What is green?  Currently there is no national green building standards for anyone to consult, and with interpretations all over the board in an industry as diverse as construction, that is a question that many have been asking as all things green have been soaring!

     The National Green Building Standard has been aiming to set the record straight, at least by the standard and definitions of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council.  Since this past March, the two groups, with the aid of remodelers, builders, code/government officials, green suppliers and others (yes, this does worry me a bit!)...they have been putting together a point base system for certifying homes as green (of course with some flexibility for regional variations).  You can currently find the standards in draft form at www.nahbrc.org/technical/standards/gbfirstdraft.aspxwhich will be open to public comment until September 24.  After 9/24, a second draft will be posted in October.

MOST of the verbiage found in the draft applies to NEW construction, however, there are clarifications to allow specific renovations, additions and remodels to be considered green.

Well...you might ask...what percentage of the house has to be remodeled to be considered Green?  There are currently four proposed "performance levels" for green remodeling - bronze, silver, gold and emrald - based on compliances with practices such as not enclosing walls with a high moisture insulation, replacing old appliances with Energy Star or equivalent appliances, LOE windows, and waste management plans for debris disposal.

The current draft also includes proposed definitions of 75 words and terms that are stated in the standard.  So...if you want to add your input, now's the time.  Log on to the site above and let your comments fly!