When the market feels uncertain, one thing becomes very certain: project teams want proof:
- Lenders want documentation that buildings will perform
- Residents want assurance that “high-performance” actually means something measurable
- Development teams want a certification process that holds up under scrutiny
Newly released data from Home Innovation Research Labs suggests that verified green certification is rising to meet that demand. Their 2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Annual Report highlights continued growth in certified green homes and buildings, reinforcing why third-party verification is becoming less of a differentiator and more of a baseline expectation. As the report puts it, NGBS Green is “grounded in verified performance rather than aspirational checklists,” a distinction that matters even more in a cautious market than in a booming one.
Here’s what the 2025 numbers show, and what they mean for builders and developers working in the high-performance space.
What is NGBS Certification?
NGBS certification provides independent, third-party verification that a project is built to achieve high-performance targets in six key areas:
- Lot Design and Development
- Resource Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Energy Efficiency
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Operation and Maintenance
As a third-party verified certification program, NGBS also provides an extra set of eyes on site for quality control while reducing warranty claims and callbacks.
NGBS by the Numbers
The 2025 highlights point to stable NGBS momentum:
- 120,000+ homes were NGBS Green certified in 2025
- 20,000 + affordable homes certified
- 20% increase in the total number of certified homes year-over-year
North Carolina is a Top-Performing State
Here in our home state of North Carolina, we’re seeing notable activity in this year’s report:
- #3 in multifamily certification activity
- #6 in single-family certifications
As a whole, the southeast holds 5 of the top 10 multifamily states and 6 of the top 10 single-family states nationally, leading the charts as a hotbed for NGBS Green activity. That’s a strong signal that our growing region is embracing verified performance as a practical market standard where expectations for documentation and accountability continue to rise.
SEM Ranked #3 Among Top NGBS Verifier Companies
We’re also proud to share that Southern Energy Management earned #3 among the Top 10 NGBS Verifier Companies in this year’s report. In 2025, we certified 335 Single Family Homes and 25,220+ Multifamily units to the NGBS standard.
This recognition reflects what our team brings to every project:
- Consistent communication
- Reliable documentation
- A verification process that’s on pace with project timelines
- 17 years of experience as an NGBS verification partner since 2009
It also reflects the dedication of our partners who treat certification as a core part of how they build. We’re proud to work alongside 2 of the Top 10 multifamily and single-family clients featured in this year’s report. This shows what’s possible when verification and construction teams are aligned from the start.
Spotlight Partners: Showing What’s Possible for NGBS at Scale
Aerial view of solar panel system installed on the roof of NOVEL University Place in Charlotte, NC
Crescent Communities — #7 Top Multifamily Client
Crescent Communities integrates NGBS Green certification across their multifamily and build-to-rent portfolio as a core design and construction commitment. Their focus spans energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and indoor environmental quality, with the understanding that high-performance buildings deliver measurable long-term value for residents and investors alike. We’re proud to have certified over 19,099 units for Crescent Communities.
Aerial view of solar panel system installed on a Homes by Dickerson build in North Carolina.
Homes by Dickerson — #5 Top Single-Family Client
What makes Homes by Dickerson stand out is consistency: every home they build is NGBS Green Certified. Their approach includes tight building envelopes, high-efficiency systems, and intentional material strategies. The result is homes that perform well above minimum code, across the board. The report also recognizes their long-term leadership – Homes by Dickerson has built more than 2,200 NGBS Green Certified homes over a decade-plus of partnership!
Quality Assurance Is Keeping Pace With Demand
As certification activity grows, QA matters even more. The report notes the NGBS Green reviewer team averaged 241 reviews per week. We come in above average at 291 reviews per week, go team!
This is a good reminder that the program’s credibility is built on documentation and verification practices that can scale without losing consistency. For builders and developers, this matters practically: a certification backed by consistent, rigorous review is one that lenders, investors, and buyers can actually rely on.
A New NGBS on the Horizon
New program changes are coming to NGBS Green! Despite the name the ICC 700-2025 hasn’t launched, but we should have a final date soon. Once it is official, the 2025 NGBS program update will be the most significant overhaul to the National Green Building Standard since the program began in 2008. The new standard is set to keep its familiar flexible, points-based structure, but raises the bar in a few targeted areas such as energy performance, mandatory practices, and new ‘plus’ certifications, among other updates.
If you want to be among the first to learn about program updates, you can sign up for NGBS’ webinar here (plus get AIA credits while you’re at it!): Register Here →
FAQs
Why choose NGBS Green over other green building certification programs?
NGBS Green offers a practical path to verified green building certification that works well for residential and multifamily projects of all scales. Its points-based scorecard gives project teams genuine flexibility to pursue the practices that make the most sense for their building type, market, and construction methods – all while meeting a verified, consistent standard that resonates with lenders, buyers, and investors.
Certification fees are structured to be accessible without sacrificing third-party rigor, and the program’s whole-building approach covers energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and sustainable site practices. The NGBS program is also designed to complement ENERGY STAR certification, making it straightforward to pursue both within a single, streamlined process. The result is a certification that’s rigorous enough to demonstrate high-performance and practical enough to build into a repeatable construction workflow.
What incentives are available for NGBS certification?
Many states, utility providers, and local governments offer incentives for NGBS certification. Home Innovation Research Labs maintains a list of incentives here: https://www.ngbs.com/why-ngbs-green/certification-incentives
Is NGBS recognized in State Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs)?
NGBS is recognized by Housing Finance Agencies in QAPs across 30 states plus the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Here are a few highlights:
Virginia 2026 QAP: 10 points for NGBS
“(1) Any development for which the applicant agrees to obtain (i) EarthCraft Gold or higher certification; (ii) U.S. Green Building Council LEED green-building certification; (iii) National Green Building Standard Certification of Silver or higher; or (iv) meet Enterprise Green Communities Criteria prior to the issuance of an IRS Form 8609 with the proposed development’s architect certifying in the application 17 that the development’s design will meet the criteria for such certification, provided that the proposed development’s RESNET rater is registered with a provider on the authority’s approved RESNET provider list. (10 points, points in this subdivision d (1) are not cumulative)”
Utah 2026 QAP: 5 points for NGBS
In the 2026 QAP, all projects are required to earn Energy Star Certification; however, projects can earn 5 additional points for earning one of the following additional certifications: NGBS Green (Silver level), LEED (Silver level), Enterprise Green Communities, Green Globes (Three Green Globes), Passive House (PHIUS+), ENERGY STAR NextGen, or DOE Efficient New Homes.
Arizona 2026 QAP: 10 points for NGBS
The QAP awards ten competitive points for projects that earn one of the following certifications: NGBS Green (Silver or higher), Enterprise Green Communities, LEED (Silver or higher), or DOE ZERH.
Important note: Even for non-LIHTC projects, many supportive housing projects have a green building requirement with NGBS as an option such as the NC SHDP.
Please refer to this resource for more information by state: https://www.ngbs.com/why-ngbs-green/certification-incentive
Curious About NGBS?
The headline from this year’s report isn’t just that NGBS Green is growing. It’s that the market is learning to tell the difference between project teams who intend to build well and those who can prove it. The numbers highlight the shift that third-party verification of high-performance construction is rising. We’re proud to be part of that work, helping teams pursue NGBS Green certification in a way that’s practical, repeatable, and thoroughly documented so the proof is there when it matters most.
If you’re planning new projects let’s connect early. The sooner we map the path to certification, the smoother the process, and the stronger the outcome. Meet with our team for a free project review analysis to review your goals and chart a certification plan forward.
