Howard County's drive to encourage environmentally friendly "green buildings" through a series of bills passed in 2007 has been slow to gain private-sector interest, according to figures released by the county.

However, some county officials said they expected a slow start, and they cited the struggling housing market as a factor.

"We said from the get-go we don't expect more than one or two in the first year," said Joshua Feldmark, director of the county's Office of Environmental Sustainability.

The County Council passed a series of bills between July and October 2007 designed to encourage, and in some cases force, developers to use green building standards in new construction.

The Green Building requirements, which took effect July 1, require private buildings larger than 50,000-square feet and publicly funded buildings to follow the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design guidelines established by the U.S. Green Building Council. The county's Green Neighborhoods program, which is voluntary, sets aside 100 housing allocations per year for developers who meet county-created guidelines pertaining to the design and construction of new buildings.

However, just one building, the Robinson Nature Center-- a county project -- has met the mandatory building requirements and only one developer is in serious talks with the county about the voluntary program, Feldmark said.

The sluggish housing market has affected things in the county, Feldmark said, and county records show building permits are down locally. There were 2,463 residential and commercial building permits filed from January to August 2008 compared to 3,462 during the same time period in 2007, according to the Departments of Inspections, Licenses and Permits.

Council members recently quizzed Feldmark about the green building program during their monthly meeting. Council chairwoman Courtney Watson said she wants frequent progress reports.

"We're keenly interested in whether the program will work," Watson said. "We do want to see green building succeed."

The Home Builders Association of Maryland criticized the Green Neighborhoods plan last year, saying a checklist compiled by the county did not give builders enough information to decide if the standards were achievable.

Michael Harrison, director of government affairs for the association, said he has not heard much from Howard County members of the association since the standards were passed last year.

The county recently completed its first set of Green Neighborhoods guidelines, for the design phase, and does not expect the building phase guidelines to be ready until later this month, Feldmark said.

Many builders want to wait until they see both sets of guidance documents before considering projects under the system, Harrison said.

"Builders are willing to meet the regulations. We just want to know what they are. We want reliability and consistency," he said. "Once the market picks up, I think it's full-steam ahead for green building. People want it, it sells and it's cheaper for the buyer in the long term."

The county limits the number of new housing units built in each section of the county annually, but is setting aside 100 units each year for the Green Neighborhoods program. Some sections of the county historically have had years'-long waiting lists, but developers who qualify under the green building program could sidestep the wait for a traditional building allocation.

Although the national housing market might have some impact on green building, there are larger forces at work, said Jared Spahn, owner of Old Town Construction and a consultant for the developer of what likely would be the first homes following the Green Neighborhoods model.

The mid-Atlantic region has a lot of large, long-established companies that are slow to change and real estate professionals have not done enough to convince consumers that a higher upfront cost can lead to longer-term savings, he said.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, it typically costs between 1 to 5 percent more to add standard features to a home. For a $300,000 home, that could cost an extra $3,000 to $15,000.

However, the council claims energy savings can make up for that cost in the long term. Among the county Green Neighborhood requirements designed to boost energy efficiency are using photovoltaic solar panels, adding motion sensors or timers to lights, putting Energy Star-qualified appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators that use less energy into homes, installing low-flow toilets and showers and collecting and reusing rainwater.

Waverly Gardens, a facility for seniors that Spahn completed in 2006, incorporated many aspects of green building design, he said. Electric bills have stayed low for residents, indoor air quality is improved and maintenance costs are less, he said.

Having the weight of the county behind the green requirements can help to move developers along, especially when the county is able to use allocation credits, a sought-after commodity, as an incentive, Spahn said.

"I think it's created an incentive and it at least has people thinking and exploring," Spahn said.

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