Three-quarters of builders and 59 percent of consumers think that the cost of products and materials needs to go down for green homes to become more affordable, according to a survey.
The survey for Whirlpool Corporation and Habitat for Humanity by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center also found that 77 percent of consumers feel that green homes are important to them. The most cited reasons were positive effects on the environment, long-term financial savings and health benefits.
Nearly seven out of ten consumers said state and federal governments should provide incentives for purchasing green building products, but only four out of ten builders said that incentives for homeowners and builders would help promote green building.
The results were the second set published from the survey. In the last set of results, 64 percent of builders and consumers said that savings from environmental home features were sometimes worth the extra cost and effort. The finding was consistent across income levels, but only high-income respondents tended to think that green homes were more affordable to purchase.
A survey last year found that nearly 93 percent of design and construction professionals endorse green building, and 88 percent of respondents said they are more likely to include energy saving or sustainable elements in their future construction projects – a 14 percentage point increase compared to 2008.
Whirlpool Corporation donates a range and ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator to every home that the non-profit Habitat for Humanity builds. So far Whirlpool has donated more than 125,000 appliances.
Yesterday Habitat for Humanity Indonesia also announced it is creating Habitat’s first eco-tourism village of more than 420 homes and guest accommodations in the village of Soran, near the Prambanan Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built around 850 AD.
Asia Pulp & Paper is investing in the project but did not publish the amount of its investment.
The village is located near Mount Merapi, which erupted last year, killing more than 300 people. One-fifth of APP’s annual contribution will be set aside for disaster relief.
