More than 330,000 market-rate homes with green features were built in the United States within the past three years, according to estimates in a recent survey by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and McGraw-Hill Construction. About 60,000 of these houses are third-party certified through the LEED system or a local green building program. Moreover, those buying green homes and remodeling existing homes to be greener and healthier span all income levels and cross all demographic lines.
Homeowners surveyed said that reduced operating costs—including lower energy and water bills—were major benefits provided by their new green homes. Survey respondents cited reducing energy costs and improving air quality (42 percent) as well as increased comfort (34 percent) as reasons for remodeling their homes.
The McGraw-Hill/USGBC survey also found that:
70 percent of home buyers are either more or much more inclined to purchase a green home in a down market;
56 percent of those surveyed who bought green homes earn less than $75,000 per year;
Making homes greener is the No. 1 reason for home improvement; and
44 percent of homes renovated between 2005 and 2007 used products chosen specifically for their green attributes. The vast majority of survey respondents—more than 80 percent—believe that a green home is a better, healthier place to live, in addition to being more economical, according to the survey. The complete results of the McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report will be released in the fall.
Additionally, to test whether green homes do indeed provide a healthier living environment, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine will evaluate the impact green homes have on childhood asthma. The school will track the health of the children who will live in a LEED-certified multifamily development in the Bronx, N.Y., currently under construction.
