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USGBC Doubles LEED for Homes Network

Launched in December of 2007, the program is geared towards homebuilders, architects, and designers.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM

Green homes keep gaining momentum in the building stakes, but the proof isn’t in the polls. It comes instead from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), which has doubled its network of local LEED for Homes providers, this just two months after launching the national, third-party certification system for green homes.

The program helps homebuilders, architects, and designers use LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to build new homes and offers the rating and verification inspections required by the program. Green homes certified by the LEED program must pass an on-site inspection to verify standards of energy efficiency, water conservation, non-toxic materials, and other features.

More than 540 homes have thus far achieved one of the three LEED certification levels of Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Nearly 13,000 more homes have been registered in the program and are currently under development.

"We are not powerless against the enormous environmental issues we face today," says Michelle Moore, the USGBC's senior vice president of policy and market development. "By choosing a green home, individual Americans can lower their utility bills, make a difference, and have a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for themselves and for their families."

In the United States, homes account for 21 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. Green homes, on average, reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions by 30 to 50 percent, and save approximately the same amount on energy bills. Green homes have also been shown to use less water and create less waste, while green homeowners generally report less mold and mildew and fewer incidences of asthma.