Pads that leave less of a carbon footprint

Amid the gloom and doom of a housing market in crisis, one group of builders still has reason to smile. Homebuyers are increasingly demanding green housing, constructed in an environment-friendly fashion and equipped with simple energy-saving tools. What's just as attractive as eco-altruism is the savings expected, which led buyers to report in a national survey that they're willing to spend almost $9,000 more on green homes upfront if they will cut utility bills later. Here, a look at some of the gadgets and materials going into green buildings. (All of the homes shown here were built by the North Carolina firm The EcoBuilders.)</p>