Green is Not Just a Color: It's a Smarter Way to Remodel

Green design is about creating homes that are more sustainable, energy-efficient, and healthier to live in — all while being mindful of the planet. It improves your home's efficiency, saves power and water, and uses environmentally friendly materials to reduce landfill waste.

Recognizing the growing need for better building practices, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) developed the NAHBGreen program. It provides guidance for homeowners and builders to embrace sustainable building methods. According to NAHB, a green home focuses on:

• • • • • • Responsible lot and site development
          • Energy efficiency
          • Water efficiency
          • Resource efficiency
          • Indoor environmental quality
          • Homeowner education

To support these principles, the NAHB partnered with the International Code Council (ICC) to create the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS). This standard lays out specific benchmarks for what constitutes a green home and offers a free scoring tool to help homeowners and contractors evaluate their projects. (You can find and register for this tool here.)

For owners of older homes, the opportunity to "go green" is equally accessible. If your home was built before 1980, NAHB has created the Green Remodel Path. This program allows you to certify your remodeling project as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or even Emerald, depending on the reductions achieved in energy and water consumption. For instance, achieving a 20% reduction earns Bronze certification, while an Emerald rating requires a 50% or greater improvement.

Not only does green remodeling contribute to a healthier environment, but it can also enhance your home's resale value. Buyers today are increasingly interested in homes that are both efficient and sustainable. A green certification can set your home apart in the real estate market, demonstrating its lower operating costs and healthier living conditions.

The world of green remodeling is also constantly evolving. Exciting innovations are making sustainable living even more accessible. One to watch is solar window technology from California-based Ubiquitous Energy, which is developing windows that can generate solar power without sacrificing clarity or beauty. Technologies like these could soon allow homeowners to integrate renewable energy production seamlessly into the design of their homes.

Green remodeling is not about sacrificing style or comfort; it's about making smarter, more responsible choices that benefit you, your community, and future generations. Whether you're planning a full-scale renovation or smaller updates, thinking green can make a lasting difference.

For more information about NAHBGreen and how to get your project certified, visit this link...

Long before there were formal standards or labels, traditional building practices were naturally sustainable because they had to be.

• • • Early builders used local materials (stone, timber, clay) because it was practical and affordable.
    • Homes were oriented to maximize natural light, ventilation, and thermal performance (think thick adobe walls in hot climates, or south-facing windows in cold ones).
    • Buildings were designed to work with the natural environment, not against it, simply because energy was scarce or expensive.

In other words, "green" building wasn’t revolutionary — it was common sense for thousands of years.

Modern industrialization (post-World War II especially) introduced cheap energy, synthetic materials, and mass production, which led to less efficient, less durable, and more environmentally damaging construction. Green building as a formal movement emerged as a reaction to that shift.