Home Innovation Insights

Insider insights on what's going on in the home building industry.

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January 4, 2024

Offsite Construction: The Top 6 Barriers

Over the past few years, Home Innovation has conducted numerous studies to track the adoption of offsite technologies, identify and remove specific barriers, and create solutions that enable the industry to make the shift. While perceived barriers are shrinking slightly, they are still very present. We surveyed a nationwide sample of 300 homebuilders in 2021, and 248 homebuilders in 2023 and asked them to describe in their own words what’s keeping them from adopting offsite construction (modular, panelization, etc.). 

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Building Practices, Affordable Homes, Building Products, Data and Trends

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October 5, 2023

QAP Recap: Fall 2023

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). QAPs specify a state agency’s allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most QAPs include criteria for energy efficiency and green building, and nearly 30 states specify green building certification as a requirement or point-based incentive. When third-party green certification is included within a QAP, NGBS Green Certification is typically recognized alongside other credible national green building programs. NGBS Green certification is affordable to implement, making it ideally suited for affordable housing.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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August 4, 2023

Water Scarcity Flows into Policy Change

The changing climate is forcing policymakers and the development community throughout Arizona to rethink current patterns of development to ensure that water is available long-term. Building new homes in resource-scarce areas is challenging. Long-term thinking and mindful construction techniques offer an opportunity for residential builders to distinguish themselves as local leaders and best position themselves for continued success. 

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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June 22, 2023

How Can NGBS Green Bolster Your ESG Efforts?

More and more, companies are expected to measure and disclose information related to their ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance—impacts. ESG metrics can improve a company’s ability to access capital from funders committed to sustainable investing.

Green building certifications are essential to achieving ESG goals in the real estate industry. They ensure that buildings are built or renovated to rigorous standards. By pursuing green building certifications, developers and investors can have confidence that their buildings are performing exceptionally and meeting many of the environmental and social aspects of their corporate goals.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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June 22, 2023

Changes in the 2023 GRESB Real Estate Reference Guide and NGBS Green +NET ZERO

Each year, the GRESB Foundation makes changes to the annual Real Estate Reference Guide based on priority topics identified and input received from GRESB members. The GRESB portal opens on April 1st of each year, shortly after the annual reference guide is released. GRESB participants have until July 1st to submit their ESG data and their responses to the GRESB Reference Guide. Benchmark results and scores are available on October 1st.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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June 7, 2023

Quick QAP Recap: Summer 2023

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). QAPs specify a state agency’s allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most QAPs include criteria for energy efficiency and green building, and nearly 30 states specify green building certification as a requirement or point-based incentive. When third-party green certification is included within a QAP, NGBS Green Certification is typically recognized alongside other credible national green building programs. NGBS Green certification is affordable to implement, making it ideally suited for affordable housing.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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May 31, 2023

HUD Green and Resilient Retrofit Program: Making Affordable Housing More Sustainable

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has launched the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) to help make affordable housing more sustainable. The program provides funding for grants and loans to help owners of multifamily-assisted properties make energy efficiency, water efficiency, and climate resilience improvements to their buildings.

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Affordable Homes, Green Building, Energy Performance, Homebuyer Preferences, Building Codes

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May 5, 2023

NGBS Green PRO Spotlight: Veronika Maynard-Simon

Veronika is the Multifamily & Commercial Team Coordinator at Southern Energy Management (SEM), a solar installation, green building and energy efficiency service company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Veronika has a B.A in Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.S. in Climate Change & Society from North Carolina State University. Veronika has extensive experience in administrative support and office management. She has also worked at community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms, gardens, and nurseries. Outside of work, Veronika enjoys growing a variety of fresh produce in her hobby garden.

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April 4, 2023

NGBS Green PRO Spotlight: Nicolas Ream

Nicolas Ream is the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing & Project Manager at Montana Heritage Home Builders (MHHB), a custom home building company in Columbia Falls, Montana. Nicolas earned his B.S. degrees in Marketing and Management & Entrepreneurship from the University of Montana. He also holds a M.S. degree in Real Estate and the Built Environment from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. Along with holding the NGBS Green PRO designation, Nicolas is a LEED Green Associate and a NAHB Master Certified Green Professional. He also holds the following other NAHB designations: Certified Green Professional; Certified New Home Sales Professional; Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist; Graduate Master Builder; Certified Graduate Builder; Certified Graduate Remodeler; and Certified Graduate Associate. In 2021, Nicolas was recognized by NAHB as the Green Professional Designee of the Year. In 2022, he was recognized by NAHB as Sales and Marketing Designee of the Year.

