Ten trends could fuel the growth of green building in 2010, according toEarth Advantage Institute, the Portland nonprofit that is the largest certifier of Earth-friendly homes in Oregon.
The trends, which range from energy "scores" for homes to Web-based displays that track energy usage in real time, were identified by Earth Advantage based on discussions with builders, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners.
"While we know the building industry had a rough year in 2009, not all of the industry has been in the doldrums," said Sean Penrith, executive director of the institute. "Green building has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster year, and Northwest design and building communities have been at the forefront."
The 2009 McGraw Hill Construction report on the Green Home Consumerindicates that green homes are more secure from price erosion.
The 10 trends identified by Earth Advantage are below. To read explanations and more detail, see the institute’s full article.
- The smart grid and connected home.
- Energy labeling for homes and office buildings.
- Building information modeling (BIM) software.
- Financial community buy-in to green building.
- "Rightsizing" of homes.
- Eco-districts.
- Water conservation.
- Carbon calculation.
- Net zero buildings.
- Sustainable building education.
