Green Construction: Building a Sustainable Future

NAHB supports voluntary sustainable, high-performance new home construction and remodeling and provides resources and tools for its members that build sustainable home and communities.

Specifically, NAHB actively raises awareness for viable, credible, market-driven and voluntary green building initiatives at the federal level in both the legislative and regulatory arenas. It also assists state and local home building associations with advocacy efforts upon request.

In all of these endeavors, NAHB emphasizes that sustainable and high performance building must be voluntary. In particular, NAHB supports the recognition and use of the cost-effective, consensus-based ICC 700 2020 National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The NGBS was developed by government, environmental and industry experts with a broad range of expertise and is the only residential green building rating system approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard.

Core Principles of Green Construction

Green buildings incorporate strategies in design and construction that improve energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and minimize environmental impacts on the site; and/or are certified by a third party to the National Green Building Standard, LEED for Homes, or any other green rating system or high performance standard.

It is a practical response to a wide range of issues affecting all consumers: rising energy costs, the need to improve air quality, ensure clean water, minimize water usage and reduce overall impacts on the environment.

Green construction means:

• Energy-efficiency improvements, such as high levels of insulation, efficient HVAC systems, high-performance windows and energy-efficient appliances or lighting
• Water conservation measures, such as water-efficient appliances, water-conserving fixtures, filtration systems, and water-efficient or low-maintenance landscaping
• Resource conservation techniques, such as using high-performance engineered wood, wood alternatives, allergen-free materials, recycled building materials, sustainably harvested lumber and more durable products
• Indoor environmental quality considerations, such as effective HVAC equipment, use of formaldehyde-free finishes, and products with minimum off-gassing or low volatile organic compounds
• Site design techniques, like minimizing disruption and preserving open space
• Home owner education through orientations and manuals or operating guides

Most home builders already incorporate green building elements into their practices.

Impact of Green Construction on Sustainability

Sustainability and high performance building are important to the home building industry, consumers and the nation because it promotes lower total ownership costs through utility savings and increased durability as well as an improved indoor living environment. It also encourages environmental awareness and stewardship and more efficient use of increasingly scarce resources and helps to conserve them for future generations.

Voluntary, above-code green programs provide builders and consumers with the flexibility that they need to construct homes that are sustainable, high performing, affordable, cost-effective and appropriate to the home’s geographic location.

High-performance building can also help to address natural disasters and their effects on the entire housing stock while reducing the costs associated with natural disasters. Resilient building techniques produce buildings, landscapes and communities designed to better withstand disasters and long-term shifts resulting from climate change.

The benefits of resilient residential design strategies include minimizing risks from natural occurrences (such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires and tornados). Evidence suggests homes and multifamily buildings constructed to modern building codes — defined as any edition of the International Residential Code® or International Building Code® — experience limited to no structural damage in hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and blizzards. Most damage occurs to roofing, siding and interior contents

However, owners and tenants are often unwilling to pay for the higher construction costs often incurred to build green or increase a home’s resiliency unless it is reflected in lower insurance rates, more favorable mortgage terms, tax credits for resilient construction, or other incentives.

Green Construction and Its Role in Reducing Carbon Emissions

Approximately 13% of greenhouse gas emissions come directly from buildings because of heating, cooling and cooking needs, so even small improvements can have a notable environmental impact. Here are a few green construction options to reduce the energy usage and carbon footprint in both new and existing homes:

1. Conduct a free home energy assessment. An energy audit completed by a professional is a great first step to help benchmark where a home stands in terms of energy efficiency, and will give you a better sense of actions to take to help improve the home’s energy performance.
2. Use LED lights. Replacing existing lights with LEDs and putting lights on a timer could save hundreds of dollars in energy costs.
3. Weatherize the home. Seal any noticeable cracks, particularly around leaky doors and windows. Caulking these areas and weatherstripping can help air-seal troublesome spots. Low- or moderate-income customers may be eligible for the Weatherization Assistance Program to help offset costs.
4. Add insulation. Adding insulation to the attic, basement and walls helps keep heat inside the house and makes it more comfortable.
5. Improve windows. Even if an upgrade isn't a possibility, less expensive options such as caulking, weatherstripping and adding thicker window coverings can help control temperatures inside the home.
6. Install a programmable thermostat. Check with the local utility provider to see if it provides free or discounted programmable thermostats that will adjust the temperature automatically.
7. Check water heater settings. Lowering the temperature can reduce energy use.
8. Upgrade appliances. Check out ENERGY STAR’s website to learn more about the most energy-efficient appliances on the market.

Incorporating energy-saving actions in everyday routines, such as unplugging devices when not in use to avoid draining electricity and adjusting thermostats to match schedules and take advantage of natural heat in the home, can make an environmental impact as well.

According to the latest edition of NAHB's What Home Buyers Really Want, consumer interest for green building practices also extends to smart home technology that can decrease the environmental impact of the home, reduce energy usage and improve the indoor air quality. Such technologies include programmable thermostats, multizone HVAC systems and energy management systems.

Utilizing Eco-Friendly Building Materials

According to the latest Green SmartMarket Brief — produced in collaboration with Dodge Data & Analytics — nearly all (96%) of home builders and remodelers actively improve home building performance through at least one of the following general approaches: energy, water and materials resource efficiency, healthier indoor living environments, resiliency, green site/lot development, and providing operation and maintenance manuals for green features.

The report also notes the use of materials and resource management practices has grown among builders and remodelers in the construction industry since 2019. The two most predominant practices are minimized construction waste and use of prefabricated components. Examples of prefabricated components include panels, trusses, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and modular construction.

NAHB provides a number of resources designed to help home builders and remodelers explore green construction options, including case studies of green projects, green construction education courses, comparative overviews of different green building standards, how to discuss green construction options with consumers, and more.