NAHB Remodelers Talk Green with National Association of Realtors®
NAHB Remodelers were invited to participate in the 2008 Land Use Property Rights and Environment Forum at the Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo of the National Association of Realtors® in Washington, D. C., on May 13.
NAHBR Vice Chairman Greg Miedema, CGR, CAPS, GMB, of Dakota Builders in Tucson, Ariz., represented NAHB Remodelers on the panel along side David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy; Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy; and Doug Gatlin, Vice-President of the U.S. Green Building Council.
The green movement was the topic of the day, with attendees looking to the panel for confirmation that green was here to stay and not a passing trend. All the speakers echoed the staying power of green, with Rodgers emphasizing the new partnership between, the Department of Energy and the National Association of Realtors® to reduce the energy consumption of existing homes.
Rodgers commented on the importance of energy efficiency when searching for a new home: “46% said it is very important, while another 46% consider it somewhat important” and that 90% of potential home buyers “would be willing to pay $5,000 more for a house that would use less energy and protect the earth.”
Miedema emphasiezed that the NAHB Green Building Standard is designed to “allow any builder and remodeler, anywhere to design, build, verify and certify green homes” and includes “voluntary, cost effective, and flexible solutions.”
Looking at the statistics, Miedema noted that there are 125 million single family homes in the United States, with another only 1 to 2 million added each year, making remodeling of existing homes the area for the largest potential impact of increasing energy efficiency and “going green.”
Remodeling work naturally fits the purpose of green by reusing and recycling building materials. Additionally, an NAHB survey found 85% of remoodelers use low-emmisivity windows, 68% install insulated exterior doors, and 65% upgrade exisiting insulation.
More than 75% of surveyed remodelers already use building techniques to conserve lumber and 65% incorporate recycled or recyclable materials in their projects.
Consumer demand is on the rise with 72% reporting energy efficient features would influence purchasing decisions. Other strong factors included: better insulated and sealed homes (66%), ease of maintenance (54%), high quality appliances and fixtures (54%), and environmentally friendly features (39%).
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