The NAHB Research Center recently recognized 40 of its green certification partners for their outstanding contributions to advancing green building in their communities and commitment to voluntary, market-driven, third-party certification of high-performance homes. The Research Center’s 2011 Green Partners of the Year include 21 residential building companies, 12 accredited verifiers, and seven program advocate organizations.

“After administering the program for three years, we felt compelled to recognize the significant commitment to green certification, innovation in building science, and leadership in the residential construction industry that our partners have displayed,” says Michael Luzier, the Research Center’s president. The 2011 recipients are:

Builders & Remodelers: Affordable Housing Management, Greensboro, N.C.; Habitat for Humanity Bay Waveland, Bay Saint Louis, Miss.; Betenbough Homes, Lubbock, Texas; CF Evans, Orangeburg, S.C.; Construction Enterprises, Porter, Ind.; Cox & Schepp, Charlotte, N.C.; G Home, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Habitat for Humanity Greater Greensboro, Greensboro; Habitat for Humanity New Castle County, Wilmington, Del.; KMW Builders, Greensboro; Homes by Dickerson, Raleigh, N.C.; M/I of Raleigh, Raleigh; Patton & Taylor, Germantown, Tenn.; Paul Allen Homes, Albuquerque, N.M.; Real America, Carmel, Ind.; Saussy-Burbank, Raleigh; Schell Brothers, Rehoboth Beach, Del.; Shugart Enterprises, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Sustainable Homes, Boerne, Texas; The Christopher Cos., Oakton, Va.; Triangle Construction, Madison, Miss.

Accredited Green Verifiers: Steve Armstrong, Greensboro; Matthew & Isaac Brazil, Santa Fe, N.M.; Mark Garner, LaPlata, Md.; Joe Gordon, Georgetown, Del.; John Hensley, Fairfax, Va.; Shelly Leonard, Matthews, N.C.; Ron Myers, Smyrna, Tenn.; Kurt Ridley, Amarillo, Texas; Brendon Roark, Virginia Beach, Va.; Chris Schwarzkopf, Valparaiso, Ind.; Drew Wallace, Columbia, Mo.; Peter Walper, Midland, Texas.

Program Advocates: Delaware State HBA, Del.; HBA of Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties, N.C.; HBA of Maryland; HBA of Raleigh-Wake County, N.C.; Indiana State HBA, Ind.; LaClede Gas, St. Louis; Southern Energy Management, Morrisville, N.C.

Since the National Green Building Standard became the first and only residential green building rating system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute in January 2009, the NAHB Research Center has certified nearly 2,600 single-family homes, over 150 multifamily buildings representing nearly 4,700 apartments, and 17 residential land developments representing close to 1,000 lots. For more information on the Standard or the Research Center’s certification program, visit www.nahbgreen.org/certification.

Learn more about markets featured in this article: Greensboro, NC.