'Going Green' big at Builder's conference

The drive toward "green" residential construction takes center stage this week at the world's largest light construction conference and trade show. The National Association of Home Builders will announce national green building standards and a green builder designation at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla.

Both represent "what seems to be the future of home building," said Calli Schmidt of the NAHB. The national effort is growing out of individual states' green building initiatives in recent years. That includes Michigan, where Grand Rapids builders helped drive a statewide set of green building guidelines in recent years, said Schmidt.