A recently released report shows North Carolinians recognize the value of above-code homes. The data shows that market penetration of voluntary, third-party certified, high performance building programs continues to rise in the state.

The programs tracked were Energy Star, HERS label homes (Home Energy Rating System), the National Green Building Standards (NGBS), ecoSelect, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards, and NC Green Built.

North Carolina builders and developers registered 10,086 high-performance homes certified by the agencies in 2013, more than all houses in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia combined.

North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance (NCEEA), a nonprofit operating out of Appalachian State University, collected the report’s data. Based in Boone, the alliance includes home energy raters, home builders and renovators, commercial contractors, architects, engineers, utility providers, real estate brokers, appraisers, and mortgage lenders. See the complete report at the NCEEA website ncenergystar.org