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.

Attendees can register online until Friday, April 22.

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.

Green will also be an increasingly significant factor in the valuations of new homes, as the appraisal and banking industries begin to realize its market advantage, they say.

More than a fifth of all homes built in 2010 earned Energy Star certification from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the EPA, while the number of commercial buildings certified increased by 60% over the previous year.

The number of single-family homes certified to the National Green Building Standard has topped 2,000. And production builders are increasingly changing their building practices to focus on sustainability, according to the Calvert Asset Management Company.

“Our survey of the 10 largest publicly traded U.S. home builders finds an evolving landscape,” said Calvert sustainability analyst Rebecca Henson. “Whereas two years ago the industry had not yet begun to embrace sustainability as a core part of building design and construction, companies today have taken many meaningful steps toward developing greener and cleaner homes.”

This year’s Green Building Conference will focus on an issue of primary importance for builders and developers — how to maximize the sales potential of green building upgrades and emphasize their value to consumers in a marketplace expected to be cost-conscious yet especially responsive to products and technologies that will improve the performance, comfort and health and safety of their homes.

“Green building creates value in so many ways,” said Doug Calvert, a builder from Gainesville, Ga., and chair of the National Green Building Conference & Expo Working Group. “This year’s conference will help housing industry professionals explain that value to home buyers, policy makers, appraisers, financiers and others whose decisions will shape the market.”

This year’s conference has been organized to provide beginning and veteran green builders alike with the resources they need to rejuvenate their businesses at a critical juncture for the housing industry. For information on the National Green Building Conference & Expo, click here.

The conference opens on May 1 with the Green Building & Technology Tour sponsored by Lutron, which will show conference attendees the latest applications of green building techniques in homes and community development.

Lowe’s Commercial Services, Wells Fargo and Whirlpool are the corporate sponsors of the conference. GE ecomagination is the sponsor of the opening keynote session, featuring Mike Holmes of HGTV’s “Holmes on Homes,” which takes place at 9:00-10:15 a.m. on May 2. (For a related NBN story, click here.)

In a keynote general session on May 3 at 10:30 a.m.-noon, social media guru Amber MacArthur will discuss how builders, remodelers and others in the housing industry can improve their use of social media to sell their products and services.

Another highlight of the conference is the Green Building Awards program sponsored by Bosch Appliances and Mohawk Industries, which takes place the evening of May 2 at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center. Winners of the awards set the standard for sustainability in residential construction.  

For more information about the conference, email Chad Riedy, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8225.

  'National Green Building Standard’ Available at BuilderBooks.com

“The National Green Building Standard,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides “green” practices that can be incorporated into multifamily and single-family new home construction, home remodeling and additions and site development.

The standard covers lot design, resource, energy and water efficiency; indoor environment quality; and owner education.

Currently the first and only ANSI-approved green building rating system, the National Green Building Standard is the benchmark for green homes.

To view or purchase this publication online, click here.

'National Green Building Standard Commentary' Available at BuilderBooks.com

The "National Green Building Standard Commentary," available through BuilderBooks.com and a companion to the ANSI approved "National Green Building Standard," that provides valuable insight to the intention and implementations of the practices and provisions found in the green building standard.

The "Commentary" is a useful resource for any designer or builder using the ICC 700-2008 as a rating system for developing or renovating residential properties of all types to reduce their relative impact.

To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.

More Than 5,400 People Have Earned Their Certified Green Professional (CGP) Designation

The Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation teaches builders, remodelers and other industry professionals techniques for incorporating green building principles into homes using cost-effective and affordable options.

Earning the CGP demonstrates to clients and peers your commitment to the best and latest in green building practices and techniques. More than 5,400 people have earned the CGP designation to date.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org/CGPinfo.

'Build Green and Save’ Available at BuilderBooks.com

“Build Green and Save: Protecting the Earth and Your Bottom Line,” available through BuilderBooks.com, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference that shows builders how to identify and select green building materials; implement green construction techniques; explain the benefits of green housing and offer affordable green building solutions to consumers; and use resources wisely and reduce water and energy consumption.

To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.

For answers to questions about National Green Building Certification by the NAHB Research Center, certification to the standard or the guideline sunset, complete and submit the Contact Us form on the NAHBGreen website.