How NGBS Green Certification Program is Addressing Issues Associated with COVID-19

Dear NGBS Green Community:

These are difficult and uncertain times. The spread of COVID-19 in the United States is a rapidly evolving situation and has turned normal business operations upside down and made even domestic travel challenging. Home Innovation is monitoring the situation closely and we recognize that we may need to amend our policies and procedures in the near future as the situation evolves.

First and foremost, the health and safety of our Verifiers and our clients is of the utmost concern to us. While Verifiers are not direct employees of Home Innovation, they serve as our in-field representatives and we depend on them to provide verification services for the NGBS Green certification program. Verifiers will have different corporate policies regarding travel and business operations that they must follow, but our goal is to work with them to provide verification rules and procedures that provides flexibility without compromising the rigor and credibility of NGBS Green certification.

Verifiers that feel sick have been advised to stay home and not travel to NGBS Green jobsites or meet with clients. When possible, client meetings should be rescheduled or held remotely. If a building is due for a verification visit and a Verifier does not feel well, we have instructed them to make alternative arrangements with another NGBS Green Accredited Verifier to complete the inspection in a timely fashion. If that is not possible and an inspection must happen, Verifiers have been instructed to contact Home Innovation. Over the next day or so we will be drafting a remote inspection protocol that can be used in these extraordinary circumstances so that a building does not risk its eligibility for NGBS Green certification. For the time being, we will handle these requests on a case-by-case basis.

Home Innovation will be working with our Verifiers nationwide to ensure that buildings seeking NGBS Green certification are inspected as necessary to confirm NGBS compliance.

Home Innovation remains open for business and staff is available as always by email, phone, and text. I do not expect any delays in response times of certification decisions or processing of applications or verification reports. If that should change in the next few weeks, we will send out more information.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly. If I can help you in any way do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to working with each of you through this situation.

Last, and most importantly, I send my warmest wishes that you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy as we work to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 spread.

Best,

Michelle Foster
Vice President, Sustainability
Home Innovation Research Labs

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Green Home Building

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Green Building