Dive Brief:

• Green building saves energy, reduces carbon footprints and, it appears, makes insurers happy.
• Some of the materials and techniques used in sustainable buildings enhance their ability to withstand storms with high winds, which insurers like in a period when increasingly frequent "frankenstorms" are causing bigger losses.
• In green buildings, LEED-certified roofs use metal and are designed to handle hurricane-speed winds, and tightly insulated walls are less likely to have cracks or gaps that are weak points in conventional construction.

Dive Insight:

The insurance industry is putting money on the line to back up its statistically driven preference for green construction. Some companies have begun to offer lower-premium policies for new green construction or renovation in homes, while the same ideas are taking root commercial-building insurance.