As part of the development of the 2015 edition of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) and in accordance with the ANSI consensus process, Home Innovation Research Labs commenced a 45-day public comment period for the draft standard on March 6. Home Innovation Research Labs, an ANSI Accredited Developer, is serving as the administrator of the standard development process.
A PDF version of the draft standard—which includes all changes that were approved by the Consensus Committee—as well as a Web-based form with instructions for submitting comments are both accessible online. Anyone interested is eligible to submit comments on all changes shown on the draft version in underline/strikethrough text, all points associated with the practices in the NGBS, and all standards referenced throughout the NGBS draft. The deadline for submitting comments is April 20, 2015.
Next Steps
The Consensus Committee, chaired by Robert Ross, is scheduled to meet June 18-20, 2015, at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C., to hear public testimony and take formal action on the public comments. As with all facets of the ANSI standard development process, this meeting will be open to the public. The results of the public comment review will culminate in the release of the second draft standard later this year. Once the committee has completed its work, the newly updated NGBS will be submitted to ANSI for approval.
Initiated originally in 2007 by the International Code Council (ICC) and NAHB, the 2008 NGBS was developed by a 42-member Consensus Committee and approved by 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. The 2015 NGBS update is a joint development effort among NAHB, ICC, and ASHRAE. 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.
Visit Home Innovation’s NGBS site for updates on the standard’s development process; additional information can be requested via the 2015 NGBS online contact form. Questions regarding the public comment period or any part of the standards development process can be submitted to standards@HomeInnovation.com.
