National Green Building Standard Submitted

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Green Building Standard for single-family homes, apartments and condos, and residential remodeling and renovation has been submitted to the American National Standards Institute for approval. To ensure uniformity in everything from the size of electrical outlets to testing medical devices, ANSI only approves one standard for any product category.

The National Green Building Standard will be the first and only green building rating system approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes. It will provide the residential building industry with the only nationally recognized, third-party validated rating systems choice in the voluntary, market-driven NAHB National Green Building Program.

The standard defines what green practices can be incorporated into residential development and construction on a national scale and how home owners can operate and maintain their green homes. As part of the stringent process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council gathered a fully inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of a broad spectrum of builders, architects, product manufacturers, regulators and environmental experts.

This group deliberated the content of the standard for more than a year, held four public hearings and evaluated 3,000 public comments submitted for consideration. Representatives from NAHB and the Code Council will hold a teleconference in two to four weeks after the standard is approved by ANSI. A media advisory regarding the date, time and call-in number will follow at that time.

The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington, D.C. based trade association representing more than 235,000 members involved in residential building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. Known as "the voice of the housing industry," NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB's builder members will construct 80 percent of the more than 1.08 million new housing units projected for 2008.