To Stay Ahead in Tough Times, Get Insulation Smart
 
The only shining thing you can potentially see on the horizon of market downturn is green building and remodeling. Educating consumers to understand the benefits of green and sustainable products will help homebuilders sell the performance and economic benefits of their homes.

Green Motivation

According to a recent McGraw Hill survey, some of the leading motivators to adopt green building are - “The Right Thing to Do”, “Encouraging Sustainable Business Practices”, “Reducing Energy Consumption” and “Higher Quality Product”. Fourty percent of the builders think the down market makes it easier to market green homes – Green is a Market Differentiator.

Adding recognizable features and building with high performance building materials that increase the value of your homes by offering substantial benefits, such as energy efficiency, will definitely set you apart from the competition.

In a National Association of Realtors^® survey report, “Profile of Buyers’ Home Features Preferences 2007,” more than 90% of the home buyers said that it’s important to consider energy efficiency when buying a home. A similar NAHB study found that 64% of consumers would consider buying a green home or remodeling their home in order to reduce energy costs.

Choose between materials claiming to be green and the ones which prove their performance by offering green benefits. In selecting building insulation, for instance, insulations that are classified as an air barrier material can deliver the benefits homeowners want.  As both an insulation and air barrier material, Icynene^® minimizes air leakage and offers energy savings of up to 50%.  It also delivers a healthier and quieter indoor environment and helps minimize the environmental impact by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Educate customers

There is clearly a need to equip the consumers with more educational tools so that they can identify products that really offer energy cost savings and minimize their carbon footprints. In a poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Icynene in September 2007, it was found that more than 70% homeowners agree that when companies call a home building product green, it is usually just a marketing tactic. Yet, the poll also found that more than 37% believe that they clearly don’t understand the benefits of a product when it is advertised as green or environment-friendly.

More education will enable the consumer to understand the benefits of green and sustainable products. Building product manufacturers offer various support tools and resources to help homebuilders sell the performance and economic benefits of their homes.
 
One such tool offered by InsulationSmart.com is “The Interactive Home Insulation Tool” that helps educate the homebuyers about how insulation contributes to the overall energy and environmental performance of the homes. Insulation is often discussed in terms of ‘more is better’. Yet, in many areas of the home the type of insulation used and how it’s installed is far more important for saving on energy bills, controlling moisture and adding comfort. This tool highlights these areas of the home exploring important insulation considerations that don’t always get the attention they deserve.

For more information, visit http://www.insulationsmart.com/