NAHB Green Building Standard approved by ANSI

The American National Standards Institute™ (ANSI) has approved the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) rating system known as the "National Green Building Standard"™ (NGBS). NGBS certification applies to residential construction of single-family homes, apartments and condos, including remodeling and renovation. I listened to the NAHB tele-conference announcing the approval and it is clear that the NAHB intends to got head-to-head with LEED™ and other competing standards.

“The National Green Building Standard is now the first and only green building rating system approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes,” said Ron Jones, who chaired the NAHB consensus committee that developed the standard. Rachel Neuhaus, Government Affairs Director at the Builders Association of the Hudson Valley, sent me a comparison showing that the additional cost of NGBS certification is significantly less than LEED-H certification.

How do we reconcile competing "green" standards? LEED is positioned as the "top of mind" brand but is considered expensive in application. NGBS is touted as affordable, has stature afforded by the ANSI certification, but is new to the market. Throw in Green Globes™ and Energy Star™ and there is bound to be confusion in the marketplace (developers, design professionals, municipalities, etc.)


Locally, the Town of Blooming Grove Zoning Ordinance provides an example of the uncertainty these competing standards create. In the Ordinance, the district regulations provide for a 10% density bonus for residential subdivisions based upon "adherence to New York State Energy Star guidelines, low-impact development guidelines, or U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards". Each standard is remarkably different but all will result in the same bonus. The Town may now want to add the NGBS to the list, and at the same time, clarify what actions will constitute "adherence" to each.