April 30, 2014: Three Billion Square Feet of Building Space Now LEED-Certified

Major Milestone for the Global Green Building Industry

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced that 3 billion square feet of green construction space has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification around the globe.

“This milestone is the result of leaders across our industry making the business and environmental case for healthy, sustainable buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, and founding chair, USGBC. “More than 4.3 million people live and work in LEED buildings. As our numbers continue to gain momentum, the impact is significant — jobs are created, revenue is generated, and well-being is prioritized — proving every day that LEED works.”

USGBC notes that green construction has grown significantly over a short period of time. McGraw-Hill estimates that it will comprise half of U.S. construction and be worth up to $248 billion by 2016.

LEED is designed to maximize the sustainability and health-related features of buildings. By encouraging the careful sourcing and selection of building materials, reducing energy use and waste, conserving water, and ensuring a healthy and safe indoor environment, LEED is being used to optimize building projects in new construction, retrofits, and ongoing building operations across the commercial and residential sectors, as well as neighborhood developments.

“Some of the best-designed and well-maintained buildings of the green movement utilize LEED, which is defined by innovation and imagination,” said Fedrizzi.

Recently certified LEED buildings that helped in achieving the 3 billion square foot milestone include the Hilmar Cheese Company’s LEED Platinum headquarters and Innovation Center. Certified in February 2014, this 55,000-square-foot building in Hilmar, Calif., utilizes daylighting strategies and occupancy sensors and employs solar energy to provide about 25 percent of the overall building energy demand.

Other recent certifications include the LEED Platinum Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore.; Hines’ LEED Gold recertification of the One and Two Shell Plazas in Houston; Jones Lang LaSalle’s LEED Platinum Aon Center in Chicago; and the LEED Gold Kv. Jublet building in Stockholm.

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