Will Home Builders see the (GREEN) light?

Just like the North American auto industry, if Home Builders don’t realize that the consumer has changed their preference in new homes, they are in for serious troubles.

In the auto industry, the consumer wants well built, smaller, fuel efficient, hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. A vehicle with “no carbon footprint“, once sold to them, is definitely in the near-term future.

Home buyers are heading in the exact same direction! The demand has started, for smaller, fuel (heating) efficient, zero energy and zero footprint, homes. The good news for home builders, is that the technologies are available right now. Passive solar designs and active solar systems, have been around for several decades. As well, there are National standards such as LEED, which will assist builders with the construction of these homes.

With the present over-supply of new homes in many markets, expect only “green” homes to move in the near future. 

Most large home builders have demonstration homes under construction or completed. These homes, with built-in photovoltaic (PV) power, solar thermal heating for water and in-floor heating, solar air panels for preheating air exchangers, passive solar designs (orientation, heat sinks, etc.), water capture and reuse, and more… are the near term future.   Longer term, expect the demand to be for carbon neutral homes. These homes will produce more electricity than they use and they will not consume ANY fossil fuels.

The future is Green.

Similar Posts:

• Versatile Carbon Footprint Calculator at GreenTerraFirma.com
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• Home Solar Panels

Filed under: Go Green