WASHINGTON - The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system is gaining increasing attention from architects and builders, according to statistics from the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED New Construction Rating System, or LEED-NC, which has been in place since 2000, has now certified 140 projects in all but 10 states and the District of Columbia, plus 27 projects in other countries.

However, a substantial growth in LEED-certified projects is looming, as 1,717 projects throughout the country (plus 110 in other countries) have registered for certification, including projects in every state.

Ohio, for example, has only one certified project but has 45 projects that have registered for certification. The U.S. Green Building Council, which manages the LEED certification process, has also launched new LEED ratings for existing buildings (LEED-EB) and commercial interiors (LEED-CI) and is pilot-testing a LEED rating for core and shell construction (LEED-CS) while developing new rating systems for homes (LEED-H) and entire neighborhood developments (LEED-ND).

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

Publication date: 02/21/2005