Dive Brief:
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The six-year-old green home certification program of the Home Innovation Research Labs, founded as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders, has certified its 50,000th home.
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The milestone-making home, in the North Carolina Triangle area, was built by Saussy Burbank and verified by Southern Energy Management, Home Innovation Research Labs—formerly the NAHB Research Center—said Wednesday.
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The voluntary National Green Building Standard Certification is based on factors including low energy costs, environmental sustainability, good air quality and a healthy living environment.
Dive Insight:
Launched at the peak of the housing downturn, the certification program found success with builders who viewed green homebuilding as a way to differentiate themselves as they competed for a greatly diminished number of buyers. Along with other popular green home certification like LEED, the program has helped to make green building more mainstream.
