by Brianna Crandall — February 21, 2014—On February 18, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED, its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system used around the world. The list highlights the regions around the country that the USGBC considers to be at the forefront of sustainable building design and transformation. Utilizing less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community, says the organization.
The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified throughout 2013. Among the states, Illinois moved into the top position, certifying 171 projects representing 2.29 square feet of LEED space per resident. The USGBC says that the mid-Atlantic region reigned in 2013 with Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia all topping the list. Although not on the Top 10 list since it is a federal district, not a state, Washington, DC, had 106 LEED-certified projects representing 32.45 square feet of space per resident. Maryland and Virginia followed Illinois in the second and third positions, respectively, certifying 2.20 and 2.11 square feet of LEED space per resident in 2013.
Newcomers to the top 10 states list from 2012 include Oregon, North Carolina, Hawaii and Minnesota. New York and California, two of the most populous states in the nation, tied for fifth place, with each certifying 1.95 square feet of space per resident in 2013.
The USGBC says it calculates the list using per-capita figures as a measure of the human element of green building, allowing for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and, accordingly, number of overall buildings.
Reflecting the continued trend of LEED existing buildings outpacing their newly built counterparts, in 2013 the LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance rating system accounted for 48 percent of total square footage certified in these states. This compares to 43 percent of square footage certified under LEED for Building Design and Construction and 9 percent certified under LEED for Interior Design and Construction, notes the organization.
The full ranking (rank, state, projects certified in 2013, square feet LEED certified in 2013, and per-capita square footage) is as follows:
- Illinois: 171 projects (29,415,284 sq. ft.; 2.29 sq. ft. per capita)
- Maryland: 119 (12,696,429 sq. ft.; 2.20 sq. ft. per capita)
- Virginia: 160 (16,868,693 sq. ft.; 2.11 sq. ft. per capita)
- Massachusetts: 101 (13,684,430 sq. ft.; 2.09 sq. ft. per capita)
- (tie) New York: 259 (37,839,395 sq. ft.; 1.95 sq. ft. per capita)
(tie) California: 595 (72,729,476 sq. ft.; 1.95 sq. ft. per capita)
- Oregon: 47 (6,991,942 sq. ft.; 1.83 sq. ft. per capita)
- North Carolina: 133 (17,183,099 sq. ft.; 1.80 sq. ft. per capita)
- Colorado: 124 (8,894,187 sq. ft.; 1.77 sq. ft. per capita)
- Hawaii: 17 (2,323,379 sq. ft.; 1.71 sq. ft. per capita)
- Minnesota: 51 (8,205,155 sq. ft.; 1.55 sq. ft. per capita)
* Washington, DC: 106 (19,524,216 sq. ft.; 32.45 sq. ft. per capita)
Collectively, 1,777 commercial and institutional projects became LEED certified within the top 10 states in 2013, representing 226.8 million square feet of real estate. Worldwide, 4,642 projects were certified in 2013, representing 596.8 million square feet. Cumulatively, more than 20,000 projects representing 2.9 billion square feet of space have been LEED certified worldwide, with another 37,000 projects representing 7.6 billion square feet in the pipeline for certification.
USGBC launched LEED v4, the newest version of the rating system, in the fall of 2013. The latest version is intended to continue to raise the bar for the entire green building industry, which McGraw-Hill Construction projects could be worth up to $248 billion in the U.S. by 2016. LEED v4 features increased technical rigor; new market sector adaptations for data centers, warehouses and distribution centers, hospitality, existing schools, existing retail, and midrise residential projects; and a simplified submittal process supported by a robust and intuitive technology platform.
An infographic illustrating the rankings is available on the USGBC Web site.
