Building green helps builders make it through tough times:
In most markets, being viewed as a green builder is a significant, positive competitive differentiator. In other markets, its mandatory.
In a move believed to be a first in the country, the Home Builders Association of Northern California today will ask the region's 101 cities and nine counties to impose green building standards that would reduce energy usage by 15 percent for every home built in the Bay Area.

It's not just about the planet. With home sales sinking to historic lows, many builders have discovered that especially in the environmentally conscious Bay Area, green sells.

"While people are clamoring about finding more supply, what we really need to do is reduce our demand for energy. One way to do that is build efficient structures. Architects who focus on "green" building can create savings of about 30% to 50% for the end user. "
--Clark Howard, consumer advocate, Atlanta GA

Building green helps builders make it through tough times:
If you are not building green, you are missing out on a major trend:
"Green home building is at a tipping point among the builder population," says Harvey Bernstein, vice president, industry analytics and alliances, at McGraw-Hill Construction. A nationwide survey of home builders conducted earlier this year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and McGraw-Hill Construction found that by 2007 a majority of home builders will be "more involved with green building," Bernstein says. In other words, what once was viewed as a novelty is becoming an industry norm.

Green building is not a fad
"This is not a fad, this is where things are going," said Joseph Perkins, president of the home builders association in California, which represents 100 publicly traded and private builders, including major developers such as KB Home, Pulte and Centex.

The costs do not have to be substantial
Buyers and builders may still be concerned that green building will ultimately raise costs. Mr. Johnston, the green building trainer, says he assures his students that, after surmounting the learning curve, “you can build a good, solid green home for less than 1 percent additional cost, once you’re familiar with the supply chain and subcontractors and know what you’re doing.” “It’s expensive,” he said, “until you learn.”
--David Johnston, the owner of What’s Working, a 15-year-old company that specializes in green building training.

It's important for the health of the planet
Buildings account for 40 percent of carbon emissions in the United States, and residential buildings are roughly half of that, said Jason Hartke, director for advocacy and public policy for the U.S. Green Building Council. Hartke. "It's extremely important that we begin to look to residential building as part of the solution to the climate issues that we face."