Green on the Upswing as Eco-Friendly Home Building Goes Mainstream

Green buildings accounted for only 2 percent of the new-home market in 2005 but have grown to 23 percent as of last year, according to McGraw Hill Construction. Even conventional home building is becoming greener with the increasing use of energy-efficient appliances. Green builders range from those incorporating a few green ideas to those who are getting projects certified by third parties such as the U.S. Green Building Council. For example, Baldwin Homes did not build green homes at first, but is now building an entire green neighborhood of National Green Building Standard-certified homes in coastal Maryland. The builder plans to leave as many trees as possible on the land, build well-insulated homes with better indoor air quality, use reflective windows on south-facing walls, and reclaim old building materials. “Green home building is not just about the products that you’re putting in the home,” says Baldwin Homes president Mike Baldwin. “It’s embracing every aspect of building a home, from the site on.” The model home showcases more than 60 green features, and was built as a fundraiser for Hospice of the Chesapeake and Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic. In an effort to help manage stormwater runoff, developers of another Baltimore area project built the Townes at Marshall Green, a five-townhouse development in South Baltimore, with green roofs. | Read More