Top 10 U.S. States For LEED-Certified Buildings

Last week, 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.

Using data from the 2010 census, it was found that the District of Columbia leads the nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2011. Colorado is the leading state, with 2.74 square feet of green building space per person in 2011.

“Looking past the bricks and mortar, people are at the heart of what buildings are all about,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “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.”

Below is the complete list of Top 10 U.S. States for LEED-Certified Buildings…is your state on the list?

Notable newly certified projects in 2011 include the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., which is distinguished as the oldest LEED-certified project in the world; Frito-Lay in Lynchburg, Va., which earned LEED Gold for the operations and maintenance of an existing building; the LEED Silver Hard Rock Café inSeattle, Wash.; Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank in Mass.; the LEED Gold Austin Convention Center in TX; the LEED-Platinum Hotel Skylar in Syracuse, N.Y. ; and the LEED Platinum Marquette Plaza in Minneapolis, Minn.

“Our local green building chapters from around the country have been instrumental in accelerating the adoption of green building policies and initiatives that drive construction locally,” continued Fedrizzi. “These states should be recognized for working to reinvent their local building landscapes with buildings that enliven and bolster the health of our environment, communities and local economies.”

In December 2011, USGBC announced that LEED-certified existing buildings outpaced their newly built counterparts by 15 million square feet.

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Image Credit: Flickr – eng1ne

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Julliesimpson J.

5:51AM PDT on May 30, 2013

Howdy dudes! Astonishing stuff keep it up!!
read more

May 30
send a green star

Eternal G.

5:13PM PST on Feb 20, 2012

Noted.

February 20
send a green star

Joan M.

11:07PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Good report, hope all the staes that are not on the list are sitting up and taking notice

January 25
send a green star

KS G.

3:56AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Thanks for the article.

Carol P.

5:25PM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Wow. I knew DC was number one on this but had no idea they were so far ahead of the curve.

But I suppose when you consider the number of highly-educated people (politicians not necessarily included) that are concentrated in such a small area, it makes sense. They know that making buildings energy efficient saves money so it should be a part of any business plan.

January 24
send a green star

Hannah L.

2:02PM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Good news.

Laurie D.

12:23PM PST on Jan 24, 2012

YAY!! MORE please!

Charlene R.

7:58PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

If we repeat 'GREEN' often enough, the naysayers might start believing it.

January 23
send a green star

David L.

7:42PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Great article!

Dave C.

7:29PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

thank you...our new community clinic was LEED Silver....wished they would have built it green, but better than not....still takes the people working there to take advantage of the opportunities to recycle, bike/walk/bus, etc in addition to the lighting, etc....