Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building resource that has certified more than 12,000 homes, says home owners will see seven green building trends in the year ahead:

Urban density

With empty-nesters and young people flocking to cities, builders will take advantage of unused spaces in cities to construct accessory dwelling units, laneway homes (bordering the back lane behind the main house), and to build on infill lots.

Smart grid-compatible high-performance appliances

More home owners will purchase “grid-aware” appliances that “talk” to the utility company’s smart grid to find out when electricity is cheapest, help reduce energy consumption, and allow you to remotely control the washing machine. Too bad you can’t tell it to fold the laundry, too.

Consumer friendly home energy-tracking devices

Look for more sensor-based energy and water monitoring products that let you track your home’s overall energy and water use. Large electronics players like Fujitsu and Intel are developing products, among others.

Transparency in home marketing

All those sensors and smart grid tools will give home owners access to energy use information, making it easier to find out whether builders or remodelers told the truth about how much energy improvements will save on your utility bill.

Energy upgrades start to drive home remodels

Builders and remodelers will capitalize on energy upgrade work, moving into the energy audit and residential retrofit market by either expanding their service offerings or creating entirely new service groups.

More accurate appraisals

The old-school appraisal criteria based on a drive-by look at a home — view, approximate square footage — no longer holds. When you apply for a loan, you can ask your banker for a Certified Green Appraiser who can do an accurate appraisal of your green improvements.

Broader adoption of residential energy ratings for homes

States are doing energy-labeling programs that give you a miles-per-gallon style estimate of a home’s energy consumption. The Energy Performance Score and the Department of Energy’s own Home Energy Score have been rolled out in different climate zones across the U.S. to encourage home owners to compare energy use and undertake energy upgrade work.

Source: Earth Advantage Institute