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February 17, 2023

NGBS Green PRO Spotlight: Kristyn Mott

Kristyn Mott is a Program Manager & sales team member at Southern Energy Management (SEM), a solar installation, green building and energy efficiency service company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She joined the SEM team in 2020 after earning dual degrees in Business Administration and Global & Local Sustainability from Daemen University in Western New York. Along with being a NGBS Green PRO, Kristyn also holds two other professional accreditations, Fitwel Ambassador and LEED AP for Operations + Maintenance.

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December 16, 2022

Deep Dive into Chapter 5: Lot Design, Preparation, And Development

Constructing a green building is a process that should begin well before the foundation is poured and settled. Chapter 5 of the ICC 700-2020 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) awards and acknowledges the careful selection, design, preparation, and development of a lot intended to be the site of a certified green building.

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December 12, 2022

Tips for a Simple & Pain-Free Final QA Review

Are you ready to submit your NGBS Green project for final review? To make the process simple and pain-free, there are a few things you need to remember.

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December 9, 2022

WaterSense Technical Evaluation – Behind the Scenes

In February 2021, the U.S. EPA recognized Home Innovation Research Labs as a Home Certifying Organization (HCO) for the WaterSense Labeled Homes Program.

In this role, Home Innovation will administer verification and certification for the WaterSense program. Homes earning the WaterSense label must meet the water efficiency requirements using Home Innovation’s WaterSense Approved Certification Method (WACM), which is based on selected practices of the 2020 NGBS. Any home or building that has earned the WaterSense label is constructed at least 30% more efficient than standard construction.

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December 5, 2022

Quick QAP Recap: Winter 2022

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). QAPs specify a state agency’s allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most QAPs include criteria for energy efficiency and green building, and nearly 30 states specify green building certification as a requirement or point-based incentive. When third-party green certification is included within a QAP, NGBS Green Certification is typically recognized alongside other credible national green building programs. NGBS Green certification is affordable to implement, making it ideally suited for affordable housing.

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November 28, 2022

Understanding the Threat of Radon

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, so we are spot lighting a leading cause of lung cancer that should be considered and tested during construction. In addition to energy and water efficiency and other green practices, NGBS Green certified homes have protections against radon intrusion so a home buyer can have peace of mind.

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November 21, 2022

NGBS Green Certification Accepted by Local Jurisdictions – Examples from Chicago (IL), Delray Beach (FL), and Portland (OR)

The NGBS is a credible, consensus-based standard designed to set a meaningful definition of sustainable construction for all residential buildings in all locations across the U.S.

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November 14, 2022

State Housing Agencies: Recognize Green Building Programs as Resilient Construction Guides

When incorporating resilient construction requirements into funding evaluations, financing agencies need to look no further than the green building certification programs that they may already require or incentivize for building efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

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November 9, 2022

The Gladstone Earns Recognitions for Wellness and Inclusive Living

The Gladstone is an “Age in Place” home for healthy and inclusive living, incorporating a variety of universal design features that promote accessibility for homeowners and visitors.

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November 2, 2022

Deep Dive into NGBS Chapter 6: Resource Efficiency

Resource efficiency is the technique of minimizing resource exploitation and ensuring that structures can function for an extended period and withstand natural disasters. This is achieved through measures including reduction of primary and non-renewable materials, creation of high-quality products with minimal waste and retention of durable products, and durable construction practices. Various design techniques, construction practices, and choice of materials can help optimize resources used in construction.

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October 28, 2022

Streamlining Green Verification for Factory Construction

Due to the level of quality control and manufacturing precision available with factory-built construction, modular and panelized homes may have an advantage in achieving above-code green building certifications, like NGBS Green.

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October 21, 2022

Accessibility and Universal Design

The benefits of an accessible home extend far beyond individuals with permanent mobility impairment. Accessible features can make a home more visitable, for infants, young children, older adults, or even to accommodate transitory immobility from injuries. The goal of green certification programs like NGBS Green is to minimize the home’s environmental footprint and improve the home’s sustainability, which includes allowing people to remain in their home even when facing mobility limitations.

