Real LI

Many of the industry pros visiting the IBS event in Orlando believe that the NAHB's new Green Building Program will put added pressure on builders and contractors to perform.

In the past, most new home buyers seemed more concerned with ammenities, such as countertops and flooring, than energy efficiency.

But it's been slowing turning, says John Barrows of J. Barrows Inc., an East Hampton remodeler builder. Barrows, a green-building instructor in Orlando, says more and more new home-buyers are concerned with the energy performance of their home. He says it's about consumers being more educated.

Most contractors seem to believe that as green building becomes the norm, it will be up to them to bear more responsibility. "Our competition is the resale home," says Tony Panza of Turtle Pond Builders, a Southampton custom-home builder. "To beat the competition, we have to offer green and energy efficiency."

Builders who turn out green products will have a distinct advantage, he says. Prospective home buyers will expect new structures to be more eco-friendly, use less energy and be better insulated. Those old standbys, wood floors, vaulted ceilings and custom kitchens, will be secondary