Energy Policy Statement

Resolved that the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), as a long-standing proponent of energy efficiency, maintain its commitment to research, development and implementation of cost-effective energy-saving products, building techniques, and financing practices for new and existing buildings.

Further resolved that NAHB:

1. Energy efficiency: Recognize that energy efficiency is in the best interest of the nation’s economy, environment, security and energy independence in the long term, and that the nation must look beyond short-term fluctuations in the cost and availability of energy in establishing energy policies and programs, and that energy-efficient design and construction of new homes, apartments, commercial and institutional buildings are also fundamental concerns of consumers and investors;
2. Energy resources: Support the environmentally sound exploration and development of all cost-effective domestic energy resources;
3. Research and development: Support public and private research efforts to develop non-polluting renewable alternative energy technologies and practices to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels;
4. Innovation: Advocate innovation in both the public and the private sectors as an effective means to provide for the nation’s energy needs, and will continue to work with government at all levels and with private industry to remove regulatory and institutional barriers to such innovation;
5. Affordability: Encourage the use of energy-efficient building products and techniques that reduce energy use and increase housing affordability; and advocate energy-efficient building practices that enhance the home’s value and repay initial costs through savings in net operating costs over a reasonable period of time;
6. Energy-efficient lending practices: Support mortgage lending policies that recognize the value of energy efficiency and that do not negatively impact the financing of new or existing homes; NAHB supports affordable financing options for energy efficient upgrades including a liberalized debt-to-income ratios and provides down payment assistance or a lower monthly mortgage payments for home buyers;
7. Home appraisals: Support appraisal practices that accurately reflect the value of investment in energy efficiency. Encourage the use of the Appraisal Institute’s Residential Green and Energy Efficient Appraisal Addendum or equivalent document from an industry-accepted organization. Also, urge the housing Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and HUD to revise the Uniform Appraisal Dataset to include information about a home’s green and energy-efficient features;
8. Education and information dissemination: Support educational efforts that explain to builders, lenders, appraisers, and consumers the concepts of cost-effective energy efficiency and the increased cost of code compliance from recent code changes; and commit to provide information to the building community concerning the performance, reliability, cost-effectiveness and safety of energy-efficient systems, methods, construction techniques, and products;
9. Voluntary energy programs: Support efforts of industry groups and government agencies, at the national, regional and states levels that promote voluntary programs to encourage energy-efficient construction practices and demonstrate added energy efficiency and provide options to upgrade existing homes and accessory structures;
10. Utility programs: Support utility-sponsored incentive programs that encourage builders to use design practices, high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, construction techniques, and products and materials that are energy conserving, reducing the need for additional generating capacity;
11. Retrofitting for energy efficiency: Support retrofit and energy audit programs that repay initial costs through savings in operating costs, over a reasonable period of time; and urge all levels of government to recognize that programs to promote weatherization of existing housing are more effective than programs that subsidize high utility payments;
12. Energy in existing homes: Urge Congress, state legislatures and local governments to work with public and private entities to develop and implement incentives that assist home owners of existing properties in reducing energy consumption to the extent that it is cost effective. Support and encourage the development of technologies, products, and methodologies that can assist in reducing energy usage in existing homes as long as they are affordable and cost-effective. Support streamlined approval processes to limit delays for these programs;
13. Federal legislation: Oppose all federal legislation that would establish a mandatory national energy code for new non-federally-owned residential construction, and oppose all federal legislation that would require, or induce, the states to adopt an energy code that has not been demonstrated to be cost-effective and that would adversely affect affordability;
14. Performance standards: Support the inclusion of cost-effective performance-based provisions within all model energy codes and standards. Any proposed changes that will reduce limitations and increase energy code compliance will be considered by NAHB; and
15. Log homes: Support the equitable treatment for log homes in energy codes.

Resolution originally adopted: 2018.7, Resolution No. 4

Committee of jurisdiction:

• Construction, Codes & Standards