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October 19, 2022

Verifier Voice: Green Verification for Modular Multifamily Buildings

Modular construction is an increasingly popular option for delivering high-quality multifamily apartments due to the quality assurance, safety, and sustainability benefits available from building in a controlled factory setting. While modular construction offers substantial quality benefits that can help a project achieve third-party green certification, there are unique verification considerations due to the rapid production schedule and coordination across factory and site installation teams. Hear from NGBS Green Verifiers for their advice on getting started with modular green verification.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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September 26, 2022

NGBS and the Artificial Turf Debate

Growing up, playing on artificial turf (AT) was a luxury and a way to prolong sport seasons during the time when natural turf fields were rendered unplayable due to weather conditions. Living in Alaska, it was common to see athletic fields with pools of water, snow, and bare patches late into May. Playing football under said conditions was an unpleasant experience to say the least. When playing for competitive teams, AT was the primary field type to reduce injury and provide athletes with the ability to run, make breaks, and tackle as if they were playing on a well-groomed grass field. No more rolling ankles on uneven patches, no more scrapes and bruises from landing on snow/ice, and no more one-dimensional playbooks on offense because wide receivers were unable to make breaks to create separation from defensive backs.

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September 21, 2022

Resiliency and Sustainability

Apart from providing shelter and a place of belonging, a house is also one of the biggest financial investments for many people. Homeowners pour the bulk of their savings into buying a house and then spend half their lives paying expensive mortgages. Imagine all this hard-earned investment wiped out in a single hurricane or torn apart by an earthquake! While there are many unavoidable natural disasters every year, damage to homes could be mitigated by additions/alterations to construction practices—some as simple and low budget as adding hurricane and metal straps to connect the roof and wall members. Sadly, many houses get destroyed each year during disaster events due to lack of resilient construction practices.

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September 14, 2022

Quick QAP Recap: Fall 2022

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). QAPs specify a state agency’s allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most QAPs include criteria for energy efficiency and green building, and nearly 30 states specify green building certification as a requirement or point-based incentive. When third-party green certification is included within a QAP, NGBS Green Certification is typically recognized alongside other credible national green building programs. NGBS Green certification is affordable to implement, making it ideally suited for affordable housing.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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September 12, 2022

Why is it Important that WRI is Included within an I-Code?

What is the Water Rating Index (WRI)?

The 2020 National Green Building Standard ICC-700 includes a performance path for residential builders and developers to demonstrate water efficiency. The Water Rating Index (WRI), included as an appendix within the standard, is a methodology by which a 0 to 100 score is assessed for a property’s total indoor and outdoor water use, compared to baseline conditions.

The WRI offers an important new metric that they can use to communicate expected water use to potential buyers. Like HERS and ERI for energy performance, WRI facilitates straightforward comparison across similar properties.

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January 25, 2022

Quick QAP Recap: Fall-Winter 2021

Home Innovation actively advocates for third-party certified, green, affordable housing by providing input for state Qualified Allocation Plan (QAPs). QAPs specify a state agency’s allocation of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Most QAPs include criteria for energy efficiency and green building, and nearly 30 states specify green building certification as a requirement or point-based incentive. When third-party green certification is included within a QAP, NGBS Green Certification is typically recognized alongside other credible national green building programs. NGBS Green certification is affordable to implement, making it ideally suited for affordable housing.

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Energy Performance, Green Building, Marketing, Affordable Homes

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December 6, 2012

Multifamily is Hot. Why Green Certify?

The multifamily market is booming and the forecast is bright. So why is voluntary green certification for multifamily also booming now? See what's driving this decision in many markets.

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Green Building, Data and Trends, Energy Performance, Homebuyer Preferences, Affordable Homes, Marketing, Survey Research

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September 13, 2012

5 Things You Don't Know About the National Green Building Standard

Think all green rating systems are the same? Think again. Let's set the record straight on some common “unknowns” about the National Green Building Standard and continue the important business of building truly green certified homes and apartments.

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August 23, 2012

An Open Invitation to the Home Building Industry

Many know Home Innovation Research Labs for our product testing and certification marks, but here are some examples why we’re much more than just a pretty certification label. The invitation is open – get to know us!

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Building Codes, Building Practices, Building Products, Product Testing, Affordable Homes