The 2024 NGBS Consensus Committee will meet at the National Housing Center in Washington, DC from the morning of Tuesday, November 8th until mid-day Thursday, November 10th. During this meeting, the Committee will discuss and vote on all public and Task Group-generated proposed changes for the 2024 NGBS. The public is welcome to attend.

Prior to the meeting, the Task Group recommendations will be posted to Home Innovation's website. 

The NAHB industry awards are now open. Enter one or more for an opportunity to win and be recognized as one of the best of the best in our industry.

.....Associates of Excellence Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Best of 55+ Housing Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Custom Home Builder of the Year Award – Close Oct. 7

.....Education Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Global Innovation Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Leading Suppliers Council Spark Award – Close Oct. 7

.....Professional Women in Building Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Remodeling Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....Safety Awards for Excellence – Close Oct. 7

.....Student Chapters Awards – Close Oct. 7

.....The Nationals(SM) – Close Oct. 7

.....Young Professional Awards – Close Oct. 7

Visit https://awards.nahb.org to apply.

Kyle Abney, NGBS Green Verifier and Advisory Group member, shared his company philosophy and insights on the green building market trends in the latest GHB Interview. 

Logos and marketing materials have been uploaded to Builder Central and are now accessible to NGBS Green Partners with an AXIS account. Bookmark this “one stop shop” for NGBS Green resources. 

The volume for single-family homes being constructed and maintained as rental properties has increased substantially.

Build-to-Rent (BTR) clients have unique needs separate from traditional single-family and multifamily clients. As such, we have adjusted our administrative workflows to better accommodate.

At registration, we now ask if the projects are build-to-rent. When 'Yes' is selected, the Verifier is prompted to enter both developer and builder contact information. These can be the same.

If preferred, the developer will be shown on the NGBS Green certificate.

We anticipate that BTR developers would be the client who signs the agreement and presents the COI; however, we will accept the COI from either the developer or builder.

Invoicing is flexible. AXIS will generate an invoice with the developer as the client. However, any entity can pay an NGBS Green invoice. The key limitation is that the entity name on the invoice must match up with the client agreement we have on file. For example, Trion Development has contracted with Able Homes, Buster Homes, and Canter Homes to build their BTR product in three communities. Trion has signed the CA and provided the COI, but Trion wants Able, Buster, and Canter to pay the certification fees. Each company would send Home Innovation a check with the Trion invoice (so we can credit the correct homes with payment).

We are happy to work with you and your Verifier(s) to ensure that everyone understands the certification and that it works for your unique needs. Please contact us to discuss.

The IRA renewed the 45L Home Builder Tax Credit through the end of 2032. A $2,500 credit is available for ENERGY STAR certification, and $5,000 is available for achieving the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home label. The credits are available for single-family homes and multifamily buildings up to three stories.

We would have loved to see 45L made available for comprehensive green building programs. However, we are choosing to view this new tax credit as positive. Energy efficiency is the cornerstone of green building, and the 45L program subsidizes a large portion of the hard and soft costs of achieving green certification. NGBS Green certification builds on many of ENERGY STAR and ZERH program requirements. Any builders considering upping their "green game" by seeking dual-certification should review our NGBS-ZERH Bronze Cookbook. Bonus - as an EPA-recognized ENERGY STAR Multifamily Review Organization, Home Innovation can be your one-stop shop for ENERGY STAR and NGBS Green.

Nashville's Downtown Development Code Bonus Height Program (BHP) allows additional height for development in the downtown area that offers public benefit. 

Ten downtown sub-districts offer a bonus option for green building and green neighborhood certification. LEED Silver, Gold, and Platinum certifications are specifically identified in the policy, but other nationally recognized green certifications, including NGBS Green, are recognized.

Projects can also obtain additional height bonuses in certain sub-districts for other public benefit contributions. These include incorporating pervious surfaces, historic building preservation, publicly accessible open space or parking, inclusionary housing, civil support spaces, and/or hiding parking garages from view by locating them underground or (for above ground upper-level garages) behind habitable space.

View the factsheet developed by SK Collaborative for more information and a short case study of an NGBS Green Certified building that unlocked this height bonus.

West 38 is a 165-unit multifamily mixed-use development which took advantage of the HUD financial incentives to aid in the expansion of the up-and-coming city of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The building showcases a variety of green features, including low-flow fixtures, ENERGY STAR appliances, and smart irrigation controls, as well as future-proof design choices, namely electric vehicle charging stations and a solar-ready roof. Read our case study to learn more.

At the end of last year, Home Innovation polled builders about changes to their business practices due to the pandemic — asking what they viewed as temporary, and what they considered a permanent part of their home building business going forward. Some of the most interesting and unexpected feedback related to a wider and growing emphasis on "smart" home technologies. Last month, in collaboration with Professional Builder magazine, Home Innovation included several questions in our Omnibus Survey of home builders to "take the pulse" of home electronics in new homes. See more details in Ed Hudson's latest blog post.

If you know of a program that may be of interest to our NGBS Green program partners, please let us know.

Join these upcoming events:

• 2022 NAHB Building Systems Housing Summit | September 18-20, 2022 | Atlanta GA
• RaterFest | September 23-25, 2022 | Empire, CO.
• 2022 BUILT National MF Summit and ESG/Sustainability Conference | October 2-5, 2022 | Denver, CO

Mechanical/Electrical/Civil/Architectural/Structural Engineer Building Scientist – Sustainable Construction

We seek a recent college graduate with engineering degree and practical knowledge of residential building technologies, process, and trends to join our Building Science Division. This person will conduct analytical and experimental research.

Research Analyst - Building Science and Sustainable Construction

We seek a recent college graduate with a technical (non-engineering) construction management or accounting degree to join our Building Science Division. This person will be responsible for the analysis of residential and mixed-use construction.

Customer Service and Market Research Assistant

We seek the right person to join as a Customer Service and Market Research Assistant. This person will support the Market Research Division, including its builder and consumer practices survey program and custom research projects.

Project Manager – Building Science and Construction

We seek a skilled project manager with a technical background and experience with federal contracting. This person will manage multiple technical projects, while coordinating staff and resources.

For more information about any of these career opportunities, please visit our website and follow thelink.