Colorado Green Real Estate

LEED Certified Homes are a Green Home Buyer's Dream

LEED homes are healthier and more comfortable for their occupants. In this post I will introduce the LEED for Homes certification system and highlight the benefits for home buyers.

LEED stands for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.’ The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to establish guidelines for characterizing and monitoring compliance with green building benchmarks. The first generation of benchmarks called LEED Version 1.0 began in 1998. LEED Version 2.0 was released in early 2000. Both Version 1.0 and 2.0 apply to commercial buildings. Adherence to the benchmarks is voluntary and consensus-based and relies upon existing proven technology. The purpose of LEED is to encourage and support the building industry toward the adoption of more sustainable building practices.

Following the LEED rating systems for the commercial sector, LEED for Homes first arrived as a part of a pilot program in mid 2005. Designed exclusively for the residential market, LEED for Homes was officially launched as a part of LEED Version 3.0 in late 2007. The LEED for Homes certification program was developed to provide a means of determining how well a home is designed and built with regard to energy and resource efficiency and to evaluate the how healthy a home is for occupants.

By November of 2008 1,084 homes across the U.S. had received LEED for Homes certification and over 13,600 homes had registered to pursue certification. Today, approximately 3,000 homes have received the LEED for Homes certification and over 16,000 are registered to pursue LEED for Homes certification.

The USGBC estimates potential energy savings of 30% for the average home rated at LEED-Certified level compared to homes built to the Internation Energy Conservation Code. Energy savings of up to 60% are possible.

Homebuyers seeking a premium green featured home will want to consider one that is LEED certified because a LEED Certified Homes are a Green Home Buyer's Dream.

As a certified EcoBroker, I can help homebuyers locate and evaluate LEED certified homes in Colorado. Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

Visit my website at E3GreenHOMES.com for information on Denver Colorado Green Homes.

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