After discussions with a wide range of stakeholders - policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners - Earth Advantage identified the following trends in green building for 2011.
The trends range from green homes becoming easily affordable to community-based energy, from smart appliances to lifecycle analysis of materials.
1. Affordable green. Many people associate green, energy-efficient homes with higher costs, but that's changing. New business models, technologies, and high performance materials are bringing green homes within reach of all homeowners.
Free or low cost energy audits are now widely available, and as homeowners become more aware of the benefits of simple, inexpensive retrofits, energy efficiency upgrades are increasingly commonplace. Through programs like Solar City's lease-to-own business model, homeowners can get solar on their roofs without an up-front payment. Habitat for Humanity builds affordable LEED and Energy Star-certified homes across the US for as little as $100,000.
2. Healthy Competition on Energy Consumption. Sharing among "friends" on Facebook and other social networking sites may soon include a healthy competition for who uses the most and least energy in exchange for rewards. Earth Aid, for example, lets you track home energy usage and earn rewards for energy savings from local vendors. You can also elect to share the information with others on Earth Aid to see who can conserve the most energy.
Coupled with developments including home energy displays, DOE's Home Energy Score pilot program, and Oregon and Washington's Energy Performance Score, a lot more people will be sharing and comparing their home energy consumption.
3. Performance-Based Energy Codes. Existing buildings are responsible for most of our energy use and associated carbon emissions, but the prescriptive energy codes used in commercial remodels don't encourage effective retrofitting. Compliance with energy codes is determined at permit time, using prescriptive or predictive models, and actual post-construction may never even be reviewed. Heating and cooling equipment could be faulty or improperly controlled, with significant energy and financial implications.
Under outcome-based energy codes, owners could pursue the retrofit strategy they decide is most effective for their building and its tenants, but they would be required to achieve a pre-negotiated performance target through mandatory annual reporting. The City of Seattle and the New Building Institute have teamed up with the National Trusts' Preservation Green Lab to pioneer a framework for just such a code, for both new and existing buildings.
4. Community Renewable Energy. Neighbors will increasingly band together to get lower prices on solar installations and literally share renewable energy systems. Buying solar as group reduces the cost by 15-25%; investing in a neighbor's solar system allows people to benefit from solar even if they can't put it on their own roof because of shading, the age of their roof etc. Guide to Community Solar.
5. Smart Appliances. Through the use of smart meters, homeowners will get feedback on their energy use, allowing them to conserve during expensive peak hours, and to see in real time how much energy each appliance consumes. Manufacturers are introducing "grid-aware" appliances that have sophisticated energy management capabilities and timers, enabling the homeowner to gain control over their use.
