Chances are, you’ve already heard that the no-water urinals from Waterless Co., Inc are green certified by the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). In light of that, I thought it might be a good idea to better understand what this means and explain a bit more about this fine organization.

What NGBS is doing is guiding residential builders and contractors as well as homeowners around the country, helping them build homes and apartment buildings that are not only greener, but much more sustainable, self-sufficient, and healthier.

Plus, they are the only residential green rating system approved by ANSI – the American National Standards Institute. This is significant. There are other certification bodies. Even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s LEED program has the LEED for Homes program. However, ANSI decided it was NGBS Green that met the highest levels of residential green certification, winning their endorsement.

With that said, here are some more things we should know about NGBS:

What Is It?

Launched in 2009 by the Home Innovation Research Labs, it is an independent, third-party certification agency for residential facilities. These facilities can earn certification by implementing green practices in one or all of the following categories:

• Lot and size development

• Resource Efficiency

• Energy Efficiency

• Water Efficiency

• Indoor Environmental Quality

• Homeowner Education

As in the LEED rating system, builders, contractors, and homeowners receive points for their green initiatives. A home or residence can earn Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald (the highest) green certification based on how many points they earn.

What Are the Benefits of NGBS Green Certification?

The following scenario will help answer this question. An investment company is considering the purchase of two large apartment buildings in the same area. Similar in almost all ways, one of the buildings is NGBS Green certified, and the other is not. However, the NGBS certified building is slightly more costly than the non-green building. The investment company turns to their accountants and advisors to determine the better investment. 

They determine that the better investment is the NGBS Green certified building, even though it is more costly and give the following reasons why:

• It’s more energy efficient, which will be a cost-saving.

• Water-saving technologies are installed, lowering operating costs.

• To meet NGBS Green requirements, the Green apartment building provides more fresh air, has fewer moisture problems, and has more advanced air filtration systems installed. This makes it a healthier building. Tenants want to be in healthier buildings.

• The NGBS Green building has less “competition.” There are many traditional apartment buildings in this community, but few are green certified. Because of this, the accountants determine that the vacancy rate will be lower.

In other words, the benefits of the NGBS Green property offset any additional costs to purchase the building, making it the better long-term investment.

How Many Homes have been NGBS Green Certified?

As of this writing, more than 265,000 homes have been certified, with about 150,000 registered to seek certification. These include single-family homes, townhouses, apartment buildings, multi-use buildings (apartments and offices), and residential rehabilitation projects.

Is the NGBS Green Program Updated?

Yes. It has been updated four times since 2009, with the last one launched in 2020. With this latest update, a much greater emphasis on water efficiency is noted. In the past decade, water concerns have mounted, not only in this country but around the world. Responding to this, NGBS wants developers, builders, and contractors to reduce water consumption, including eliminating it entirely when and where possible. That is likely why they honored Waterless Co with green certification.

As a Builder, How do I Get My Apartment Building NGBS Green Certified?

NGBS provides a resource library for builders, developers, and homeowners. This resource library includes scoring tools, training programs, marketing materials, and product-specific information. 

Once that has been reviewed, the next step is to contact a Verifier. There are over 250 Verifiers in the U.S. They know the NGBS program thoroughly. They will help you register for the program and guide you through the process, including making sure your apartment meets all the standards and criteria to be NGBS Green certified.

Klaus Reichardt is CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc, Vista, Calif.  Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal of establishing a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water efficiency in mind. Reichardt is a frequent writer and presenter, discussing water conservation issues.  He can be reached at klaus@waterless.com.