This has prompted a number of construction industry associations to join forces in developing standards for green building. The ICC 700 National Green Building Standard is the first residential green standard to receive recognition by the American National Standards Institute.
The new standard points to an industry-wide focus on simplifying processes for builders and homeowners to make and implement environmentally conscious decisions during the building or renovation process. However, industry standards aren’t aligning with regulations in place at the national, state or local government level.
Some areas of conflict include housing association specifications, local zoning requirements, and local building codes—not to mention the mountains of paperwork in some states that is necessary to validate green features so a homeowner can secure their tax credit or other cost benefit.