The residential sector includes for-sale, rental and mixed-use buildings.

Before you begin to develop a green building program for this segment, learn about standards, tools and resources that target the specific segments of the residential marketplace. Builders and developers often belong to a local or regional builders association. You can find local builders associations through the National Association of Home Builders.

While our homes are more efficient today than they were 30 years ago, considerable opportunity remains for greater energy efficiency and the associated benefits. Many households could save 20 to 30 percent on their household energy bills through cost-effective household improvements, such as buying more energy-efficient products and appliances, sealing air and duct leaks, and adding insulation.

The interest in green homes is growing quickly among both consumers and builders, as shown in these surveys:

• A McGraw Hill SmartMarket report released in March 2007 found that green features were included in 2 percent of new homes built in the United States  the year before, creating a $7.4 billion market for green homes. The report forecast that green homes would account for 40 to 50 percent of residential construction by 2010.
• Professional Builder’s 2007 Green Building Survey 
• 87 percent support minimum green standards for homes. 
• 67 percent consider green building a market trend, not a fad, and believe it is important to their marketing strategy. 
• The National Association of Home Builders reported in June 2007 that its survey of local home building associations had found nearly 100,000 certified green homes built since the mid-1990s, more than a 50 percent increase from a 2004 survey.

Local governments can serve a key role in this growth by promoting green homebuilding programs and by helping industry professionals develop the knowledge and skills they need to make the changes.