U.S. Green Building Council releases list of top U.S. states for LEED-certified projects in 2011

By Greentech Lead Team: The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its
2011 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional
green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. 

“Looking past the bricks and
mortar, people are at the heart of what buildings are all about. Examining the
per capita value of LEED square footage in these states allows us to focus on
what matters most – the human element of green buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi,
president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC.

LEED is the internationally
recognized mark of green building excellence, with more than 44,000 projects
commercial projects participating, comprising over 8 billion square feet of
construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries. In addition, more than
16,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with
more than 67,000 more homes registered.

“This is a great accomplishment
for the D.C. metropolitan region and a testament to the drive, commitment and
leadership of all those who live, work and play in our community. We also
realize there is still more to do and hope to effectively guide the effort by
engaging, educating and encouraging the dialogue around the value of sustainability,”
said Mike Babcock, board chair of the National Capital Region Chapter of
USGBC. 

The District of Columbia leads the
nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in
2011, with Colorado being the leading state, with 2.74 square feet per person
in 2011.

Other top states include Illinois,
Virginia and Washington, with 2.69, 2.42 and 2.18 square feet of LEED-certified
space per person, respectively.  The top LEED states per capita, including
the District of Columbia:  

editor@greentechlead.com