It’s no secret that one of the U.S. industries hardest hit by the recession has been homebuilding, which in many ways is still trying to grapple its way back to even years after taking a nosedive.

The downturn is just part of the reason that homebuilders could, according to a new report, do more in terms of greenbuilding — that is, designing homes that come equipped with environmentally friendly features, like energy efficient appliances and lights, insulated windows and solar energy systems. As relayed by WSJ Blogs,

“Companies today have taken many meaningful steps toward developing greener and cleaner homes,” the report states. “However, given the environmental impact that home building has, the industry has significantly more progress to make.”

Issued by Calvert Investments — the Maryland-based group that focuses invests in socially and environmentally responsible companies — the report ranks the top ten biggest public home builders based on land use, building materials, energy, water and climate change. Calvert concluded that, for the most part, many green features are available — and homebuilders are more than willing to use them. The problem is that home buyers are not willing to pay the extra buck; buyers seem more concerned with price than environmental considerations. And even the most stable building companies can’t afford to build homes that people won’t buy.

So the logical question would be: Is it possible to build a home that’s easy on the wallet and the environment?

California-based KB Home may have the answer. Like many of its counterparts, KB Home makes made-to-order homes. You pick the size, location and design, and they build it. The building company tops Calvert’s list, mainly because it has found a happy medium with its “Open Series,” which the company describes as economic and efficient.

Pulte Homes did OK, ranking second, but Calvert sees KB as the only company in the study to provide a comprehensive sustainability report of its homes. To boot, KB was tops in all categories (land use, building materials, energy, water and climate change), has built more Energy Star qualified homes than the others and, notably, conducted a recent study to show homeowners the benefits of owning an Energy Star qualified home over a long period of time.