Journalnow.com - Winston-Salem Journal

"Consumers have not been willing to make the investment," said Hovnanian, the chief executive and president of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. Hovnanian was one of 10 homebuilders that developed an all-green community called Terramor, in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. He said that the results of that venture were frustrating; consumers were unwilling to pay extra for green features such as solar panels to generate electricity.

Among the early adopters are two smaller homebuilders, Pardee Homes in Los Angeles and WCI Communities Inc. in Florida. Though they are much smaller than homebuilders such as Hovnanian, KB Home and others, they build mainly where consumers have been more receptive to green building practices.

AP Photos; AP Graphic; Pardee Homes used a green-building design for this house in San Diego. One of its features is its landscaping, which includes plants that require less water. 2. In the bedroom of the San Diego house, [Pardee] installed carpet made from low-fiber materials, eliminating carpet fibers that harbor dust mites and pet dander. The wood for the kitchen floor, and other areas of the house, comes from trees that will completely regenerate in 20 years. 3. Building green homes (graphic) D2: For the bathroom, it's low-flow faucets and tankless water heaters.