Builders who are including green features in their homes and are able to provide their customers with energy savings are in a prime competitive position in the housing marketplace that is emerging from the sharp downturn of recent years, according to participants in the upcoming 2011 National Green Building Conference & Expo, which will take place on May 1-3 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

The green building market is expected to double in the next two years and the tide has turned for energy-efficient, sustainable construction, according to financial analysts specializing in the home building industry. Read More

Mike Holmes, host of “Holmes on Homes” and “Holmes Inspection” on HGTV, and social media expert Amber MacArthur will be the keynote speakers at the National Green Building Conference and Expo in Salt Lake City.

Holmes is the keynote speaker for the opening session on May 2 at 9:00 a.m. at the Salt Palace Convention Center, where the conference is taking place.... Read More

One of the most popular features of the National Green Building Conference & Expo, the Green Building & Technology Tour takes place on May 1, the first day of this year’s conference, and will include stops in Salt Lake City and the new mountain resort town of Park City at several new homes, a remodeled home and an award-winning sustainable development.

“There is simply no better way to improve your business than to walk through high-performance homes to learn what leading builders and remodelers are doing to build a great product,” said NAHB Immediate Past Chairman Bob Jones.

“This once-a-year tour offers conference attendees the opportunity to see what their colleagues in the industry are doing and to gain insights they can use to enhance their own building practices,” he said.... Read More

As NAHB volunteers and staff prepare for the National Green Building Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City on May 1-3, the green building industry finds itself at a crossroads.

On the one hand, interest in third-party green certification programs for homes continues to climb, with nearly 2,200 projects certified to the National Green Building Standard as of last week, according to the NAHB Research Center, which administers the verification and certification program.

Program growth is especially noticeable among production homes and in multifamily projects, said Michelle Desiderio, director of green building programs at the Research Center.

On the other hand, the housing industry is still struggling with appraisal issues, and those issues are compounded in many markets when builders go green. Many banks and appraisal officers don’t know how to accurately valuate green construction or say there aren’t enough comparables to reflect a green home’s potentially higher value.... Read More

At a time when the remodeling industry is beginning to recover from its downturn and veer in some new directions, the National Green Building Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City on May 1-3 provides a great opportunity for remodelers to explore the potential of greening their business.

With energy costs on the rise and consumers becoming increasingly aware of the need to conserve resources, green remodeling can provide business opportunities for enterprising remodelers ranging from insulation upgrades to whole-house remodeling projects. ... Read More

Among the many great reasons to attend the National Green Building Conference & Expo May 1-3 in Salt Lake City — networking opportunities, the latest in green technology, the tour of green homes and developments — one of the best is education.

The conference’s educational sessions will help attendees learn more on just about every aspect of green building, including how to make green cost-effective and how to sell green to home buyers.... Read More

A Power Hour session at the National Green Building Conference & Expo entitled “How Builders & ESCs Create Value Through Green Home Technology” will look at how builders and remodelers can work with electronic systems contractors to create value through effective use of home technology.

The session is on Monday, May 2, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, where the conference is taking place.... Read More

This year’s National Green Building Conference & Expo will see the debut of the Master Certified Green (MCG) professional educational designation — the new standard for home builders and remodelers experienced in sustainable construction techniques, project management and building science.

The courses leading to the designation are being offered as part of the pre-conference education program.... Read More

Founded by the Church of Latter Day Saints in the mid-19th century as the capital of the State of Deseret, Salt Lake City today is a tourist destination — home to excellent restaurants, theater and shopping as well as a starting point for outdoor adventurers.

National Green Building Conference attendees won’t find the sidewalks rolled up at night. The city’s restaurants are beginning to get national recognition, including Takashi  for Asian fare and excellent sushi, the Middle Eastern-themed Mazza, the Mexican Red Iguana 2 and The Copper Onion for American cooking.

After dinner, popular nightspots include the Brewvies Cinema Pub, Gallivan Center, Beer Hive Pub, Desert Edge Brewery and The Red Door. ... Read More

Exhibitors at the National Green Building Conference and Expo in Salt Lake City on May 1-3 will be showcasing the latest and most innovative green and energy-efficient products and services.

Here are just some of the many exciting green innovations for building professionals that will be on display:

Appliances

• ACT D'MAND Systems (Booth 522) has introduced the only DUEL PORT Expansion Tank that is "self-cleaning" and is IAPMO NSF/ANSI 61 approved.

Building Accessories

• Bayer MaterialScience (Booth 314) will highlight the ability of its High Performance Residential Program with Bayseal spray foam insulation to form a complete energy-efficient home envelope.
  
  
• EFI (Booth 423) is now carrying Delta ultra-quiet bath exhaust fans. With their low sone ratings, low energy use, DC motors and rating for continuous operation, these are a great new addition to the residential ventilation product category.... Read More

By Rick Fletcher, MBK Homes

Green amenities don’t have the appeal of traditional luxury amenities yet.

Yes, home buyers seem happy to have environmentally friendly homes, but when the recycled rubber hits the road, they put their money toward what they perceive to be their best value — and toward what they believe will improve their quality of life.

This is especially true in today’s difficult housing market where funds are at a premium and buyers want as much for their money as they can get.... Read More

The following is reprinted from the Summer 2008 issue of 50+ Housing Magazine.

When Peter Pfeiffer first began designing green homes in 1987, some members of the building and development community probably assumed he was talking about paint color. These days, green construction has moved from being associated with environmental activism to an approach that is valued — and adopted — by a broad base of consumers. Pfeiffer, along with Alan Keith Barley and the other associates at Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, their Austin, Texas, architectural firm, has spent the past 20 years designing green and sustainable residential and commercial structures — and winning awards for doing it right.

Many of the people who, in the 1970s, were headed back to the land with Whole Earth Catalogs in their backpacks are now thinking about a retirement home or a second home that lets them feel good about their significantly reduced impact on the environment. 50+ Housing Magazine interviewed Pfeiffer to find out more about his experience designing green homes for 50+ clients.... Read More

The NAHB Research Center recently announced appointments to the consensus committee for the next version (2012) of the National Green Building Standard.

The standard is being developed by NAHB, in cooperation with the International Code Council (ICC). The Research Center, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards developer, is serving as the secretariat, or administrator, of the ANSI-approved standard development process.... Read More