By Matt Schumake
WASHINGTON DC — Since the launch of the LEED for Homes rating system in 2007, the US Green Building Council has certified 50,000 green housing units.
LEED for Homes is currently the world’s most widely used residential green building program.
In 2007, 392 housing units received LEED-certification. In 2008, the figure jumped to nearly 900 units. Nearly 3,000 became certified in 2009. In 2012 and 2013 alone, USGBC certified more than 15,000 and 17,000 housing units, respectively.
Of the 50,000-plus certified units, 74 percent are within multifamily buildings, while 44% are classified as affordable housing.
There are also more than 82,000 units under construction and in the pipeline for LEED certification.
The continued growth of LEED for Homes is attributable to its many proven benefits, including enhanced property value, healthier indoor environments, and energy and water savings that average 20% – 30%. LEED-certified homes are third-party inspected, tested and performance-verified, offering homeowners and renters piece of mind that their places of residence are efficient, saving them money and also better for the natural environment.
“As one of the most rigorous green residential rating systems in the world, LEED for Homes is the standard against which all other such programs are measured,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC.