media's Sustainable Products of the Year list chronicles top building products that encourage sustainability, either through innovative technology or an improved version of a traditional technique.
Congratulations to featured NGBS Green Partners!
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NGBS Green Product Spotlight | |
Panasonic ERV WhisperComfort FV-04VE1 | | |
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The Panasonic WhisperComfort Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is a stand-alone system that provides balanced ventilation ideal for single-family homes and multifamily units. Affordable, easy to install, and energy efficient, WhisperComfort ERV is UL listed for ceiling or wall mount applications and can comply with the latest codes and standards.
WhisperComfort is certified for ERV installation (902.2.1(4)), multifamily common area ventilation (902.1.6), bathroom and/or laundry exhaust (902.1.2), and smart HVAC system (706.3(7)). If installed in commercial/retail space, WhisperComfort ERVs can contribute toward exhaust and ventilation requirements within the Commercial Spaces criteria. WhisperComfort ERVs also contribute toward the +WELLNESS and +SMART HOME certifications.
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See the full directory of all NGBS Green PROs featured on our website. | |
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Welcome Green PROs!
Congratulations to Caroline Meyer of Energy Diagnostics and James Toland of Denver University for earning the NGBS Green PRO designation!
Show us your Certificate!
Email Joanne a photo of you with your certificate and we'll include it in future newsletters.
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About NGBS Green PRO
Earn your NGBS Green PRO professional designation to validate your expertise in green design, construction, and building certification.
Successfully earning the NGBS Green PRO designation demonstrates advanced understanding of the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard and the NGBS Green certification program.
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Are you a student interested in green building?
Register with your ".edu" email address and use the discount code NGBSStudentEDU to reduce the course fee with a special discount for students.
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Continuing Education. We Have Options... | |
If you or a client are interested in scheduling virtual or in-person training on the NGBS, contact us about scheduling a Lunch-n-Learn! We have AIA and ICC-approved programs that we'd be happy to deliver, including our newest one - Are Multifamily Certifications Worth it? - based on Michelle's presentation at IBS 2023
Know of a program that may be of interest to our NGBS Green partners? Let us know.
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Get Started with NGBS Green How-to... | Contact us to schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation with a member of our Green Team to get started. | |
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Building Products Testing & Certification Programs Manager:
We seek a highly-motivated and well-organized self-starter to join our laboratory team. This position includes a mix of program administrative functions and hands-on oversight and technical tasks associated with building product testing and certification services.
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Mid-Level Building Science Research Analyst:
We seek a construction industry professional with a STEM degree to join our Building Science team. This person will be responsible for analysis-related project work in the areas of energy efficiency, disaster resistance, cost evaluation, technology innovation, and sustainability in residential construction.
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Senior Building Science Research Engineer:
We seek a senior research engineer to join our Building Science team. This person will be responsible for project work in the areas of energy efficiency, disaster resistance, cost evaluation, technology innovation, and sustainability, and carbon-neutral research in residential construction.
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U.S. President Proclaims May 2024 as National Building Safety Month
The White House's Building Safety Month proclamation recognizes the professionals who ensure the safety and resiliency of our buildings and communities and encourages citizens around the world to join in activities that raise awareness about building safety. Read more.
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Board Working Group Will Consider IECC Next Steps
As announced on April 11, the Code Council Board of Directors tasked the Board's IECC Working Group with developing recommendations for the Board's consideration that address the IECC's future development. The Code Council welcomes suggestions and feedback from all interested parties. Read more.
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Building Innovation Conference | May 22-24, 2024
The International Code Council is a proud sponsor of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Innovation Conference taking place later this month. This event brings together everyone who impacts the built environment - from the government to public and private sectors. We're going to be there and hope you can join us! Read more.
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Counterfeit Code Books
The International Code Council recently uncovered a counterfeit operation producing and distributing unauthorized ICC code books within the United States. If you are concerned that a code book may be counterfeit, please contact Cesar Monteiro, Director of Business and Product Development for the Code Council, at cmonteiro@iccsafe.org for help finding an authorized reseller. Read more here.
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If you know of a program that may be of interest to our NGBS Green program partners, please let us know. | |
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Every other Tuesday, 2:00 PM ET | Join us here
Open Forum for questions, chatting, and whatever you need.
Upcoming dates - Mark you calendars!
- May 14
- May 28
- Jun 11
- Jun 25
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05/14/2024 - HI Office Hours - Open Discussion, All Welcome | Register here
05/17/2024 - Nebraska 2026-2027 QAP Focus Group | Register here
05/21/2024 - Getting to Zero Forum (three days) | Charlotte, NC
05/22/2024 - Nebraska 2026-2027 QAP Focus Group | Register here
05/27/2024 - 2024 NGBS Draft 2 Public Comments cut-off | Respond now
05/28/2024 - HI Office Hours - Open Discussion, All Welcome | Register here
05/30/2024 - HUD Final Rule on EE Standards for New Construction | Register here
05/30/2024 - Virginia in-person QAP forum, 9 AM ET | Register here
05/30/2024 - Virginia virtual QAP forum, 2 PM ET | Register here
05/31/2024 - Virginia proposed 2025 QAP changes close | Submit comments here
06/04/2024 - National Association of REALTORs (NAR) Sustainability Summit (2 days) | MN
06/04/2024 - Nebraska 2026-2027 QAP Focus Group | Register here
06/06/2024 - Montana QAP Workshop, 12 PM Eastern | Register here
06/11/2024 - HI Office Hours - Open Discussion, All Welcome | Register here
06/11/2024 - NAHB Spring Leadership Meeting (4 days) | Washington, DC
06/25/2024 - HI Office Hours - Open Discussion, All Welcome | Register here
07/11/2024 - Montana QAP Workshop, 12 PM Eastern | Register here
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NGBS Green Program Feedback
Please take a moment to let us know what you think of our delivery and customer service.
Take this 1-minute survey
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This email serves as notification of important program and service updates, as well as relevant industry news and happenings. Home Innovation Research Labs sends email notifications periodically; we encourage recipients to add this email address (InsiderUpdate-noreply@HomeInnovation.com) to your approved senders list. You may unsubscribe from this notification service at any time using the link below, though please be aware that this will be the primary channel for conveying certification program changes, news, and updates to participants, and opting out of this notification service may result in missing critical developments and changes. Home Innovation Research Labs authorizes use of information contained within this email only by those participating in our NGBS Green Certification Program.
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