Dealers note rising interest in green building

l/'\ neeN BUtLDING continues to create \f oppottun ities for bui ldi ng product manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, according to McGraw Hill Construction's latest report, Green Multifumily & Single Family Homes: Growth in a Recovering Market.

To take advantage of these opportunities, however, suppliers must be prepared to market products and services to both highly experienced green builders and to those just entering the green building and remodeling market.

As always, prospective homebuyers have driven the continuing demand for green construction. "Greater consumer interest in green homes has contributed to the ongoing growth, leading us to anticipate that by 2016, the green single family housing market alone will represent approximately 267o to 337o of the market," said Harvey Bernstein, v.p. of industry insights & alliances for McGraw Hill.

Over Time

According to NAHB chairman Kevin Kelly, "This new study demonstrates phenomenal growth in green building, with more builders engaging in sustainable building practices than ever before."

Other important findings for singlefamily housing include:

More than one third of those surveyed are building 60Vo of their projects green.

.73Vo of builders say that consumers will pay more for green singlefamily houses.

By 2018, 62Vo of them expect to be at this level of green activity.

. The biggest shift is in those reporting that more than 9OVo of their work is green.

The growing importance of multifamily housing was also reflected in the report, with this sector becoming "one of the most robust sectors in the general building market." However, this market has "different drivers for green and different benefits compared with the single family market. As the report advises, "understanding these differences is crucial for those seeking inroads into this sector."

According to the report,54Vo of firms building new multifamily projects are doing more than l5%o of their projects green. Though only 6Vo of multifamily builders report being dedicated to green (more than 9OVo of their projects green), l87o expect to be at that level by 2018.

"The multifamily market is driven more by cost factors such as the availability of government or utility incentives, as well as enhancing their competitive position and corporate image," said Kelly. "In contrast, the growth in the single-family market is driven more by customer demand. All are compelling reasons for the industry to engage with this continuously growing market."

By John "Buddy" Showalter, American Wood Council