Waterless Co., Inc.'s support for the Home Innovation Research Labs (HIREL) highlights our commitment to advancing water efficiency in both commercial facilities and the single-family home construction industry.
Their research into cost-effective building methods and the promotion of sustainable practices such as water efficiency reflects a forward-thinking approach to environmental performance and quality home construction.
One of their programs, which we are specifically proud to support, is their Water Efficiency Certification Program for 2020.
Referred to as the Water Rating Index or WRI, newly constructed single-family homes can earn this certification if they demonstrate compliance with water efficiency standards and criteria developed by HIREL.
Unlike other certification programs that consider water efficiency as just one part of their total property evaluation, WRI stands out as one of the few that focuses solely on water efficiency.
Here's how it works.
Once a newly constructed single-family home is built, a WRI Verifier evaluates the home's water efficiency. Once assessed, the house receives a score between 0 and 100, with 0 being the best score. A score of 70 or lower is a passing grade for certification. The average score is 64.
The score is based on the property's total indoor and outdoor water use. It compares it to other homes of the same size and basic configuration, which are not built to be water efficient.
According to the Home Innovation Research Labs website, builders who build homes that have earned WRI certification report many benefits, including:
Predictability: Builders and developers can easily communicate and predict a property's overall expected water consumption under typical conditions to investors, local officials, and prospective buyers or renters with a certified WRI score.
Funding: Increasingly, investors who fund building construction projects, both commercial and residential, are focused on sustainability factors. They view a more sustainable home as a better-built home.
Relative Efficiency: Based on the WRI score, Investors and lenders can measure the relative water efficiency of properties they underwrite, aligning with their own environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
Compliance: The passing score of 70 or lower can be used for compliance with certification paths under the 2020 National Green Building Standard (NGBS). This means the home may be able to earn other valuable certifications.
WRI certification is a comprehensive tool that informs investors, consumers, and, most specifically, purchasers about the home's water usage, related water costs, and the amount of water they are saving compared to a comparable home that is not WRI-certified.
This transparency empowers them to make informed purchasing decisions and feel more confident in choosing a water-efficient home.
WRI-certified homes are at least 30 percent more water efficient than conventional homes. This can also increase the home's value because it tells purchasers more time, effort, and advanced technology was employed to build the house, which often transcends to other aspects in the ways the home was constructed.
Our enthusiasm for the Water Efficiency Certification Program and HIREL stems from the fact that these initiatives benefit everyone and encourage other builders to construct more water-efficient homes.
This, in turn, contributes to our collective goal of becoming more water efficient, a mission that Waterless Co. has been committed to since its inception.
-Klaus
CEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating CostsCEO & Founder at Waterless Co Inc | Thought Leader and Influencer | Helping Facilities Use Water More Efficiently, Reduce Water Consumption, and Lower Operating Costs
