Public Comment Period for National Green Building Standard 2012 Update Opens September 23rd

Upper Marlboro, Md. - As part of the development of the 2012 edition of the National Green Building Standard and in accordance with the ANSI consensus process, Home Innovation Research Labs will commence a 45-day public comment period for the Draft Standard on September 23, 2011. The Home Innovation Research Labs, an ANSI Accredited Developer, is serving as secretariat, or administrator, of the standard development process.

A PDF version of the Draft Standard, which includes all changes that were approved by the Consensus Committee, will be available for download from www.nahbrc.com/NGBS. Instructions for submitting comments, including the scope of the public comment period, will be provided on the web-based submittal form, which will also available at www.nahbrc.com/NGBS. The deadline for submitting comments is November 7, 2011.

The Consensus Committee, chaired by Don Pratt of Auburn Hills, Mich., is scheduled to meet the week of January 23, 2012, at the National Housing Center in Washington, DC, to consider, hear public testimony, and take formal action on the public comments. Once the committee has completed its work, the newly updated National Green Building Standard will be submitted to ANSI for approval in 2012.

Initiated originally in 2007 by the International Code Council and NAHB, the 2008 National Green Building Standard was developed by a 42-member Consensus Committee and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in January 2009, making it the first point-based rating system for green residential construction, remodeling, and land development to be approved by ANSI. As an ANSI-approved standard, the document is subject to periodic updates as a way to ensure that advances in building codes, technology, and other developments can be considered for incorporation.

For additional information and all future updates on the 2012 NGBS development process, visit www.nahbrc.com/NGBS. Any questions regarding the public comment period or any part of the standards development process should be directed to standards@homeinnovation.com.

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ABOUT: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the construction industry.

NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be "Home Innovation Research Labs." In subsequent mentions, “Home Innovation” should be used; we are not identified by an acronym. Prior to February 12, 2013, the company was known as the NAHB Research Center.