Idaho city adopts NAHB green standards

Starting May 16, home builders in the city of Ketchum, Idaho, will need to start following the National Green Building Standard, developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council, according to an article in the Idaho Mountain Express.

The Ketchum City Council approved the adoption of the NAHB’s Green Building Standard, with some modifications, on May 7. The council identified implementation of a green building code as a priority two years ago and has been studying the issue ever since. There was a lack of protest from the building community, according to the news report, as energy-efficient homes have been selling quickly.

The new green building code requires dwelling units to have a certain number of energy-efficient and sustainable features. Builders and architects may get to that number by a "prescriptive" path or through a "performance" path, which allows them more flexibility, as long as the project passes certain benchmarks.