Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features are in high demand for new home construction, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders.

Paul Emrath, summarizing the survey results for the NAHB economics and housing policy blog Eye on Housing, says all respondents said they used at least one green building product or practice. The 337 single-family home builders who responded used an average of 10.2 different products or practices.

Ninety-five percent of respondents said they used low-e windows in their projects. This type of window, short for low emissivity, improves a home's efficiency by allowing natural light into your home while reflecting ultraviolet rays.

High efficiency HVAC systems were the next most popular item, used by 92 percent of respondents. Eighty-eight percent said their new homes include programmable thermostats, 80 percent said they use Energy Star appliances, and 78 percent said their duct systems are designed to minimize leakage.

Improvements to a home's thermal envelope, moisture control measures, and energy efficient construction techniques to minimize the use of materials were all used by 67 percent of builders. Sixty-four percent said their new homes include water conserving faucets and fixtures, while 51 percent said they use materials from regional suppliers.

Other green practices and products were used by less than half of the respondents. Forty-six percent said their homes include on-demand water heaters, while 37 percent used alternatives to traditional lumber. Other less popular items included building materials with recycled content or created from renewable resources (34 percent and 29 percent, respectively), recycling construction waste (33 percent), prefabricated components (29 percent), smart appliances (16 percent), and reused or salvaged materials (14 percent).

The least popular green building products or practices were energy management systems, cited by 11 percent of respondents; passive solar design, used by 8 percent; and solar water heaters, used by 3 percent.

NAHB notes how the survey's results mirror those of its 2016 study on home buyer preferences. The top five most desired items included an Energy Star rating for the entire home as well as Energy Star rated appliances and windows.

The green building survey also asked how often new home builders have their homes certified to a green standard, such as LEED or the National Green Building Standard. Emrath says that while many builders could likely qualify for a green standard with few changes to their current practices, 48 percent said they never or almost never look to certify a new home.

Twenty-two percent said they always or almost always certify their home to a green standard. Twelve percent said they seldom do so, 10 percent said they do so occasionally, and 7 percent said they often seek certification.