Green building

USGBC reveals top states for LEED-certified homes

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released a new report, “LEED in Motion: Residential,” outlining growing green trends in the homes market.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED certification is available for virtually all building types as well as single-family homes, neighborhoods, cities and communities.

The report reveals that LEED-certified homes have grown 19 percent since 2017 and are at an all-time high with nearly 500,000 single-family, multifamily and affordable housing LEED-certified units globally and more than 400,000 units located in the U.S.

The report also outlines the top 10 states for LEED-certified homes in the U.S., with California coming in at No. 1.

On average, LEED-certified homes use 20 to 30 percent less energy than a traditional home, with some homeowners reporting up to 60 percent savings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where pollutants can be two to five times more concentrated than outdoors. LEED encourages design that maximizes indoor fresh air and uses materials that help reduce exposure to toxins and pollutants connected to asthma, allergies and other respiratory issues.

The top states for LEED green homes are:

1. California—39,296 certified residential units, 46,252,746 square feet of certified space.
2. Texas—24,598 certified residential units, 41,425,633 square feet of certified space.
3. New York—10,876 certified residential units, 12,700,343 square feet of certified space.
4. Washington—10,521 certified residential units, 11,856,316 square feet of certified space.
5. Colorado—8,091 certified residential units, 9,870,268 square feet of certified space.
6. New Jersey—7,646 certified residential units, 8,790,645 square feet of certified space.
7. Ohio—7,402 certified residential units, 9,755,348 square feet of certified space.
8. Oregon—6,729 certified residential units, 7,961,683 square feet of certified space.
9. Maryland—5,966 certified residential units, 9,019,059 square feet of certified space.
10. Georgia—5,891 certified residential units, 7,299,589 square feet of certified space.