Green Homebuilder: How does the NAHB's National Green Building Program differ from similar initiatives?
Eric Borsting: It's been a very exciting two years since the NAHB National Green Building Program debuted in February 2008. Our mission is to give builders, remodelers and other members of our industry the tools they need to be the green experts in their markets. We provide education, networking opportunities, promotional support, advocacy and a host of other services. So in that sense, NAHBGreen is just a continuation of the work the Green Building Subcommittee has been doing since it first met in 1998.

What's different is the National Green Building Certification program is based on the ANSI-approved National Green Building Standard and is administered by the NAHB Research Center. We're very proud of the work that the NAHB Research Center has done to make the standard address new and remodeled homes of all sizes and styles, as well as residential land development and multifamily construction -- two arenas that the standard is now beginning to attract in significant numbers. It's allowing builders to create green homes at every price point because it's an affordable program.

GHB: What new innovative building techniques or energy-efficient products should become standard in green homebuilding?
EB: Green building is so dynamic that it's hard to know what new product will become a "must have" a few years down the road. However, it's through green building that many homebuilders are re-evaluating the construction techniques that have served them well for so many years but now need to be tweaked to reflect advances in building science, as well as -- frankly -- common sense. So we are seeing the industry paying attention to better duct sealing, moisture management and the correct installation of insulation. Once you've got that down pat, you can take a look at the new products out there and see if they can become integrated into the homes you build.

GHB: What kind of changes (if any) can we expect to see in the green building industry in the near future?
EB: I think it's important to emphasize that green should remain market-driven and not mandated. The economies of scale simply aren't there yet -- it costs more to go green,

GHB: With California leading in green laws, how or what are other states doing to include statewide green building codes and energy- and water-efficient mandates?
EB: The experiences in California, where a number of communities are beginning to back off their green mandates, again demonstrate the importance of voluntary programs. There are many shades of green, and no one program works for everyone. The National Green Building Standard is gaining traction, but there are other green programs and certification initiatives that continue to gain adherents because they are the right answer for that house in that market.

A lot of states are looking for ways to encourage, not mandate green, by offering incentives to homebuyers who certify their homes to nationally-accepted rating systems like the National Green Building Standard. We're seeing that more on the East Coast and Midwest than here on the West Coast, however.

GHB: When do you predict 100 percent of homes to be built by green standards? What percentage are we currently at?
EB: That depends on your definition of green! We build homes today that are at least 60 percent more energy efficient than the new homes of 20 years ago because of the advances in building science and code changes -- that percentage is probably even bigger in California. However, at the first NAHB National Green Building Conference in 1999, the NAHB president at that time said that soon, it wouldn't be called green building, it would be called building. I think that day is certainly closer.

GHB: What advice do you have for green builders, architects and remodelers in this economy?
EB: Get educated. Get your Certified Green Professional designation, attend conferences and sign up for webinars. Concentrate not just on your own building science education but ways to educate buyers -- as well as consumers in general and your state and local government.

Like I said at the beginning, this is an exciting, dynamic industry, and it's important to stay on top of the trends -- even if we as green building experts can be the ones saying, "It's too soon for all of us to be doing this! We need more time, more education!" Still, it's a great time to be a green builder. I'm proud of the work that NAHB has done to advance home construction as far as it is already.