As of mid-January, over 400,000 homes and apartments have been NGBS Green Certified. Thank you all for contributing to our success and investing in more efficient, healthier, and durable homes for your residents and home buyers. We'll share more reflections on this program milestone in February.

Projects registered under the 2012 NGBS that have not completed the certification process or have not requested an exemption have been removed from the database.

Home Innovation's Market Research team will be conducting interviews and focus groups at IBS, January 31^st - February 2^nd, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join us! An honorarium is available to qualified participants. We are especially looking for architects, exterior siding contractors, home builders, energy raters, insulation contractors, roofers, framers, and remodelers. If you're interested, contact Jon Violette with your availability.

Protecting the First Side of the Home with Effective Foundation Vapor Barriers Webinar (co-hosted with Stego)

April 6th, 3:00-4:00PM

This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the cause and effects of below-slab moisture and vapor concerns in homes and considerations for incorporating effective, durable protection. With a science-based, educational approach, the presentation will provide a tailored look at the natural movement of water vapor, soil-gas (like radon) and subterranean termites into the first side of a home and the importance of taking the ground permanently out of play regardless of a home's location or foundation type. Even more, the presentation will walk through the material innovations and evolving residential industry standards and guidelines that influence the selection and installation of foundation vapor control systems. This includes new requirements for the vapor retarder beneath concrete floors in the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC). There will be a particular focus on the role that effective vapor protection has on the long-term performance of homes, including energy efficiency, human health, durability, and reduced ownership costs/impacts – and the value it offers to homebuilding professionals and their customers.

AIA CE: 1 LU/HSW Credit (Course #: RESIDENTIALVB1)

ICC CE: 0.1 CEU (Course #: 32560)

Register here.

2023 High Performance Home Tour – Entry Portal Open 

The High-Performance Home Tour showcases green certified homes throughout North Carolina's Research Triangle.

Join today to bolster your company's reputation as a green home builder!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION – January 17, 2023 - $1,000 per entry

REGULAR REGISTRATION – January 30, 2023 - $1,200 per entry

Calling all industry professionals!

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 National Green Building Standard ICC-700 and the NGBS Green certification program.

Learn more and get started today – download the Overview document and discuss the benefits of this professional development opportunity with your supervisor and colleagues.

AIA CE:

Training for the designation – consisting of four self-paced modules, each with its own mastery check – is live and available 24/7 at the NGBS Green Pro Training site. Completion of a single NGBS Green PRO module earns 1LU Elective from AIA or 0.1 CEU credit from ICC; completion of the entire course earns 4LU Elective from AIA or 0.4 CEU credit from ICC.

• GPAll-10222021 (On Demand | 4 LU), NGBS Green Pro Designation
• GP1-10222021 (On Demand | 1 LU), NGBS Green Pro – Overview and NGBS
• GP2-10222021 (On Demand | 1 LU), NGBS Green Pro – Existing Buildings
• GP3-10222021 (On Demand | 1 LU), NGBS Green Pro – Mixed-Use Buildings, Land Developments, Water Rating Index, NGBS Green+ Badges
• GP4-10222021 (On Demand | 1 LU), NGBS Green Pro – Verification Requirements and Certification Process

ICC CE: (go to: International Code Council)

• 30115 (On-Demand | 0.10 CEU) NGBS Green Pro – Overview and NGBS Green Certification for New Construction
• 30116 (On-Demand | 0.10 CEU) NGBS Green Pro – Existing Buildings
• 30117 (On-Demand | 0.10 CEU) NGBS Green Pro – Mixed-Use Buildings, Land Developments, Water Rating Index, NGBS Green+ Badges
• 30118 (On-Demand | 0.10 CEU) NGBS Green Pro – Verification Requirements and Certification Process

NGBS Green PRO – Student Discount & Recruiting Opportunity

Are you a student interested in green building? Utilize our discount code for a 50% savings off the NGBS Green PRO training: NGBSStudents50.

NGBS Green PRO Directory

All NGBS Green PROs are now featured on our website. See the directory. 

The IRA extended the 179D Tax Deduction for Energy Efficient Buildings (General Baseline). This program provides a deduction for commercial and multifamily buildings with modeled savings at least 25% more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1. At time of legislation adoption, the 2007 version of ASHRAE 90.1 was the current baseline, and we expect the Treasury to affirm an updated baseline.

NEW IRA 179D GUIDANCE (released Dec. 23, 2022) allows a four-year transition period for the current 179D "reference standard." Assuming a project "begins" construction or renovation today or hereafter:

ASHRAE 90.1 - 2007 continues to govern for the next 4 years and applies to projects that "place in service" building efficiency equipment by December 31, 2026 (i.e., in calendar years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026).

The ASHRAE 90.1-2019 kicks-in for projects that "place in service" equipment on or after Jan 1, 2027.

Why is this important?

Qualifying for the 179D tax deduction – under the "traditional" approach – depends on whether a project improves energy efficiency by at least 25% above the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline. The deduction is more attainable when the 25% minimum improvement is measured against the 2007 baseline, versus the 2019 version.

The above is pertinent for both new ground-up construction and major retrofits. Retrofits in buildings 5 years or older are also eligible to qualify under the IRA's new "alternative path," based on ≥ 25% reductions in site EUI. Further IRA guidance is forthcoming on 179D's "alternative" site EUI reduction path.

New to the IRA?

See our IRA Tax Incentive Chart for a summary of the IRA incentives that are most important to NGBS Green Partners.

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). Read about our team's recent state advocacy efforts in Katie's blog.

Aeroseal® - The only aerosol air duct sealing process which seals energy wasting leaks from inside the duct without coating the duct walls. Aeroseal® travels through your ducts to the leaks and builds up to form a tough & pliable plug at the leak site. The duct seal formula is safe, non-toxic and made of the same material that is found in chewing gum and baby pacifiers. Aeroseal® is certified under 701.4.2.1 Duct Air Sealing.

Recently, we've been posting case studies on some unique and exemplary NGBS Green Certified projects. If you haven't checked them out yet, be sure to visit our Resources page – there are several there already and we're adding more each month. While on the page, be sure to check out the wide range of guidance documents, comparisons, and other helpful resources we've created for our NGBS Green Partners, including:

• NGBS Green Certification Quick Start Guide

• Quick Start Guide: Your NGBS Green Portal Powered by AXIS

• NGBS Green vs. HERS

• Comparison ENERGY STAR Version 3.0 and 2015 National Green Building Standard

• 2020 NGBS Green Commercial Certification Options

• 2020 NGBS Green Certified Checklist

• Which Version is Best for You? Selecting the Best NGBS Option

• NGBS Green Compliance Guidance for Tropical Zone

• Streamlined NGBS Green Certification for Single-Family Homes

And you can also find LOTS of great resources by visiting the following pages – #BookmarkWorthy:

• NGBS Green Resources

• NGBS Advocacy

• NGBS Equivalency & Comparisons

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:

• 2023 International Builders' Show | January 31 – February 2, 2023 | Las Vegas, NV

• 2023 Pennsylvania Housing Research Center Housing Conference | March 1-2, 2023 | State College, PA