What is LEED for Homes?
LEED for Homes is a rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that provides third party verification of green building practices. LEED is the acronym for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design." There are a variety of green home rating systems in the United States (over seventy!), but LEED for Homes is one of the few that includes thorough documentation and third party verification. LEED for Homes addresses sustainable development and green building practices in the following categories:
- Innovation & Design Process
Gives credit for home design concepts, home durability techniques, innovations unique to the home, and innovations that may not have been available at the time the current LEED for Homes reference guide was published. - Locations & Linkages
Gives credit for building the home near existing developments, infrastructure, and community open space. - Sustainable Sites
Gives credit for landscaping design, rain water management, site preservation, and mitigation of local heat island effects. - Water Efficiency
Gives credit for efficient indoor water fixtures, efficient landscaping irrigation, and a variety of water reuse systems. - Energy & Atmosphere
Gives credit for high R-value insulation, efficient windows, efficient water heating, and renewable energy technology. - Materials & Resources
Gives credit for efficient use of materials, using environmentally preferable products in the home, and by reducing construction waste through recycling. - Indoor Environmental Quality
Gives credit for a variety of measures that help improve the quality of air in a home, during the construction process as well as after construction is completed. Increased indoor environmental quality in a home is directly related to increased health of the homeowners. - Awareness & Education
Gives credit for DSC educating our LEED for Homes clients on the variety of green homebuilding features built into their homes.
A LEED for Homes project can seek certification at one of the following levels by achieving the corresponding baseline point value:
- Certified (45 Points)
- Silver (60 Points)
- Gold (75 Points)
- Platinum (90 Points)
