Energy Value Housing Award Guide: How to Build and Profit with Energy Efficiency in New Home Construction: Fid-Bau Portal

Energy Value Housing Award Guide: How to Build and Profit with Energy Efficiency in New Home Construction

C. J. Fennell / C. Soble / R. Anderson / K. Epstein / S. Hayter

Residential and commercial buildings account for about one third of all the energy used in the United States. As concern over the environment grows, builders have the potential to fulfill a market niche by building homes that use fewer resources and have lower environmental impact than conventional construction. Builders can increase their marketability and customer satisfaction and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact of their homes. However, it takes dedication to build environmentally sound homes along with a solid marketing approach to ensure that customers recognize the added value of energy and resource efficiency. In many cases, builders and trades people have to learn new techniques, identify new products, and educate customers about the benefits of energy and resource efficiency. This guide is intended for builders seeking suggestions on how to improve energy and resource efficiency in their new homes. It is a compilation of ideas and concepts for designing, building, and marketing energy- and resource-efficient homes based on the experience of recipients of the national Energy Value Housing Award (EVHA). The award recognizes builders for their voluntary efforts to incorporate energy and resource efficiency into the design, construction, and marketing of their new homes.