Green building has received increased attention over the past decade from both environmental economists and policymakers. While there is no single definition of “green buildings” or its related policy, researchers and organizations tend to emphasize resource efficiency in building and reducing the impacts of buildings on human health and the environment.

This evaluation, conducted by Industrial Economics Incorporated on behalf of BTO, centers on a retrospective cost-benefit analysis of selected Building America program activities in the new residential market. It estimates the economic rate of return by comparing the economic benefits attributable to a subset of key practices advanced by Building America to DOE’s total investment in the Building America program from its inception in 1994 through 2015.