NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines

Part One - Green Home Building Checklist 924 KB /PDF

Part Two - User Guide 2.8 MB /PDF

Complete NAHB Model Green Homebuilding Guidelines (Parts 1 & 2) 4 MB /PDF

There are two underlying ideas that everyone should keep in mind before undertaking a green home project. First, environmental considerations should be incorporated into the project from the very beginning. It is much harder to weave green home concepts into a project after the house plans are finished. Second, the house should be looked at as a whole as the builder determines which of the green home guideline items to put into the house. For example, making a home's building envelope tighter through air sealing and quality building techniques can affect the way in which the builder designs the home's ventilation system. It is through such a forward-thinking process that builders can gain cost efficiencies.

Part One - Green Home Building Checklist

Part One of these guidelines contains the checklist of line items. Each entry includes the line item title, the point value, and the items that should be provided by the builder to verify that the line item was implemented. The verification column assumes there is a green building program coordinator or other third-party. However, the guidelines and point system can be used independently even if a formal green building program does not exist in a particular region.

It is again recommended that a builder first become familiar with the line items prior to designing a home to help introduce concepts that a builder can incorporate into the home's design, construction, and operation.

To help a builder holistically incorporate green building into homes, the NAHB Research Center team established different point levels to achieve for each guiding principle for each level of green building. The point system is described below.

Point System

There are three different levels of green building available to builders wishing to use these guidelines to rate their projects - Bronze, Silver, and Gold . At all levels, there are a minimum number of points required for each of the seven guiding principles in order to assure that all aspects of green building are addressed and that there is a balanced, whole-systems approach. After reaching the thresholds, an additional 100 points must be achieved by implementing any of the remaining line items. The table below outlines the various green building level thresholds.

*If the home does not have a ducted distribution system for space heating and cooling, deduct 15 points from the number of points required in the Energy Efficiency section.

A reduction in the required points for a home without ductwork for the space heating and cooling systems reflects the fact that there are more points available for homes that do have ductwork. It is not intended as an indication of preference for one type of system over another.

To determine point values for each guiding principle, a builder simply adds the points for each line item applied to the home for each guiding principle. Comparing the project's points for the individual guiding principles to the chart above will determine whether the project is deemed a Bronze, Silver, or Gold level green home.

Part Two - User Guide

Recognizing that some of the line items needed more than a one- or two-sentence explanation, the User Guide further explains each concept. For each line item, the User Guide contains an entry with the following subheadings:

• Intent - Explains the general reasons for including each line item in the guidelines and the impact that implementing the line item will have on the environment.

• Additional Information / How to Implement - Contains text, pictures, and formulas to help facilitate the line item's implementation.

• Resources - References to books, websites, articles, and technical guides for further in-depth information related to the line item. Please note that the URLs were active and current at the time this document was created. With the significant changes occurring on the Internet and in the home building industry products and services markets, location and availability of resources will most likely change over time.

As noted earlier, Appendix A provides additional ideas to consider for builders and developers who can affect change at the subdivision level, i.e., multiple home levels.

If a local green home building program does not exist, a builder can use the checklist and User Guide herein and self-certify a home. However, if a local association has used this document to create a local green building program, the builder can use the checklist and system from that program to show a home's relative green value.