Home Innovation Research Labs has accredited the first crop of NGBS Green Master Verifiers.
This exclusive, master-level accreditation, open to existing NGBS Green Verifiers, recognizes building industry professionals with significant green building knowledge and applied experience verifying compliance to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The first NGBS Green Master Verifiers are Carl Seville of Atlanta; Chris Schwarzkopf of Valparaiso, Ind.; and Rachel Della Valle of Raleigh, N.C.
Carl Seville In addition to being an NGBS Green Verifier since 2008, Seville is a green builder, educator, writer, and consultant with over 30 years of experience in construction and more than a decade focusing on sustainability issues. He is a principal with SK Collaborative, which applies green building techniques to real-life situations. Seville also is well-known for the Green Building Curmudgeon column he writes for Green Building Advisor.
Chris Schwarzkopf As the green program coordinator for Energy Diagnostics, Schwarzkopf in recent years has cultivated a niche market for his verification services among affordable housing developers. As such, he closely follows the Low Income Housing Tax Credits available across the Midwest, and he’s been able to help Home Innovation educate local jurisdictions on the merit and equivalency of NGBS for tax credit eligibility. Schwarzkopf has been an NGBS Green Verifier since 2008, and was recognized as a 2015 NGBS Green Partner of Excellence.
Rachel Della Valle Serving as Southern Energy Management’s multifamily project manager, Della Valle has been an NGBS Green Verifier, specializing in multifamily green projects, since 2008. She also is an active member of Green Home Builders of the Triangle and serves on its Green Home Tour Committee. She is a strong advocate for NGBS Green Certification, earning recognition as a Rising Star among this year’s NGBS Green Partners of Excellence.
Through their experience with the NGBS Green Certification program, master verifiers have demonstrated proficiency in verifying NGBS Green projects and in the program’s policies and procedures. To be eligible in terms of experience, master verifier candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria:
• Successful verification of at least 100 single-family homes within a recent three-year period
• Successful verification of at least 25 multifamily buildings or 750 multifamily units within a recent three-year period
• Combination of single- and multifamily verification experience comparable to the specifications above (counting each single-family home as 0.25 multifamily buildings)
Each prospective candidate also must submit written recommendations from NGBS Green verification clients; must have a history of providing complete and accurate verification reports; must be free of any outstanding program or policy disputes; and must complete the master verifier training and pass an accreditation exam. As recognized leaders within the NGBS Green program, NGBS Green Master Verifiers may be selected to share insights through participation on task groups, pilot programs, or advisory committees.
Several additional NGBS Green Verifiers currently are in the process of training and seeking master verifier accreditation by the end of this year. For more information on having your homes NGBS Green Certified, or on becoming an NGBS Green Verifier, visit www.HomeInnovation.com/NGBSGreenContact.
