More of the nation’s apartments and condos are going green as multifamily builders and developers respond to growing consumer interest in sustainable building practices, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

“Apartments and condos are inherently green, because they offer more compact development to begin with,” says Steve Patterson, chairman of NAHB’s Multifamily Leadership Board and an apartment and condo developer from Orlando, Fla. “With today’s heightened consumer interest in green, multifamily builders are embracing more green and recyclable products, and are more willing to invest in energy efficiency.”

While a majority of the survey respondents – 74 percent – said that buyers and renters are willing to pay more for green amenities, the median additional amount they are willing to pay is only about two percent.

In the NAHB survey, which polled multifamily builders and developers nationwide on their green building practices, 89 percent of respondents reported that they are installing energy- efficient appliances and lighting in their multifamily communities. The survey also found that:

- 79 percent are using windows with Low-E glass
- 64 percent are using recycled and recyclable products
- 50 percent are using significantly more insulation than required by the building code – a number that rises to 70 percent of West Coast respondents.

The National Association of Home Builders has submitted a voluntary Green Building Standard to the American National Standards Institute to enable builders and remodelers of single-family and multifamily residences to obtain independent, third-party certification of their green construction work.

Source: National Association of Home Builders, August 26, 2008