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

Economics

Apr 09, 2026

Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the first quarter, posting a reading of 62. While this reading is down two points from the previous quarter, it is still solidly in positive territory.

Leadership Meetings | Board of Directors

Apr 08, 2026

Watch Livestream of Virtual Spring Board of Directors Meeting

The NAHB Board of Directors will convene virtually on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m. ET. A livestream is available on nahb.org for NAHB members and HBA executive officers who would like to observe the meeting.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Apr 09, 2026

Remodeling Market Sentiment Edges Down but Remains Positive in First Quarter

In the first quarter of 2026, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 62, down two points compared to the previous quarter. Despite this decline, the overall reading has been solidly in positive territory since Q1 2020.

Economics

Apr 08, 2026

Remodelers Saw Profit Margin Gains in 2024

Profitability for residential remodelers reached its highest level in more than two decades in 2024. Industry-wide profit benchmarks are important because they allow companies to evaluate their financial performance in context with the industry.

Economics

Apr 07, 2026

Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage Activity

Mortgage application activity decreased month-over-month as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 4.3% from February on a seasonally adjusted basis but remained 30.8% higher than a year earlier.