Katie Dorn
March 25, 2024
Top 5 Green Building Trends from IBS 2024
On February 27-29th, many Home Innovation staff, including Michelle and Katie from the NGBS Green Team, attended the 2024 International Builder’s Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here are Katie’s takeaways of the Top 5 Green Building Trends from IBS 2024.
1. Focus on Net Zero Energy and Wellness
The New American Home (TNAH) is the official show home of IBS. Each home showcases best practices, innovative design concepts, and the latest products and construction techniques. The 2024 TNAH earned NGBS Green Certification at the Emerald-Level. This high-performing home features many energy efficiency practices and a 31kW rooftop solar array that provides the total electricity generation needed for the home, helping it earn the NGBS Green +NET ZERO ENERGY certification. The home also earned the NGBS Green +WELLNESS certification for the many home and community features that support health and well-being. Learn more about the green features of 2024 TNAH in our case study.
This theme was also present throughout the show. This year there were three sessions specifically focused on Net Zero: “Designing the Future of Net Zero”, “Lessons in Designing for Net Zero”, and “Getting to Zero Faster, Better & Cheaper”.
2. Financing is driving green certifications
Another trend from IBS 2024 was green financing and energy efficiency incentives. There were many educational sessions on these topics. Michelle discussed green financing and available incentives during her session in Multi-Family Central: “Are Multifamily Green Building Certifications Worth the Trouble?”. This session also discussed Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting benefits and using NGBS Green for code compliance.
If you are interested in this session or learning more about green financing incentives, contact us about scheduling a Lunch-n-Learn! We have AIA and ICC-approved programs that we'd be happy to deliver.
3. Students and young professionals are key to the future of the green building industry
The NAHB student competition is an annual event at IBS where teams of students from schools across the country put their skills learned in the classroom to the test by completing a management proposal/project for a real construction company. It is always a big event at IBS with hundreds of students and many faculty participating.
Since NGBS Green is the largest residential green building certification program in the US, it is essential that young people, who will be the future of the industry, have a background and understanding of the program. On the second day of IBS, Katie presented to Educators at the Student Chapter Advisory Board meeting on how they can use the NGBS Green PRO training in their course curriculums. Students who take the training gain a strong knowledge of the NGBS Green program and those who pass earn the NGBS Green PRO designation. Last fall, Purdue and Texas A&M were the first two schools to use NGBS Green PRO in their classrooms. At the end of the semester, 72 students earned the designation. If you know a university or instructor who would be interested in using the training as part of a course curriculum, contact Katie.
4. Developers want sustainable products in their buildings
On the second day of the show, Michelle presented to a packed room on “Innovative Products on the IBS Show Floor for Sustainable Multifamily Buildings”. The crowd at this session proved that builders and developers want to use sustainable products in their buildings.
During her presentation, Michelle presented on 10 products that she found on the show floor to be both innovative and sustainable. Five of the product’s companies are a part of the NGBS Green Certified Products program: AeroBarrier; Dupont; CertainTeed; BamCore; and Lubrizol. The other innovative products featured included Trimfinity Ecopoly Composite Molding, SMEG 500 Fiat Beverage Refrigerator, UltaSite BarkPark, NetZero WaterPlace, LiRon Lighting, and Thermory Ignite Barrel Sauna.
5. Product manufacturers want to market their sustainable features
The 5th trend we saw was also evident from Michelle’s presentation and from walking the IBS show floor: manufacturers want to market the sustainable and green features of their products. There were numerous booths that displayed the environmental benefits of their products and their company’s sustainability strategies.
Several NGBS Green Certified products were showcased within the IBS Exhibit Halls, including FlowGuard Gold Pipe & Fittings from Lubrizol and Corian Solid Surface from Dupont. Both companies showcased their products’ ability to earn points toward NGBS Green Certification. See here to learn more about the NGBS Green Certified Products program to take advantage of marketing benefits for IBS 2025!
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