U.S. demand for green building materials — products that contribute to LEED certification — is expected to reach $70 billion by 2015, according to an updated study by The Freedonia Group.  The market is currently at $39 billion, representing a staggering increase of 13% per year during the next five years.  This increase will come from green materials taking market share from non-green materials, but the main driver for demand is a rebound from the construction doldrums of recent years.

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OgilvyEarth, a sustainability consultancy, studied the mainstream consumer and posted some fascinating research.  Specifically, 82% of Americans have good green intentions, while only 16% of Americans are firmly dedicated to fulfilling those green intentions — leaving 66% in the middle, the “Middle Green,” wanting to do more but not getting it done.  This deficiency between intent and action — the Green Gap — is explained with some firm solutions in a 131-page reported called Mainstream Green.

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Along the same lines as the recent infographic that we mentioned on green home improvement trends, eLocal recently published a new visual on water waste.  Elocal created the graphic, “How Much Water is Your Home Wasting,” using feedback from its community of experts.  Here’s what the professionals said:

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American Express sampled 2,045 people (18+ years old) and learned that 64% of them will invest in renovation projects this year, according to a survey taken in the first week of March.  These homeowners are only planning on spending about $3,400 — down from $6,200 last year — but 32% of folks with home improvement plans will look into green home improvements.

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Harris Interactive surveyed 3,171 adults during the week of Valentines, February 14 – February 21, and asked them all sort of questions about energy, energy efficiency, and power sources. I found some surprising information in the results — i.e., 56% of Americans have never heard the term “smart grid.” Perhaps even more astonishing, only 11% of American have conducted a home energy evaluation or home energy audit.

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