A Green Building Materials report by The Freedonia Group is predicting that the US will see an 11 per cent rise in building products sales annually through to 2017, mostly due to a rise in demand for sustainable products.
Rupert Posner, the newly appointed CEO of Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) said that the trend in the US is likely to be mirrored in Australia especially with the increasing popularity of environmentally sustainable certified products.
"I think you would see a similar result in Australia - there's increased demand from customers."
"We're seeing an increase in companies who want to be certified and the demand is coming more from architects, specifiers and clients," said Posner.
Posner added that the demand from architects is partly due to a desire to increase their green star rating and to do that, verifiable products recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia need to be used. Posner also said there is a need for building products to be independently verified to help consumers make informed decisions about the validity of the claims made my companies.
The US report said that the areas where homeowners and builders are making greener choices is with the installation of ENERGY STAR-certified windows and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to lower energy costs and reduce energy consumption, and WATERSENSE-compliant plumbing products to reduce water use.
The report also found that there should be a growth in residential construction with the increase demand for products such as carpeting, gypsum board, concrete, and metal building products, while products that contribute to the earning of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification will see an additional boost.
"Over the forecast period, builders and architects will increasingly opt to earn high levels of LEED certification by specifying the use of materials that earn LEED points. Residential HVAC systems, concrete made with fly ash, and lumber harvested in a sustainable manner can all contribute to LEED certification, and all are forecast to see above-average gains in demand."
Solar products also saw a surge in sales 2002 - 2012 which is expected to continue along with recycled concrete and permeable pavement.
