Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN] ENV GRE CST
[SU] ENI RCY
TO ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Three Billion Square Feet of Green Building Space LEED@-Certified
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC) announced today that 3 billion square feet of
green construction space has earned 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."
Green construction has grown massively 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 the most widely
recognized and used green building program across the globe, with more
than 1.7 million square feet of commercial building space LEED
certifying each day in more than 140 countries and territories.
In the U.S. alone, buildings account for 41 percent of energy use, 73
percent of electricity consumption and 38 percent of all CO2
emissions. Globally, buildings use 40 percent of raw materials, or 3
billion tons annually. LEED is designed to minimize the adverse
effects of constructing, operating and maintaining buildings, while
maximizing sustainability and health-related features. 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," added Fedrizzi.
Some of the most well-known LEED buildings include The World Bank in
Washington, D.C.; the Fifth Avenue Tiffany & Co., the Time Life
Building and the Empire State Building in New York, N.Y.; the
Merchandise Mart in Chicago; and Taipei 101, one of the tallest
buildings in the world, in Taipei, Taiwan.
Recently certified LEED buildings that helped tip the scales to 3
billion square feet 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.
About the U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through
cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward
its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building
program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of
chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International
Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in
support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings
and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org, explore the
Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG) and connect
on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About LEED The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building
certification system is the foremost program for the design,
construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Every
day, 1.7 million square feet of space is certified using LEED. More
than 58,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently
participating in LEED, comprising 10.7 billion square feet of
construction space in more than 140 countries and territories. In
addition, more than 50,000 residential units have been certified under
the LEED for Homes rating system. Learn more at usgbc.org/LEED.
Contact: Jacob Kriss Media Specialist, USGBC 202-595-3992
jkriss@usgbc.org
SOURCE U.S. Green Building Council
-0- 04/08/2014
/Web Site: http://www.usgbc.org
CO: U.S. Green Building Council
ST: District of Columbia
IN: ENV GRE CST
SU: ENI RCY
PRN
-- DC00861 --
0000 04/08/2014 16:30:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
