C.F. Evans Construction has been named a Home Innovation NGBS Green Partner of Excellence for 2014. Being one of only a handful of Home Innovation’s green certification participants to be recognized validates the commitment C.F. Evans has made to providing its customers with increased value, comfort, durability, and efficiency through its NGBS (National Green Building Standard) Green Certified apartments.

“‘Going Green’ was a logical path for building professionals to follow when the market was in decline and everyone was looking for something to set themselves apart and make the sale,” said Home Innovation Research Labs president and CEO Michael Luzier. “But now that the market is coming back, dedicated partners like C.F. Evans prove that participating in our rigorous third-party certification program isn’t just a gimmick or a fad – it’s a strategic business decision that is paying dividends and changing the marketplace.”

To earn certification to the National Green Building Standard, a multifamily building must meet rigorous criteria in six categories – Lot & Site Development; Resource Efficiency; Energy Efficiency; Water Efficiency; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Homeowner Education. There are mandatory practices in each category that every Green Certified home or building must meet, and there are a wide range of additional optional practices in each category that a builder can select based on the applicability to buyers or renters in their market. There are also mandatory point minimums in every category in order for a building to attain the next level of certification, which is a more stringent requirement than any other national certification program.

Since January 2009, when the National Green Building Standard became the first residential green building rating system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Home Innovation Research Labs has certified more than 8,000 single-family homes, over 1,000 multifamily buildings representing close to 27,000 apartments, and 22 residential land developments representing more than 1,500 lots. (For more details on current certification numbers, visit www.homeinnovation.com/ngbsgreenstats.) For more information on the NGBS or the Home Innovation certification program, visit www.homeinnovation.com/green.

ABOUT HOME INNOVATION RESEARCH LABS: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in residential construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the residential construction industry.