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Source: Energy Manager Today - February 4, 2019
Illinois rose from third place to top the US Green Building Council’s new annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED. Altogether the 10 states with the most LEED certified square feet per person in 2018 include more than 468 million gross square feet of space, according to USGBC.
Buildings with LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — certification create healthier spaces for people, use less energy and water, reduce carbon emissions, and save businesses money, USGBC says.
The new list was calculated using per capita figures, which the council says allows for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and number of overall buildings. It includes commercial and institutional green building projects certified throughout 2018.
As the number one state for LEED certification in 2018, Illinois certified 172 green building projects representing 5.31 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident, the new rankings show. USGBC noted that this is the first time Illinois has taken the top spot since 2015.
Of the 10 highest ranked states, eight of them appeared on the 2017 list. Washington and Texas secured the highest rankings in each states’ history. Colorado advanced from 10th place in 2017 to number six for 2018.
Although Washington, DC, doesn’t appear on the official Top 10 list due to its status as a federal territory, USGBC says that it consistently leads the nation on LEED certification. In 2018, DC certified 61.74 square feet of space per resident across 145 green building projects. Previously, in 2017, the nation’s capital became the first city in the world to become LEED-certified.
Here are the full rankings for 2018:
“These top 10 states are examples of how we can create lasting, measurable change, and improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “A better future requires a universal living standard that leaves no one behind — and that future would simply not be possible without the extraordinary work being done in these states.”
USGBC anticipates that green building will continue growing through 2021, with client demand being the top driver in the United States. Top social factors are occupant health and well-being, the council says. Currently there are more than 96,275 registered and certified LEED projects worldwide.
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