Top Green Building Techniques Trending for 2014
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) started more than 10 years ago promoting the concept of green building to its members. By establishing the first certification program of its kind – Certified Green Builder – the NAHB has been educating builders nationwide in green building techniques. As more and more builders have become certified, especially some of the top builders in St. Tammany Parish who build homes at Bedico Creek Preserve, green building techniques have been trending strongly in all new homes built in Southeast Louisiana in the past 6-7 years. Specifically, in Bedico Creek Preserve, in Madisonville, Louisiana Ron Lee Homes and Conbeth Development are both Certified Green Builders on the northshore in St. Tammany Parish.
In addition to new home builders getting certified in green building, remodelers are also using green building techniques to sell their jobs to those clients who are environmentally concerned. The National Association of Home builders took a survey of those remodelers and found the following survey results as compared to the same survey given three years ago in 2011.
- 70% of Remodelers in 2014 Used Programmable Thermostats – Up From 42% in 2011
62% of Remodelers in 2014 Used Ceiling Fans – Up From 37% in 2011
The McGraw Hill Construction Green Building Study in conjunction with NAHB predicts that over the next 5 years an increase of 50% of remodelers will be constructing 60% of their projects with green techniques. That figure is double what is being done now by remodelers.
Green techniques can include a variety of parts on a home because there are plenty of home components to maximize the energy efficiency and savings. Below is a list of the most popular green techniques used by remodelers.
The Most Popular Green Building Features in the Survey of Residential Remodelers in the First Quarter of 2014:
- High performance windows including Low-E and Argon gas windows
- High efficiency HVAC systems
- Programmable thermostats
- ENERGY STAR appliances
Other popular features include ceiling fans, moisture control products such as bathroom fans, water conserving fixtures and high performance insulation.
Green features can be a little more expensive than standard features, but many homeowners are now looking to save in the long run on monthly energy bills which can run almost triple when using standard building features.
