In most homes today, energy-efficient construction materials prevent heat from escaping.

In most homes today, because of energy-efficient construction, far less heat escapes with moist air, and so its dew point often occurs inside the structure.

The town of Greenburgh passed a new law about a year ago mandating energy-efficient construction of all new homes.

Ms. Smith also said the United States lags far behind Europeans in developing and using more energy-efficient construction materials.

The bill also will cover other energy-related occupations, including energy-efficient construction and retrofitting, recycling and waste reduction, water and energy conservation, and sustainable agriculture.

The faculty is in charge of the Energy Research and Competence Center focusing on renewable energies, energy-efficient construction, intelligent automation and electrical engineering.

New for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, the Affordability Contest encourages teams to design and build affordable houses that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems.

Among her goals are to promote energy-efficient construction, to examine how security measures can be designed to be less aesthetically intrusive, to increase the amount of public art and to raise the quality of street fixtures in neighborhoods outside business improvement districts.

EarthCraft House is a green building program created in 1999 as a partnership between the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface Energy Institute that teaches builders the latest methods of resource and energy-efficient construction.

As laudable as the environmentalists' efforts were, perhaps they should start directing some of their attention toward the root of the problem, by lobbying for building codes that mandate energy-efficient construction or by protesting the continued development of suburban communities that are entirely car-dependent.

In October 2007, The Elleven and Luma Residences developed by The South Group, received the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold designation for their incorporation of sustainable materials: "green streets" to manage stormwater, energy-efficient construction techniques and amenities.

The law, which went into effect on Oct. 1, changes the building code to require more energy-efficient construction, requires government purchase of fuel-efficient cars and energy-efficient state housing, sets new requirements that must be met before electric heat can be used in homes, sets state mass-transit goals and requires the planting of trees to offset emissions.