Fresh off its approval by the American National Standards Institute, the new ICC/ASHRAE 700-2015 National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) is now available as a free e-book or as a hard copy for purchase through BuilderBooks.com.
NGBS sets the bar for sustainable and high-performance residential construction and provides a pathway by which builders and developers seek third-party certification of their new homes, developments and remodeling projects.
This third edition outlines a variety of green practices that can be incorporated into new homes and multifamily buildings, as well as hotels, dormitories and land developments. The standard also delivers stand-alone chapters for both home remodeling and additions and renovations of apartments and condos.
Updates include:
• Substantial revisions to the Energy Efficiency chapter, including more stringent requirements that go beyond those of the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code.
• Mandatory installation of carbon monoxide alarms, regardless of level of certification or local code.
• Revamped stormwater management options that encourage low-impact development practices such as swales and rain gardens.
“The standard’s thorough review and revision process allows builders to follow the most proven and effective sustainable practices,” said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady. “As the green revolution continues to expand, we will find more and more builders relying on this standard.”
Developed in a consensus processes first spearheaded by NAHB and the International Code Council (ICC) in 2007, the NGBS was last updated in 2012. For the 2015 edition, NAHB and ICC were joined by ASHRAE, which focuses on heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration education opportunities.
Projects can be certified to the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Emerald levels by reaching progressively more rigorous goals for energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, site development and home owner education.
Learn about certifying your project to the NGBS by visiting the Home Innovation Labs website, which by early April had certified about 75,000 new single-family homes, townhouses, apartments and condos, remodeling projects, residential land developments and other projects.
