NAHB Green Builders Recognized in National Awards Program

Sustainability and Green Building
Published

With more than 1,500 homes certified through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program in the first half of 2020 alone, the voluntary, independently verified green program is on track to double its number of certifications this year. ZERH recognizes builders for their efforts to increase energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality (IAQ) and prepare homes for renewable energy. Since 2013, DOE has been recognizing leaders building zero-energy ready, energy-efficient homes — which have a goal of producing as much energy as they consume — with the Housing Innovation Awards.

Awardees will be recognized virtually this year during EEBA's High Performance Home Summit, Sept. 29-Oct. 9; Grand Winners in each category will be announced at the virtual conference. To qualify for the awards, builders must have homes that are certified under the ZERH program, and meet selection criteria for performance metrics, land development, design, quality construction, consumer education and more.

Robust requirements for each housing type allow leaders in the field to be acknowledged for their work in delivering energy savings, comfort, health and durability in their homes. Because housing affordability is top of mind for the industry, the Housing Innovation Awards also highlight builders who construct homes that are competitively priced with market-rate homes in addition to high-performance features and strategies. Many NAHB members have risen to the top in various categories and are being recognized in this year's awards.

NAHB members in each category include:

Attached Homes

Custom Homes for Buyer (> 3,000 square feet)

Custom Homes for Buyer (< 3,000 square feet)

Custom Homes on Spec

Production Homes

For the full list of winners, take a look at DOE's press release on the 2020 awards. Congratulations to all NAHB members who were recognized this year in this exciting award program.

To learn more about why voluntary green certification programs such as ZERH and the National Green Building Standard bring value to builders, visit NAHB's Sustainability & Green Building page.

And for more information about NAHB's sustainable and green building programs, contact Program Manager Anna Stern. To stay current on the high-performance residential building sector with tips on water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and other building science strategies, follow NAHB’s Sustainability and Green Building team on Twitter.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Advocacy

Nov 12, 2025

NAHB Urges House to Pass Senate Bill Reopening the Government

NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes issued the following statement after the Senate approved legislation that would fund the government and the National Flood Insurance Program through Jan. 30, 2026.

Construction Costs | Material Costs

Nov 11, 2025

Trade Data: State-Level Analysis of Canadian Softwood Lumber

In 2024, Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S. totaled $5.1 billion, accounting for approximately 74% of the total value of softwood lumber imports. But where in the U.S. are these imports headed?

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Nov 12, 2025

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Applications Rise

All types of mortgage activity rose on a year-over-year basis in October, supported by recent declines in interest rates. Notably, adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) applications more than doubled from a year ago, and refinancing activity continued to strengthen.

Economics

Nov 12, 2025

Employment Loss and Post-COVID Recovery Across U.S. Metro Areas

In April 2020, total payroll employment in the United States fell by an unprecedented 20.5 million, following a loss of 1.4 million in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the economy to a sudden halt. The unemployment rate surged by 10.4 percentage points to 14.8% in April. It was the highest rate effectively since the Great Depression.

Economics

Nov 11, 2025

Credit Card and Auto Loan Balances Continue to Slow

Overall consumer credit continued to rise for the third quarter of 2025, but the pace of growth remains slow. Student loan balances continue to rise as well, slowly returning to pre-COVID growth.