BUILDER NEWS NAHB NEWS Report: More Homebuilders Turn To Green Construction I t’s been well-documented that green homes can command a higher price-point, but efforts to green the construction space go far beyond residential. From heavy industry to commercial offices, the desire to operate more efficiently is one factor driving renewable energy production. That’s helping construction, too. Energy-related projects accounted for more than 2 million construction jobs in 2016, or roughly a third of the entire construction workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That number only stands to increase as more such projects come online, particularly in the renewable energy space. Adding to that push is a growing interest from cities aiming to cut their carbon footprints. Chicago, which now houses the most green office space in the country, earlier this year announced plans to transition 900city owned buildings to completely renewable energy by 2025. Aspen, CO, Burlington, VT, and San Francisco have all recently made similar pushes. In September, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took aim at the city’s biggest and mostpolluting buildings by proposing an efficiency program to counteract their negative environmental impact. Barring regulations, more property owners are voluntarily turning to energy efficiency, prompting AEC professionals strive to meet that demand. Renewable power source installation reached a record-high 138.5 gigawatts of capacity added globally in 2016. That figure nearly equals the total energy capacity of the world’s 16 largest power plants. 55+ Housing Builders and Developers Stay Confident in Third Quarter B uilder confidence in the singlefamily 55+ housing market continued to be positive in the third quarter of 2017, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. While the index measuring builder confidence in the single-family 55+ market dropped from a reading of 66 in the second quarter to 59 this quarter, it’s the 14th quarter in a row in which the reading was above 50, the break-even point at which more respondents see conditions as good than poor. Read More BEAUTY. ELEGANCE. STRENGTH. Our Aluminum Doors Will Surprise You. Ed’s Garage Doors offers a broad selection of aluminum doors that are the perfect complement to your home. Visit our showroom to see many exclusive aluminum doors on display, and talk with a design expert about our countless in-stock and custom options. Showroom Hours: Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Evenings: By appointment Sunday: Closed 136 Water Street, Norwalk, CT 06854 203-847-1284 edsgaragedoors.com ® 30 HBRA of Fairfield County | NOVEMBER 2017
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