It seems like everywhere I go I hear someone say that we can reduce our carbon footprint by building with greener, more fuel efficient methods.* I don't believe them, because I'm an economist, I imagine that if building greener with more fuel efficient methods was cheaper then the builders would build that way and increase profits.
Here is some anecdotal evidence from The Times ($$$ [I say it as if it is the only paper in the country, as if I'm from NYC]):
... a green remodeling project often costs up to 15 percent more than a conventional one, depending on the size and features. Tony Grant, 37, a San Francisco software engineer, estimates that he and his wife, Caroline, spent 5 to 10 percent extra to make their 1,000-square-foot addition environmentally friendly. They chose sustainably harvested lumber for framing, which added $15,000 to the project. But they passed on sustainable cabinets, which cost three times as much as conventional ones.
And this (again, TimesSelect-$$$):
Environmentally friendly buildings can sometimes cost more upfront, Mr. Shapiro said, but the returns can be significant in the long run. “You’ve got some of the biggest projects in the country today being built green,” he said, “and developers are doing that because they believe they’re going to get a premium in selling the building or leasing it up at a higher rate.”
It might pay off to build green because there are green customers willing to pay a premium.
This is not to say that energy savings over time might cover the additional up front costs. But, I'd wish the green building salespeople would go ahead and say that, instead of the alternative.
*Note: Not everywhere.
