NAHB Reports Demands For Efficiency

July 11, 2008

The National Association of Home Builders is seeing a major trend among remodelers: home owners want energy efficiency. According to the results of the surveys that form the NAHB's quarterly Remodeling Market Index, one third of surveyed remodelers reported that requests to improve energy efficiency have increased significantly.

According to the RMI, 56 percent of remodelers have installed a hig-efficieny HVAC system in the last three months. Even more — 73 percent — have installed more energy-efficient windows. And 65 percent have made upgrades to a home insulation. These numbers continue to grow, despite an overall trend of lower numbers of remodels mainly attributable to the current economic situation.

"Newer technologies are also quickly gaining in popularity,” said Lonny Rutherford, the chairman of NAHB Remodelers in a press release. “Thirty-five percent of remodelers reported installing tankless water heaters, which save on energy costs by heating water on demand instead of continuously eating energy.”

The NAHB is in the process of creating the National Green Building Standard, the first consensus rating system for remodeling. Demand has grown, but there is no standardization in green remodels. The new standard will help consumers plan and complete green remodels whether or not they work with an NAHB-member remodeler.