82 | Business World Magazine |
February 2014
Manager for Green Building Kevin Morrow
says there have been more than 24,000 hous-
ing projects which have achieved certifica-
tion since the standard was introduced, yet
more than 55,000 projects “are in the pro-
cess” of being certified.
Morrow says based on feedback the
NAHB has gleaned frommember surveys, it
anticipated that by 2016, more than a third
of new housing construction will potential-
ly conform to the NAHB’s green standard.
Morrow says builders, as well as homeown-
ers, are increasingly seeking means to better
understand the benefits of green building,
which makes sense because sustainability
has come to mean much more than it did in
years past when it was viewed as simply be-
ing environmentally friendly.
Today, Morrow says sustainability speaks
not only to eco-sensitivity, but also the way
a house performs. “Green, in terms of the
lower environmental impact, isn’t always the
goal... the goal is performance,” says Morrow.
For homeowners, improved performance has
proven to provide greater durability, greater
quality and greater economic benefits born
from lower utility costs achieved from the
conservation of energy and water. “There’s
real premium associated with a green home
versus a conventional code-compliant home,”
