Cimarron Homes has been named a Home Innovation NGBS Green Partner of Excellence for 2015. Being one of only a handful of Home Innovation’s green certification participants to be recognized validates the commitment Cimarron Homes has made to providing its customers with increased value, comfort, durability, and efficiency through its NGBS (National Green Building Standard) Green Certified homes.

“As the home building market continues its rebound,” said Home Innovation Labs president and CEO Michael Luzier, “dedicated partners like Cimarron Homes prove that participating in our rigorous third-party certification program isn’t just a passing fad – it’s a strategic business decision that is paying dividends and changing the marketplace. Others around the industry could benefit from following the lead of this year’s Partners of Excellence and building on their success.”

Every home Cimarron has built since 2006 has been certified by a third party verifier to national green standards, with all Cimarron homes NGBS Green Certified by Home Innovation Research Labs since the this program went into effect in 2013. These certified homes include energy and resource-conserving features including advanced framing techniques to reduce the amount of building materials while maintaining the structural integrity of the home and allowing for more insulation coverage; pressure balancing true returns to properly cycle air in the home to allow for more efficiency and comfort; programmable thermostats that can be set and left for efficient performance; and tightly sealed HVAC ductwork to use less energy to heat and cool, therefore saving home owners money.

“We are very pleased to be recognized as a Home Innovation NGBS Green Partner of Excellence,” says Craig Morrison, President of Cimarron Homes. “Our Green-Certified and Energy Star-Certified homes have been well received throughout the Triangle and Triad for many years. We take great pride in building by these standards.”

To earn certification to the National Green Building Standard, a multifamily building must meet rigorous criteria in six categories – Lot & Site Development; Resource Efficiency; Energy Efficiency; Water Efficiency; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Homeowner Education. There are mandatory practices in each category that every Green Certified home or building must meet, and there are a wide range of additional optional practices in each category that a builder can select based on the applicability to buyers or renters in their market. There are also mandatory point minimums in every category in order for a building to attain the next level of certification, which is a more stringent requirement than any other national certification program.

Since January 2009, when the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) became the first residential green building rating system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Home Innovation Research Labs has certified more than 51,300 green homes, and more than 1,500 lots within green residential land developments. (For more details on current certification numbers, visit www.homeinnovation.com/ngbsgreenstats.) For more information on the NGBS or the Home Innovation certification program, visit www.homeinnovation.com/green.

ABOUT CIMARRON HOMES: Cimarron Homes is a Durham, North Carolina-based company committed to building custom and production value-packed homes that are beautiful, functional, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible. Originating in 1982, Cimarron has built over 3,000 homes throughout Durham, Orange, Chatham, and Alamance Counties. As the company continuously strives to be ecologically accountable, it has been instrumental in bringing “Green” to the mainstream. Cimarron builds each and every home meeting or exceeding the specifications of Home Innovation Research Labs’ NGBS Green Certification as well as Energy Star-Certification. Third party verifiers confirm, upon each home’s completion, that the guidelines of these programs have been met, resulting in one of the highest numbers of Green-Certified and Energy Star-Certified homes in the Triangle and Triad area, exceeding those of many other Triangle and Triad builders. Cimarron Green-Certified and Energy Star-Certified homes consume less energy and other resources, facilitate better indoor air quality, and provide a durable product requiring less maintenance. Customers not only spend less money upon purchase; they also enjoy long-term savings due to the Green/energy efficient/healthy systems included in each home.

ABOUT HOME INNOVATION RESEARCH LABS: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders, our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in residential construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the residential construction industry.

For more information on Cimarron Homes, visit www.cimarronhomes.com or call 919-880-4183.