NGBS Green PRO Program Launches, Recognizes First Designee

Sustainability and Green Building
Published

Home Innovation Research Labs launched NGBS Green PRO — a professional designation that validates expertise in green, sustainable building design, construction and certification — in January 2022.

The program comprises four training modules, successful completion of which helps underscore an individual’s advanced understanding of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) ICC-700 and the NGBS Green certification program.

The first NGBS Green PRO to successfully complete the program is Colin Walker, sustainability manager for Grubb Properties in Cary, N.C. Every new construction project by Grubb Properties — a Home Innovation Research Labs 2019 NGBS Green Partner of Excellence — achieves green building certification, so Walker was well versed in the NGBS and its benefits prior to training.

“The standards and quality control that NGBS has brought to our projects has been invaluable,” Walker told Home Innovation Research Labs. “Our assets are performing better, and our residents appreciate the responsible design, the lower utility bills and improved indoor environmental quality. Ultimately, NGBS has helped us build more resilient buildings and communities.”

The NGBS Green certification program has been steadily growing in recent years and is nearing 350,000 certified homes. As more home owners seek sustainably built homes with water- and energy-saving features, third-party certification — and a thorough understanding of it — can provide builders a marketing edge in the residential housing market.

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 efforts 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

May 22, 2026

Local Leaders and Builders Unite to Tackle Workforce Gaps in Housing

NAHB’s state and local team earlier this year helped convene mayors, city leaders, planners and builders in Orlando as part of the America’s Housing Comeback discussion series to examine workforce development challenges.

Advocacy

May 21, 2026

NAHB Urges Congress to Advance Housing Supply Reforms

Testifying today before the House Small Business Committee on how small builders can help close the nation’s housing gap, NAHB Chairman Bill Owens said the core issue is a shortage of housing.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

May 21, 2026

Single-Family Starts Fall Amid Economic Uncertainty and Affordability Pressures

Single-family housing starts declined in April as builders faced continued economic uncertainty and affordability challenges, including higher construction costs, ongoing labor shortages and elevated financing expenses. The latest housing starts and permits data suggest that the overall construction pipeline remains uneven across regions and property types.

Economics

May 21, 2026

Housing Affordability Edges Up in First Quarter but Challenges Persist

While housing affordability remains out of reach for millions of Americans, particularly first-time and entry-level buyers, conditions have improved modestly in the last year, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).

Economics

May 20, 2026

What It Takes to Leave Parental Home

As of 2024, one in five adults aged 25-34 lives with parents or in-laws. NAHB’s analysis of the latest American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) evaluates a wide range of socioeconomic and demographic factors that shape young adults’ path to independence.