The exploding market for sustainable, environmentally friendly and recycled building products, along with the greater availability of educational opportunities for builders, has accelerated green building’s acceptance rate. By the end of 2007, more than half of NAHB's members, who build more than 80 percent of the homes in this country, will be incorporating green practices into the development, design and construction of new homes.

NAHB's voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to be a tool kit for the individual builder looking to engage in green building practices and home builder associations (HBAs) looking to launch their own local green building programs. Since their debut in 2005, the Guidelines have helped move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream marketplace.

Currently, there are approximately 50 locally grown green building programs across the country, many of which are run by the local home builders' association (HBA). Eleven of these programs are voluntary, HBA-driven efforts, based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidlelines; and approximately ten additional Guidelines-based programs are under development.

The Guidelines contain six primary sections:

• Lot Preparation and Design - Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce the home’s impact on natural features such as vegetation and soil; and enhance the home's long-term performance. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the environment, and the community. Included for the end user, especially developers, is a Site Planning Appendix that closely mirrors this section and provides additional guidance.
• Resource Efficiency - Advanced framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize the use of building materials. This section also details how careful material selection can reduce the amount of time and money needed for home maintenance; and demonstrates equally important construction waste management concepts.
• Energy Efficiency - This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information in this section will help a builder create a better building envelope and incorporate more energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home, yielding long-term utility bill savings and increased comfort for the homeowner.
• Water Efficiency/Conservation - Although, the relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the Guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can reduce utility bills, regardless of location.
• Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality - Effective management of moisture, ventilation, and other issues can create a more comfortable and healthier indoor living environment.
• Operation, Maintenance and Education - Given the level of effort a home builder goes through to create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the home owner guidance on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder how best to educate homeowners on the features of their new green home.

In summary, the voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are for the mainstream home builder. They will help systematize the green design and construction process and assist the builder toward incorporating more green building features into homes. As NAHB Research Center data indicates that there is a growing number of green homes built annually, it is expected that these voluntary Guidelines will help builders meet the needs of this growing market.

Download the NAHB's Voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines