Demand
for green building materials is projected to expand 13.0 percent annually to
$71.1 billion in 2015, slightly outpacing the growth of building
construction expenditures over that period as green materials continue to
account for an increasing share of materials used.  While the rising use of green materials will
support gains, the most important driver for demand will be the expected rebound
in the construction market from low 2010 levels. These and other trends,
including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Green
Building Materials, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc.,
a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Demand
for a number of green building products is expected to post gains in excess of
20 percent annually through 2015, benefiting from greater
availability, environmental concern and more stringent regulatory or building
code standards, coupled with the rebound in the construction market.  Among these products are water-efficient plumbing
fixtures and fittings, energy-efficient lighting fixtures, permeable pavement,
and concrete that features recycled content. 
However, with the exception of recycled concrete, the market for most of
these materials is fairly small and the additional demand will be relatively
modest in value terms. 

Through
2015, the largest value gains will be from concrete products featuring recycled
content (e.g., fly ash, blast furnace slag), which will increase
nearly $11 billion from low 2010 levels. 
In addition to the recovery in construction, green concrete products are
expected to continue to gain market share because the use of recycled materials
in concrete not only reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills, but often
enhances the performance of the concrete. 

Green
floor coverings, which include Green Label Plus-certified carpets and products
made from rapidly renewable resources (e.g., bamboo and cork flooring), are the
largest source of green building materials demand,
accounting for nearly one-quarter of the total market in 2010.  Demand for green floor coverings is projected
to increase 11.7 percent annually through 2015. 
However, gains will not match the pace of the rest of the green building
materials market, primarily because the majority of floor coverings (including
essentially all carpeting products) are already green, limiting opportunities
for greater market penetration. 

The Freedonia
Group is a leading international business
research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry
research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook
and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product
segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats
and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and
company profiles.