On January 29th 2009, after much research and deliberation, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the National Green Building Standard, a move that could usher in a new age of builders, remodelers and developers and provide them with limitless business possibilities.

A first in this industry, this standard provides the "green" practices that can be incorporated into new homes, including high-rise multifamily buildings, home remodeling and additions, hotels and motels, and the site upon which the green homes are located.

The green practices include lot design, preparation and development; resource, energy, and water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance, and building owner education. The four threshold levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald provide builders with a means to achieve basic, entry-level green building, or achieve the highest level of sustainable "green" building that incorporates energy savings of 65 percent or higher. The Standard can be used by any builder for their individual projects, or be the basis for a local community or state green building program. 116pp.