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fNCORPORATING earth-friendly products such as conIcrete and clay roof tiles can help builders earn green building points-and attract prospective homebuyers in a slow market.

It's important to note that some building products are inherently green. Clay and concrete roofing is made from natural materials. With more advanced manufacturing processes, the energy used to make these products and the environmental impact of sourcing materials have been greatly reduced.

Many green building programs cite the use of durable products as an important way to increase a building's green rating. Both concrete and clay tiles are extremely durable, able to withstand wind, hail, rain, earthquake, and even fire. Because of this durability, they also require much less ongoing maintenance than other roofing products.

Energy efficiency is another staple of green building. Properly installed, concrete and clay roofing can help maximize a building's energy efficiency by reducing heat trans- ference by up to 4OVo , reducing air conditioning costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter.

Another goal of green building is to use locally sourced products. Manufacturers of concrete and clay roofing products often build manufacturing plants in close proximity to -if not immediately next to-the sites from which needed elements are mined. Finished products also tend to stay local, usually within 500 miles.

Shorter shipping distances means less fuel is used to transport finished products, and less polluting vapors pour from truck tailpipes into the environment. Competing roofing products are often shipped much farther than 500 miles.

Concrete and clay roof tiles can also earn points toward a home's green rating because they off-gas virtually no toxic fumes after being cured at the manufacturing facility.

Concrete and clay tiles should be a consideration for any green-building project.