NGBS Green Certified Products Save Time and Help Ensure Compliance

Why Use Green Products

March 13, 2014

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If you are a builder or developer who is just getting started with green home construction, look no further than Home Innovation Research Labs' NGBS Green Certified product mark on product packaging and marketing materials to identify and source green building products. NGBS Green Certified products are pre-approved by Home Innovation to contribute toward a home or building meeting specific NGBS practices, and use of certified products offers labor-savings and streamlined verification to builders/developers.

Reduce Documentation and Verification Time
The biggest value afforded to builders by use of NGBS Green Certified products is time and effort saved during the verification process.

NGBS Green building certification requires that every NGBS practice be inspected and confirmed by an independent NGBS Green Verifier. Some practices, like those in the Lot Design and Water Efficiency chapters, can be verified by observation. Not everything is that easy. Many NGBS practices – especially those in the Resource Efficiency and Indoor Environmental Quality chapters – cannot be verified by observation and require review of product literature to confirm that the product contributes toward the NGBS practices. (For example, I wouldn’t even try to guess the formaldehyde level of an insulation product by sight alone!) For these practices, a builder will collect manufacturer’s literature and provide to the project’s verifier for review.

Use of NGBS Green Certified products eliminates these steps altogether. As certified products are pre-approved, a builder only needs to note “NGBS Green product” or similar on the scoring spreadsheet. The NGBS Verifier would still need to confirm, but could do so by visiting the Home Innovation website. Use of NGBS Green Certified products saves time and effort for both the builder and verifier.

No Surprises! Products Are Sure to Meet NGBS Practices
Recently, I heard a story of a home that was near completion before the builder recognized that the home’s windows did not meet the NGBS fenestration requirements (a mandatory practice). The windows also hindered the ability of the home to achieve even the lowest acceptable energy efficiency level. Believe me – the builder was not happy about that surprise!

The NGBS Green Certified product program serves to offer assurance to NGBS builders, designers, and architects that they won’t be similarly surprised. NGBS Green Certified products have already been reviewed and approved to meet particular NGBS practices.

Given the abundance of green-washing (use of vague, misleading, and false product claims) and the confusing marketplace of green product labels, it can be hard for a builder to identify and source the right products for the job. Third-party certifications serve as a resource to builders who look to decipher environmental claims associated with green products.

For a product to be NGBS Green Certified, a product manufacturer submits documentation from a third-party laboratory that demonstrates the product’s attributes. Home Innovation’s team of building scientists and engineers will carefully review the provided documentation for NGBS compliance.

One-Stop Shop to Explore New Green Product Offerings
The Home Innovation NGBS Green Certified product portal serves a clearinghouse of information about green building products. While the site is primarily designed for NGBS builders and verifiers, the product information can serve as a general resource for those in the green building community. Visit www.homeinnovation.com/greenproducts to explore green product offerings from both large and small building product providers.

The user-friendly website allows a visitor to search by NGBS practice, product category, brand name, etc. For each certified product, view detailed product information: product description, downloadable product specs, other third-party certifications, and more. Even if you aren’t working on a home that will be NGBS certified currently, you can download and save relevant product information for later use.

Manufacturers – Can We Talk? NGBS Green Certification can help position your company as a green building leader/expert and help you further connect with green builders and remodelers. Product listings on the NGBS Green Certified web portal offer increased online marketing exposure. If you've got a few moments, I’d love to talk you through the certification benefits and application process. To get started, email me.

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