A home can be considered green when energy efficiency, water and resource conservation, the use of sustainable or recycled products, and indoor air quality considerations are incorporated into the process of home building. The increased availability of education for builders, growing consumer awareness, and the exploding market for sustainable, environmentally-friendly, and recycled building products has accelerated green building's acceptance rate and moved into the mainstream. Incentives also encourage growth.
Across the country, information, resources, and experienced professionals in green building can be hard to locate, leaving all involved wondering where to start. However, this is changing rapidly. The NAHB National Green Building Program helps to connect existing green building programs with a national network of resources, promoting the development of more local green building programs nationwide. In late 2007, there were about 60 local programs, and that number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Many of these local programs, as well as the NAHB National Green Building Program, are based on green building practices & techniques found in the ANSI approved National Green Building Standard and the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines.
Another important consideration against green building mandates is cost. Every time the price of a home goes up by $1,000, there are 240,000 potential households priced out of ownership. Affordability is a critical issue. While consumers and homeowners are very interested in building green, and do generally find green-built homes easier to maintain, more efficient, and healthier, the up-front cost can be limiting. Given that environmental concerns vary geographically, the National Green Building Standard and the NAHB Model Green Building Guidelines were designed to be flexible so builders and home buyers can focus their green efforts and investments in a regionally appropriate manner. Similarly, these documents provide building inspectors, planning and zoning officers, and other affected parties a set of criteria to prepare for green building in their specific geographic area and a way to determine the best set of locally-appropriate strategies for the production of green homes.
It's up to you, the policy makers of our communities to decide how green building fits in your market. The National Green Building Program and this site will help by providing links and resources to fully understand the issues involved with green building, so you can make informed choices and recommendations for your communities.