Energy-efficient green building is catching on all over the world, but builders looking for hot beds of innovation need to look no further than Oregon and Washington, says Ryan Kerr, associate program manager at the Building Industry Research Alliance.

"The Washington and Oregon building industries are developing the expertise to build super energy-efficient homes with solar technology that produce a positive cash flow for the buyer and higher profits for builders. They should be the national leaders in efficient new residential construction," he said. The Northwest Energy Star Program, for example, "provides exposure to above-code building practices" and innovation.

BIRA is a coalition of over 80 industry partners committed to improving resource and energy efficiency in residential housing, as part of the Energy Department's Building America Program. BAP aims to establish the practices necessary to produce zero-energy homes by 2020.