The state homebuilder associations of Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York and Oklahoma have affiliated themselves with the NAHB National Green Building Program, the National Association of Home Builders said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The affiliations bolster NAHBGreen’s mission to move green building practices into the mainstream by providing training, education and business opportunities for association members and consumers, and by making it easier for prospective home buyers to find homes.

In addition to offering voluntary green-building guidelines and education programs for builders, NAHBGreen also offers a green building certification program administered by the NAHB Research Center, which oversees the education programs and trains and accredits local verifiers to inspect homes in their area.

Even though – or perhaps because – the market for green construction is still emerging, there has been a fair amount of free publicity for creative green residential projects. A story in the New York Times’ Home section, published Thursday, focuses on the green materials of a house in Culver City, California. Building materials for this home include acrylic, Panelite, recycled steel and Styrofoam, sunflower husks, and design. The design of the home featured a customized steel frame and prefabricated sections.

Built over a three-year period for $528,000, the house isn’t exactly cheap. But with 4,200 square feet and a number of renewable-energy features, it compares very favorably to most other architect-designed homes of its size in the Los Angeles area, which, even in this down market, would cost about three times more.