LEED for tomorrow’s housing industry?

LEED homes don't have to look like something dreamed up by Frank Lloyd Wright, though sometimes they do.

LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes designing and constructing high-performance green homes. Its goal is to help move the mainstream homebuilding industry toward more sustainable practices.

The rating system uses 8 different categories to measure the overall performance of a home. Each category contains a specific number of credits; each credit is worth 1 or more possible points.

Homes are given a LEED certification rating based on the total number of points scored. The four certification ratings are as follows:

- LEED Certified: Awarded to homes scoring between 45 and 59 total points.

- LEED Silver: Awarded to homes scoring between 60 and 74 total points.

- LEED Gold: Awarded to homes scoring between 75 and 89 total points.

- LEED Platinum: Awarded to homes scoring between 90 and 128 total points.

A builder can choose which credits to comply with for the home attempting to be certified. However, among the 8 categories are 18 mandatory measures that must be completed in every LEED-certified home.

The 8 categories of performance measurement

1. Innovation and Design Process - 9 possible points are given for using special design methods, unique regional credits, measures not currently addressed in the Rating System and exemplary performance levels.

2. Location and Linkage - 10 possible points are given for placing homes in socially and environmentally responsible ways in relation to the larger community.

3. Sustainable Site - 21 possible points are given for using the entire property so as to minimize the project's impact on the site.

4. Water Efficiency - 15 possible points are given for indoor and outdoor water conservation practices built into the home.

5. Energy and Atmosphere - 38 possible points are given for improving energy efficiency, particularly in the building envelope and heating and cooling design.

6. Materials and Resources - 14 possible points are given for selecting environmentally preferable materials, efficiently using materials and minimizing waste during construction.

7. Indoor Environmental Quality - 20 possible points are given for improving indoor air quality by reducing possible air pollution.

8. Awareness and Education - 3 possible points are given for educating the homeowner, tenant and building manager (for larger multifamily buildings) about the operations and maintenance of their home's green features.

Click here to see larger graphic explaining eight categories.

Benefits of a LEED Home

Video by the U.S. Green Building Council

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