Green Building Trends For 2012 (PHOTOS)

From Earth Advantage Institute:

Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building resource that has certified more than 12,000 homes, announced its annual prediction of 10 green building trends to watch in 2012.

The trends, which range from a boom in certified multi-family construction to the advent of consumer friendly home energy technology, were identified by Earth Advantage Institute based on discussions with a broad range of audiences over the latter part of 2011. These sectors included policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners.

"While the economy has not been kind to most new home builders, we have seen a surging interest in home energy management and energy improvement among homeowners," said Sean Penrith, executive director, Earth Advantage Institute. "Those builders and remodelers who have adopted a transparent green message have been quite successful."

List and captions courtesy of Earth Advantage Institute.

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Comments

[bjc33]

03:31 PM on 06/08/2012

See latest article on innovations and new applications for green building including building-integrated photovoltaic solar for homes and commercial properties, highlighting market forecasts at: http://www.examiner.com/green-business-in-phoenix/brian-coppa & post your comments.

[Cynthia Chiles]

03:59 AM on 05/24/2012

We're on our way. We could get there faster if we made some adjustments but we're getting there.

NoThanksToTheHype.blogspot.com

[Celebrindan]

11:27 AM on 05/08/2012

What's missing?

What are we still doing wrong?

This-

Every workday of every week, trucks still crisscross the surface streets of the nation, and haul away millions of tons of refuse, from every single one of these nice shiny new 'clean' homes.

What we consider refuse, and what we do not, must change.

How we treat that which is not, must change.

How we change must come from how we build.

Homes can no longer be designed passively, and technologies must come online for dealing with waste differently.

[Kenz300]

11:56 AM on 05/06/2012

Google "solar windows" -- this has much promise for the future.

Imagine all those glass skyscrapers being build with solar windows or home new construction or replacement windows that generate energy.

[Kenz300]

11:48 AM on 05/06/2012

Solar panels are now being sold that are incorporated into roofing shingles. Soon windows will be made that incorporate solar generation. Incorporation of solar energy into standard building materials will bring the cost of solar down and increase adoption.

Google "solar shingles"

[Scott Howes]

06:13 PM on 04/17/2012

my web site www.isoclasses.com has Green Building Classes Video online training and wind turbine training This will help you be a leader with certified classes.

[bjc33]

02:50 PM on 04/13/2012

See recent article at: http://www.examiner.com/green-business-in-phoenix/brian-coppa on innovation in highly energy-efficient LED lighting for green building construction & retrofits. Please add your comments & subscribe for free. Houses and businesses never looked so good!

[Kenz300]

10:53 PM on 03/18/2012

My local energy provider has a web site that you can compare your homes energy use vs your closest 100 neighbors. They also put a graph in with the bill. It is interesting to see how I compare with the neighbors each month.

They also offer an energy audit with recommendations for improvement. I took them up on it and dropped my monthly bill.

[chleahy]

09:31 AM on 03/09/2012

The next generation "green home" should not only be at or approaching net zero energy, but also should be capable of being assembled by non-traditional laborers - such as the eventual homeowners like you or I. With innovative features like a patent-pending single piece and continuously insulated corner panel and rapid connecting yet very strong embedded cam-lock mechanisms, Eco-Panels (http://www.eco-panels.com) can create a significantly stronger and more energy efficient building envelope - with R values ranging from the upper 20s to into the 60s while enabling family members to erect a code compliant yet super strong and energy efficient building envelope, often in a single day. Where two walls come together is one of the weakest parts of a home and also a place where significant heat loss can occur (many homes have 20+ corners!) and in this era of increasing extreme weather (tornadoes), seismic events and rising energy costs these can actually be a liability for a homeowner. With a single piece and continuously insulated corner panel much of the complexity associated with framing and insulating a home in an energy efficient manner is eliminated. It can be challenging for even skilled building crews to bring two walls together plumb & square. A single piece corner panel can significantly increase the energy efficiency and structural strength of a home when compared to many traditional methods of construction.

[Skull splittrz good beer]

01:45 PM on 02/18/2012

Does anyone know if there is a company that specializes in constructing subterranean housing or "earth-homes" in the Virginia/Maryland area? Something like Terra-Dome in the Midwest? Apparently those things are extremely efficient in heating/cooling and highly resistant to storm damage. Plus, how cool would it be to mow your roof?

[pbr56]

02:04 PM on 02/14/2012

It amazes me that most new homes are still using stick frame construction. Products like icf's will increase the insulation value of a house by a factor of 2.

[Jack Gendry]

08:02 AM on 02/12/2012

It’s great to see that despite the current worldwide downturn in housing, people are still willing to pay more for a “green” house that has less impact on the environment, and they try to reduce their footprint by cutting down on energy consumption in many ways. I started to contribute by small things, like changing the light bulbs and using more energy saving appliances.My ultimate goal is to have my whole house built from natural materials; luckily the contemporary architecture is catching up with this trend. My absolute favourite will still be The Palms house in Venice, also featured in the lists of top green contemporary architecture . Living in LA, many people are switching to a greener lifestyle so you can see more houses like this in the rich areas. Going green can look great as well!

[special38x2]

08:35 PM on 02/26/2012

The crazy thing is that it doen't mean you have to pay more, there are so many alternatives & possibilities out there.

[TruelyFedUp]

12:25 PM on 02/10/2012

We are living on a planet with enough resources to provide for 2 billion people with the world population expected to reach 7 billion this year. What happens to the 5 billion folks that don't get a share of those resources? Well, this is what happens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdDqmQ-6DBk&list=PLFACA6CD3DC6C4687&index=9&feature=plpp_video

Are we going to change our attitudes about our standard of living so that every person on earth gets a quality of life? Or will we go on using our massive military to "protect our global supply chain" no matter how many get mad at us or get hurt? http://www.military.com/news/article/obama-strategy-protect-global-supply-chain.html

Just consider what any person contributing to this article would have to change to even begin to make a move to a better solution...

[gligon]

12:08 AM on 02/10/2012

The energy labeling/monitoring is something we should have adopted a long time ago. Not only does it give you a relative comparison of your (and your home’s) energy efficiency improvement over time, but it can also lend itself to competition among neighbors as to who can become the most efficient. If Prius drivers can compete over who drives smoother and brakes better, then why can’t these monitors give you a relative ranking among your neighbors (naming names might not work though). Great job pointing out the high potential of and need for improved green appraisal by certified realtors - yet another sector to link into the integrated green building network. The accessory dwelling units seem pretty radical, but with the changing American Dream – away from buying homes in the suburbs with large yards towards buying whatever one can afford -maybe jobless college grads or empty-nesters who can’t afford that old dream actually will flock to them. We might all have to live in such low-footprint houses in the future anyways!

[Rob Krebs]

11:24 AM on 02/07/2012

Great list! I certainly look forward to continued growth in green building trends in 2012. I would like to see a greater use of existing objective standards to measure the sustainability of a building over its entire lifecycle. Homes and offices are built to last long after construction; building sustainability takes into account the building's entire lifetime “energy footprint” including end-of-life and energy recovery. The LEED certification process should be improved to reduce administrative costs and ensure tested performance benefits, such as sustainably improved energy usage over the life of the building.

Rob Krebs
American Chemistry Council
http://www.facebook.com/greenbuildingsolutions
http://www.GreenBuildingSolutions.org