An overwhelming majority of developers and corporate executives -- more than 86 percent -- consider green design to be as important or more so now than it was before the recession.

NREI and USGBC announced the results of the 2009 Green Building Survey: "Doubling Down on Green: Why Sustainability Endures in the Face of a Recession" at Greenbuild 2009

National Real Estate Investor and the United States Green Building Council collaborated on the survey of developers, corporate real estate executives and government officials.

"Doubling Down on Green: Why Sustainability Endures in the Face of a Recession" indicates that 68 percent of developers own or manage at least some green properties (up from 60 percent last year), and five years from now 89 percent expect to (about the same as last year).

Will those projects be USGBC LEED certified? All of the respondents say they have at least heard of LEED; three-fourths of corporate and developer respondents say they are familiar with it. That is quite an improvement from two years ago. A majority say LEED is an effective system for energy savings.

Energy efficiency: Retrofits are in

With financing for new construction effectively on hold for the past year, 73 percent of developers are retrofitting existing properties for better energy efficiency.

The retrofit number is slightly higher for government respondents, although only a third of them indicate that they have been influenced by stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Incentives: Just looking

Only half of the developers surveyed report having cashed in on any type of tax incentive, rebate, discount or grant.

About two-thirds of them cite tax incentives, however, when asked which financial "carrots" are most beneficial.

Almost 70 percent of developers currently have some green buildings, and more are on their way in five years.

Government respondents report it takes five years or longer to recoup retrofit costs. Corporate real estate executives are more optimistic, reporting that it takes closer to three or four years to recover the costs.

"Doubling Down on Green: Why Sustainability Endures in the Face of a Recession" will be a Special Supplement to National Real Estate Investor and Retail Traffic magazines later this month.