| Who is defining “Green” anyway? What do home builders and home buyers really think about “green”? And how do they perceive its effect on their lives and the environment? A recent survey conducted by Professional Builder magazine attempts to answer these multi-faceted questions. Getting a Handle on Green
Builders can't build green until they understand what green is. To know what they think about green, the survey asked the builders - "How does your company define green?" 46% of respondents said that a green home is one that meets criteria established by a national certification program; 41% think it's a matter of using a certain percentage of green building materials; and 29% said the home should meet criteria established by a local green building program (responses overlapped).
Defining Green Materials and How Much To Use |
Further down the list were whether the product was locally produced, the manufacturer's environmental policies and the number of points awarded by the USGBC's LEED Program.
41% respondents said green should be determined by the percentage of green material used in the home, out of which, 44% think that percentage should be between 11 and 30% ; 29% think it should be between 31 and 50%; and 24% think it should be above 50%.
Other Green Perceptions
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- For 81% of respondents, environmental goals are extremely or somewhat important when planning a new residential development.
- 72% of those who build one to ten homes a year feel that “green” is extremely or somewhat important for their market strategy.
- Of builders who said green building is extremely important to their market strategy; 40% said green has moderately improved sales, 32% said it has increased traffic, 21% said it has closed sales that otherwise would have been lost, and 11% said sales have dramatically improved.
- A whopping 92% of builders believe green building increases the overall cost of a home. Of this group, the largest percentage, 38% said - it increases the cost by 6 to 10%. No one in this group thought green building increased the cost of a home by more than 20%.
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| The Elements of Green: Energy Efficiency is the Market Driver What green features do builders think are important to their customers? - Energy Efficiency was somewhat or extremely important to 97% of their buyers; indoor air quality was selected by 83%; sustainability by 56%; and resource conservation by 54%.
Saving the Environment While Saving Energy and Improving Indoor Air Quality
The survey reveals many reasons why green products such as Icynene® are becoming an insulation of choice for builders and remodelers.
Icynene® is 100% water-blown, contains no formaldehyde, CFCs, HCFCs, PBDEs that can off gas into the indoor environment. Dual performing Icynene® insulation and air barrier material helps create tighter houses that consume up to 50% less energy than conventionally-insulated houses.
Icynene® helps homes meet the requirements of green programs such as the USGBC's LEED®, American Lung Association's 'Health House' program, EarthCraft House™, and many more. Learn more about how Icynene® delivers high-performance green buildings by visiting ALA ‘HEALTH HOUSE' - Promoting Tighter Building For Better Indoor Air.
Hannigan Homes built The New American Home for 2006, which is really the center piece of the International Builders Show for the National Association of Home Builders. This was also the first designated certified, green-built home in the whole program of The New American Home. “Icynene® is a great product. It is an expandable foam application, which goes into the exterior cavities of the walls and up in the rafters, in the attic. It fills every single little crevice in there as it expands. It embodies and embellishes all the aspects of green building. No question in my mind, it is the most innovative insulation product to come along in a long, long time,” says Alex Hannigan, President of Hannigan Homes.
Icynene® helps create efficient building envelopes, a healthy living environment and improve thermal comfort – all of which are integral components of green building and design.
To contact an Icynene Licensed Dealer in your area click here.
Source: Professional Builder's 2007 Green Building Survey |
