NGBS Certification: What Is It & How to Get It

Blog

Jun 3

The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is a certification program designed to encourage facilities managers, homeowners, and real estate building operators to prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency in property design and maintenance. While not mandatory, becoming NGBS-certified can increase property value and promote healthier homes for families and communities.

Whether you're starting from scratch or retrofitting an older property, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the NGBS program before investing time and capital into meeting the standard.

Understanding the National Green Building Standard (NGBS)

The NGBS is an International Code Standard (ICC) that’s also been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This makes it a viable option for rating the environmental impact, energy efficiency, design sustainability, and the use of green building techniques on new and renovated properties

It targets residential buildings, including single-family homes, duplexes, and quads, in addition to multi-family homes, mixed-use buildings, and short-term accommodations. The certification is also available for properties being converted into residential buildings.

Benefits of Obtaining an NGBS Certification

The benefits of having your building certified go beyond a simple price increase. NGBS-certified projects generate a wide array of advantages.

Environmental Impact

Meeting the NGBS standards requires a reduction in the building’s carbon footprint, both during construction and in the long term. The certification is also concerned with the project’s impact on the surrounding ecosystem and whether too much valuable natural habitat is lost or altered.

Economic Advantages

While the reduction in utility bills benefits the residents of the certified property, the mandatory use of more durable construction materials requires less maintenance. The property is built or renovated using retrofit methods for sustainable buildings to better suit its natural environment, allowing for maximum sunlight and ventilation through strategically placed windows.

The property itself would also gain in value. Being NGBS-certified is a differentiable mark that attracts many buyers and investors who prioritize having sustainable accommodation.

Social and Health Benefits

In addition to using high-quality, sustainable materials in the construction, the NGBS also has strict guidelines for the design of the living space itself. Gas ovens, fireplaces, and clothes dryers need to be properly ventilated to maintain indoor air quality. Parking lots and garages must be kept completely separate from living areas to minimize the accumulation of fumes.

As for the surrounding environment, the NGBS certification prioritizes locations with plenty of safe, walkable paths. Not only does access to walking improve the mental and physical health of the home’s residents, but it also offers an opportunity for organic socialization with their neighbors and communities.

Key Areas Assessed in the NGBS

The NGBS certification process covers six distinct areas:

Energy: The use of sufficient insulation, weatherstripped and double-paned windows, and efficient HVAC systems is necessary to reduce the home's net energy consumption.
Water: Building designs must include low-flow fixtures, efficient irrigation systems, drought-tolerant landscaping, and rainwater harvesting solutions to reduce water consumption.
Resource Efficiency: The choice of building material must be sustainable, recycled, or locally sourced to cut back on construction waste.
Lot Development: The location of the building must minimize the environmental impact on the surrounding ecosystem, and must include considerations such as soil erosion control, compact development, and protection of natural features.
Operation and Maintenance: Long-term building maintenance must continue to use sustainable materials and avoid non-NGBS-approved expansion projects or builds.
Indoor Environmental Quality: A healthy indoor environment is achieved via proper ventilation, moisture control, low-emission materials, and pollutant and emission source control.

Level of Certification

The standards for becoming NGBS-certified aren’t rigid. Instead, buildings and land development projects are awarded different green building certifications at different levels depending on how well they adhere to the sustainability guidelines.

The four levels are:

Bronze: An entry-level certification, the Bronze level verifies a basic commitment to the NGBS guidelines, where the building implements at least 15% more sustainability measures than the typical home in its area.
Silver: Considered the mid-tier level, the Silver NGBS certification reflects consistent application of sustainability standards across various aspects of the construction project and upwards of 30% more resource efficiency.
Gold: Buildings certified NGBS Gold meet the strict requirements in all green construction categories. They’re 50% more energy and resource-efficient than the typical home.
Emerald: The highest certification level of NGBS, Emerald is only awarded to residential buildings that have achieved a 60% improvement in energy performance compared to the baseline home.

How To Get NGBS Certified

In order to become NGBS-certified, you’ll need to pass a verification of your construction project conducted by a trusted third party. An inspection would cover the six key areas of a green home and give a rating of Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald based on performance.

Project Planning and Strategy: Determine the NGBS level that best suits your goals, and assemble a construction team with experience in green building practices.
Registration: Register your project with the Home Innovation Research Labs, the organization that oversees NGBS certifications, provide basic project information, and pay a registration fee.
Design Phase: Incorporate the desired green elements into your project design, working with engineers and architects with expertise in green building solutions to set up a checklist of all applicable sustainability categories.
Construction Phase: Thorough documentation of the materials, systems, and methods used during construction is necessary. You’ll receive periodic site visits by an NGBS Verifier to ensure continued compliance with project plans.
Testing and Verification: For multi-family buildings, additional quality testing is needed for HVAC performance and air leakage. These tests confirm that all systems perform as intended and that the building meets NGBS thresholds.
Certification: Once verification is finalized, your report is submitted to the Home Innovation Research Labs to receive the official NGBS certification and be added to the national registry.

Improve Your Chances of Getting Certified With Attune

Construction projects are costly and time-consuming, whether you’re starting from scratch or retrofitting an old building. When aiming for an NGBS certificate to increase property value, keep your chances of getting certified high with the help of Attune.

At Attune, we’re the only providers of customizable indoor air quality, water leaks, and energy consumption monitoring solutions. Our solutions provide real-time data and analytics through a centralized, user-friendly online platform.